Live updates: Sean 'Diddy' Combs
sex trafficking trial begins
Combs faces five counts
in a trial that is set to last
eight to 10 weeks.
What to know as the sex trafficking trial gets underway
A jury was selected Monday consisting of eight men and four women.
Judge Arun Subramanian delivered instructions to the jurors and turned the proceedings over to the lawyers for opening statements.
Prosecutors alleged in their opening remarks that Combs used his fame and power to run a criminal enterprise that facilitated his "freak offs," drug-fueled orgies involving paid sex workers. He allegedly used violence and coercion to force the
participation of victims in the freak offs, including ex-girlfriend Cassie.
The defense in its opening statement admitted that Combs was jealous and occasionally violent, but insisted all the alleged victims participated willingly in his sex life. The defense said that his physical abuse and "love of baby oil" were not federal crimes.
Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has vociferously denied the allegations against him.
The federal case revolves around four alleged victims, identified in the indictment as “Victim-1,” “Victim-2,” “Victim-3” and “Victim-4.” They are all expected to testify during the trial.
MATTHEW RUSSELL LEE of I.C.P
reporting as the ears to the inside
for MIND OF MONKEY STUDIO
2h ago / 2:22 PM PDT
Male escort will return to witness stand tomorrow
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Daniel Phillip, the male escort who testified last today, will return to continue cross examination tomorrow.
The judge ordered Phillip not to speak to his attorney, even overnight, before he comes back to testify again.
2h ago / 2:06 PM PDT
Day 1 of testimony complete
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Court was adjourned just before 5 p.m. EDT as Judge Subramanian thanked jurors and said he'd see them again at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday.
The day ended with the defense cross examining Daniel Phillip, a stripper who testified that he was paid thousands of dollars to have sex with Cassie as Combs watched.
Jury's gone
Judge: Mr. Phillip, no conversations with the Government.
AUSA: Agents are providing him protection and transport, if that's ok.
Sidebar.
Judge: No talk with your lawyer.
2h ago / 2:00 PM
Combs' Donaldson: It appears she is enjoying herself?
Daniel Phillip: Yes
Q: What was your position?
Phillip: Missionary. I was like, Did that just happen?
Donaldson: She asked you for a photo?
Phillip: I do not know if Sean Combs asked for it
Judge: Ignore that
2h / 1:54 PM
Combs' Donaldson: You were wearing a New York City Police Department uniform, right?
Daniel Phillip: I bought an NYPD T-shirt.
Donaldson: You took the oil off in front of Cassie?
Daniel Phillip: The oil? No. I took my clothes off. She said, It's my birthday
2h / 1:51 PM
Combs' Donaldson: She was wearing a wig?
Daniel Phillip: Yes.
Donaldson: She handed you money?
Phillip: She handed me $4000.
Q: Before any oil rubbing?
A: Correct.
Q: She had on heels?
Phillip: & dark glasses.
Donaldson: Where'd the money come from?
A: Her hand.
2h / 1:45 PM
Combs' Donaldson: Cassie told you to say the name Black?
Daniel Phillip: Yes.
Donaldson: Your boss told you someone wanted a black man stripper?
Phillip: Yes.
Donaldson: Let me show you
AUSA: This shouldn't be put on the screen
Donaldson: Take it off. Take it off
3h / 1:41 PM
Combs' Donaldson: Did the company open fake businesses to optimize search results?
Daniel Phillip: Fake addresses. It was just SEO.
Donaldson: You went to optimize the lady's experience?
Daniel Phillip: I have no idea what you mean. It's just our slogan.
3h / 1:38 PM
Donaldson: You were a manager, male strippers for women?
Daniel Phillip: Yes.
Donaldson: Prostitution was prohibited?
Daniel Phillip: That is correct.
Donaldson: Your job was to build it up?
Phillip: Yes and no.
Donaldson: I'll go with yes.
Objection!
Sustained
3h / 1:35 PM
Judge: Mr. Phillip, you are still under oath.
Combs' Xavier Donaldson: Let me show you a text message chain between you and Cassie - is it accurate?
Daniel Phillip: Yes.
Combs' Donaldson: You were working for a service?
Daniel Phillip: A male revue show
3h / 1:30 PM
Judge: Welcome back, juror. But can I have the lawyers for a sidebar?
[Sidebar]
3h / 1:11 PM
AUSA Comey: Nothing further.
Judge: Break before cross examination
3h / 1:06 PM
Male dancer: I went there.. I heard him slapping her. He walked out in a towel. She ran to me. I asked, Why are you staying with this guy-
Combs' Donaldson: Objection?
Judge: Ground?
Donaldson: Hearsey.
Judge: Overruled.
Male dancer: She said it was OK.
3h / 1:02 PM
AUSA Comey: What next?
Male dancer: He said, Are y'all ready to continue?
AUSA: Did you try?
Male dancer: I don't recall.
