MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER.

What the key witnesses at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial told the jury

The jury deliberating at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial heard testimony from 34 witnesses over the last seven weeks. They included Combs’ ex-girlfriends Cassie and Jane, who said he forced them into drug-fueled sex marathons they called “freak-offs” and “hotel nights,” a sex worker they knew as “The Punisher,” personal assistants who said they witnessed his violence and facilitated his sexual exploits, and other women who accused him of abuse. All of the witnesses were called by the prosecution. Combs waived his right to testify — not unusual for criminal defendants — and his defense team declined to call any witnesses of their own. Instead, they sought to undercut the allegations via cross-examination during the prosecution’s case.

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Jury due to begin deliberating in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

Jurors are set to start deliberating in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking case. The jury of eight men and four women will weigh on Monday charges that could put the hip-hop mogul in prison for life. The 55-year-old Combs has pleaded not guilty. Jurors heard seven weeks of sometimes graphic and emotional testimony about Combs’ propensity for violence and his sexual predilections, including drug-fueled sex marathons dubbed “freak-offs” or “hotel nights.” Defense lawyers acknowledge that Combs could be violent but maintain that the sex acts were consensual. In all, 34 witnesses testified, headlined by Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie.

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Cassie, Jane, Cudi and freak-offs: How Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial has played out

During weeks of testimony at the sex-trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, nearly three dozen witnesses took their turns in front of a federal jury. Key witnesses included two former Combs’ girlfriends — Cassie and “Jane” — who spent 10 trial days describing being forced over the last two decades to have sex with other men while Combs watched and sometimes filmed the encounters. Other witnesses included rapper Kid Cudi and several former Combs’ employees. Combs has pleaded not guilty. He played an active role in his defense, consulting frequently with his lawyers and influencing their work.

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Key moments from the sixth week of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

A holiday and a juror’s illness shortened the sixth week of the Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial as prosecutors nearly concluded their case, setting the stage for the defense presentation. The first five weeks of the trial featured emotional testimony as prosecutors tried to prove the hip-hop mogul oversaw a racketeering conspiracy enabled by violence, drugs and money. The sixth week introduced the jury to hundreds of documents, text messages and several sex videos of so-called “freak-offs.” Prosecutors say Combs forced two ex-girlfriends to have sex with male sex workers while he watched and recorded the dayslong events.

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A view from the jury box is shown inside a federal courtroom similar to the room where the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ is being held in Federal District court in Manhattan on Friday, June 6, 2025 in New York. (Jefferson Siegel /The New York Times via AP, Pool)

An ex-college basketball player testifies that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs got ‘extremely creative’ on drugs

A former Syracuse University basketball player has told the jury at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial that the music mogul got “extremely creative” when he was on drugs. Brendan Paul testified on Friday about working for Combs for 18 months. Paul was arrested at a Miami airport in March 2024 with cocaine he says belonged to Combs. His testimony comes as prosecutors are winding down their case, and are expected to rest by Monday. A defense presentation is expected to last from two to five days. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

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FILE - Former Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., speaks to reporters outside federal court in New York, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah, File)

Disgraced former Sen. Bob Menendez arrives at prison to begin serving his 11-year bribery sentence

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez reported to federal prison on Tuesday to begin serving an 11-year sentence for accepting bribes of gold and cash and acting as an agent of Egypt. The federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that the New Jersey Democrat is in custody at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania. The facility has both a medium-security prison and a minimum-security prison camp. Menendez resigned from the Senate last year after his conviction. FBI agents found $480,000 in cash in his home, some of it stuffed inside boots and jacket pockets. They also found gold bars worth an estimated $150,000. Menendez denies he took bribes. He says he was unfairly prosecuted.

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Inside a federal courtroom is shown, similar to the room where the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ is being held in Federal District court in Manhattan on Friday, June 6, 2025 in New York. (Jefferson Siegel /The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyer complains about trial secrecy as a famous rapper’s name goes unmentioned

A lawyer for Sean “Diddy” Combs is protesting the rising tide of secrecy at the hip-hop icon’s sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial after Combs and the public were excluded from lengthy legal arguments. Attorney Marc Agnifilo complained to Judge Arun Subramanian after Combs was left out of an hour-long robing room meeting Thursday, delaying testimony by a key witness by nearly two hours. Agnifilo said the need for a public trial was “an important issue, a constitutional issue” and objected to so much happening out of the earshot of his client. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges.

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Rapper Kid Cudi leaves federal court after testifying at the trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs in New York, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Key moments from the second week of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial

The second week of Sean Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering trial featured a dozen witnesses who described the music mogul’s physical attacks on others or who provided testimony addressing the government’s charges. Several of them were reluctant witnesses who testified only in response to subpoenas and, in one case, after being granted immunity. The resistant witnesses sometimes were fertile ground for defense lawyers to elicit testimony to support their claims that the acts they witnessed were proof of domestic violence rather than the federal charges he faces. The trial resumes Tuesday.

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Rapper Kid Cudi expected to testify at Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

Rapper and actor Kid Cudi is expected to testify at the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex trafficking trial. He is likely to take the witness stand either Wednesday or Thursday to tell the jury about his brief relationship 14 years ago with Combs ex-girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. Cassie testified last week that Combs was enraged when she left him for a period of time in 2011 and began dating Cudi. Prosecutors say Combs was so upset that he arranged to have Cudi’s convertible firebombed. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that he oversaw a racketeering enterprise that controlled Cassie and others through threats and violence.

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