Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Sex-trafficking trial begins with opening statements
A male stripper said he was paid $US6k to sleep with Sean “Diddy” Combs’ girlfriend as shock “freak off” partiy claims were heard in court. WARNING: Graphic content
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WARNING: Strong language, graphic content
A New York court has heard claims a male stripper was “paid thousands” to sleep with the then girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs while the star masturbated in a corner.
It’s also been claimed that a male escort was forced to urinate on Combs’ then-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura while he looked on.
The remarks came on an eyebrow raising first day of testimony in the trial of Combs who is charged with two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, two counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering.
Combs could face life in jail for just the racketing charge, a minimum of 15 years for sex trafficking and a minimum of 10 years for transportation to engage in prostitution.
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He has denied all the charges. His defence team has said while the evidence may prove domestic violence it does not prove any of the federal charges.
The 55-year-old singer and producer, wearing a white sweater and beige pants and with a white speckled hair and beard, stood up as he was introduced to the jury. Several family members filled out the front row of the public space behind Combs including his daughters Chance Combs and twins, D’Lila and Jessie Combs as well as his mother Janice Combs.
All had to sit through lurid claims about his infamous “freak off” sex parties and other sexual encounters as well as examples of the violence he meted out including the video of him assaulting Ms Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel.
“Let me be clear, this case is not about a celebrity’s private sexual life,” lawyer Emily Johnson told the court during the prosecution’s opening statement.
“The evidence will show the sexual conduct was coercive and criminal.
“He made women have sex when they didn’t want to be there”.
Combs and his “inner circle” helped facilitate crimes including kidnapping, arson and sex crimes “again and again,” she added.
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Ms Johnson detailed one night where it is alleged Combs kidnapped one of his own employees, broke into a house with the intent to harm an apparent boyfriend, and then beat and blackmailed Ms Ventura, threatening to release sex tapes from the freak off parties.
“He said he would release images of her having sex with male escorts,” Ms Johnson said.
“These were souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life”.
This was just the “tip of the iceberg” of the alleged crimes, she said.
The prosecution said Ms Ventura was in love with Combs and initially indulged his sexual proclivities with others. But these became degrading, drug-fuelled sessions that could last for days.
It was claimed she and other alleged victims would be forced to wear lingerie and tall platform heels during the sex parties.
“He expected the women to appear to be enjoying themselves,” Ms Johnson said.
“(Combs) masturbated throughout the freak offs and videoed them”.
Combs was said to have eventually “lost control” of Ms Ventura who he had been in a relationship with for years. The alleged beating was so bad at times “he flung her around like a rag doll”.
In their opening statements, the defence did not deny Combs beat women. But, they said, that was not the charges that were brought in the case.
“Sean Combs is a complicated man but this is not a complicated case, “ said defence lawyer Teny Garagos.
“This case is about voluntary adult choices in consensual relationships”.
Addressing the jury, Ms Garagos said there would be multiple times they might think Combs was “mean” or a “jerk”.
“But that is not prostitution, racketeering or sex trafficking.
“He is simply not guilty of those crimes.
“Being a willing participant is not sex trafficking”
‘Urination’
In their opening statement, the prosecution said the jury would hear of a particularly degrading experience suffered by Ms Ventura.
“Cassie will tell you that she felt like she was choking when Combs made an escort urinate in her mouth,” said Ms Johnson.
However, one of the first witnesses, a male escort, said it was Ms Ventura’s idea for him to urinate.
It is not clear if it was this incident the prosecution were referring to in their opening statement.
Daniel Phillip, 41, was the manager of a company which provided male strippers.
“Cassie was the one who asked me to urinate on her,” he said.
“She asked me if I’d done it before and I said no,” and he was told he should have taken it slower.
“Apparently I was doing it wrong, you’re not supposed to take a leak on her.”
Mr Phillip said he found himself in Combs’ orbit when in 2012 he was asked at late notice to perform at a bachelorette party in New York’s Gramercy Park neighbourhood.
But when he got there, he said, it was who would later know to be Cassie Ventura who answered the door. She was wearing red lace lingerie, high heels, sunglasses and a red wig, Mr Phillip said.
‘Paid thousands’
He alleged Ms Ventura said her husband wanted “something special for her birthday”. The “husband” would watch while he massaged Ms Ventura with baby oil and, if he was comfortable, have sex with her.
“You don’t have to worry about my husband (watching) because he’s not gay,” it’s claimed Ms Ventura said.
The “husband” had a bandana covering half his face as well a baseball cap on but Mr Phillip said that “as soon as he spoke” he knew it was Combs as the voice was so recognisable.
Mr Phillip said he was expecting $200 to strip for a party of women but instead received several thousands dollars for the sexual encounter.
After the initial session, Mr Phillip would regularly meet the couple and have sex with Ms Ventura while Combs was “always sitting in a corner masturbating”.
The sessions would last from one hour to 10 hours, he said, with he sometimes pocketing up to $6000 for one appointment.
Combs would often direct the two participants.
“Ya’ll need to rub more baby oil on each other. You don’t have enough on,” he said during at least one session.
Sometimes, Combs would ask Mr Phillip to step aside as he would have sex with Ms Ventura for a time.
‘My life was at risk’
But from the get go, the sessions had a darker edge, he said.
On the first encounter, it’s claimed Combs took a photo of Mr Phillip’s ID and told him it was “just insurance, just in case”.
“I understood he was threatening me,” said Mr Phillip.
Then during one session, Combs allegedly beat Ms Ventura.
“I had sex with her and then they both went into the bedroom,” Mr Phillip said.
“Then she came out (and went onto her computer) and Combs yelled ‘babe come here’.
“She said ‘hold on, I have personal information on my computer right now’.
“Mr Combs came out of the bedroom, he grabbed her by her hair and started dragging her into the bedroom.
“She was screaming. I could hear him slapping her. She said ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry’. He said ‘Bitch, when I tell you to come here, come now not later,’” said Mr Phillip.
Mr Phillip was asked why he didn't go to the police.
“This was someone with unlimited power,” he said of Combs.
“I was concerned for my life at this point. My life was at risk”.
Combs has been held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Centre which in the past has held R Kelly, Ghislaine Maxwell and Sam Bankman-Fried before and during their trials.
He has been jailed since September last year.
Combs was said to have held sex-fuelled parties known as “freak offs” where many of the allegations took place.
Originally published as Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: Sex-trafficking trial begins with opening statements
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