AUSA: Did you see them again?
Male dancer: I thought I had developed some sort of friendship with Cassie. I may have been speculating
3h / 12:59 PM
AUSA Comey: What was Mr. Combs saying as he meet Cassie?
Male dancer: He said, B*tch when I tell you come over, you come over. I didn't know what to do.
AUSA: Did you intervene?
Male dancer: No. I knew that the changes there were bodyguards-
Objection!
Sustained
4h / 12:55 PM
AUSA Comey: What did you get paid when you couldn't perform?
Male dancer: Nothing. But I never asked for money. I was happy to get involved with people with such notoriety. But after I saw Sean Combs hit Cassie, I couldn't do it anymore.
4h / 12;52 PM
AUSA Comey: Have you seen him in 10 years?
Male dancer: No.
AUSA: Did it ever seem you were not the first person there?
A Yes. Half-used Astroglide, towels on the floor.
AUSA: After the $100 bills, did you see them again?
Male dancer: I couldn't do it anymore
4h 12L50 PM
Male dancer: The guy was like looking at Sean Combs and Combs said,
Don't you be f*cking looking at me
Combs' Donaldson: Objection!
Judge: Let's get a fresh question.
AUSA: What did he look like?
Male dancer: Black guy. Kind of skinny. We exchanged phone numbers
4h / 12:48 PM
AUSA Comey: How did the Molly make you feel?
Male dancer: Sick and euphoric, and like an idiot, handing out $100 bills.
AUSA Comey: Who else was present?
Male dancer: A guy who told me he was an actual escort. He was having sex with Cassie at her apartment
4h / 12:46 PM
Male dancer: Once I went and Cassie was slumped over, he said, it's not going to happen this time.
AUSA: Did Mr. Combs offer you drugs?
Male dancer: Molly I guess it's called, I dont' do drugs, MDMH, MDA- I think - I went out and handed out hundred dollar bills
4h / 12:44 PM
AUSA Comey: Who if anyone recorded?
Male dancer: Mr. Combs, with cell phone and camcorder. He took a photo of my driver's license, for insurance. He said-
Combs' Donaldson: Objection!
Judge: Focus it.
AUSA Comey: What did you understand?
A: He was threatening me
4h / 12:41 PM
Male dancer: They were headed to the Essex Hotel, they said to go in 30 minutes. It was the first time he opened the door as himself, dressed in a suit, no mask.
AUSA Comey: How did things change?
Male dancer: He didn't feel-
Combs' Donaldson: Objection!
4h / 12:38 PM
Male dancer: They told me not to do it all at once-
Defense: Objection! To him saying they -
Judge: I've got it.
AUSA Comey: What happened afterward?
Male dancer: They've leave me waiting for hours. The whole thing might go on for ten hours.
4h / 12:36 PM
AUSA: What direction did Mr. Combs give you?
Male dancer: He'd tell me to step off and back off.
AUSA Comey: How many time if any were you told to urinate on Ms. Ventura?
Defense (Xavier Donaldson) Objection! Suggestive!
Judge: Overruled.
4h / 12:33 PM
Male dancer: Sean Combs said we didn't have enough baby oil on. He's say, y'all slow down, separate from each other. One time he tried to have us role play, like we had just met at an airport. We weren't good so we skipped that
4h / 12:31 PM
Male dancer: I would sent her vulgar text messages
AUSA: Like what?
Male dancer: You want me to say it?
AUSA Comey: Give an example.
Male dancer: I'd text, I wan to f- you right now.
AUSA: How often did you use baby oil?
Male dancer: Every time
4h / 12:29 PM
AUSA Comey: Any other locations?
Male dancer: Essex House. His residence on 56th Street, I believe 210, at the time. And at her residence on West End Avenue, I think Number 10.
AUSA: What name were you to say you were there to see?
Male dancer: Black.
4h / 12:26 PM
Male dancer: He said to give them my phone number. I did. Cassie called me and asked me for a photo...
AUSA Comey: Then what?
Male dancer: She called me to go back. I did, for a few hours. And then a few times after that.
AUSA: Combs always present?
Yes.
4h / 12 :23 PM
Male dancer: He said he was having problems with my boss-
Defense: Objection!
AUSA Comey: I'll get back to that. After the sex was over, what happened?
Male dancer: Cassie gave me a couple of thousand dollars more
4h / 12:22 PM
Male dancer: The man had on a white robe and a bandanna over his fce, below his eyes, and baseball cap. From his voice I recognized him as Sean Combs.
AUSA Comey: What did he say?
Male dancer: That he was into importing and exporting.
5h / 12:19 PM
Male dancer: She was in the hotel room in a red wig, stockings and sunglasses. She gave me a few hundred dollars.
AUSA Comey: What was the room like?
Male dancer: Red couches, Astroglide, a lubricant. There was a man on the right side of the room.
5h /12:16 PM
Witness: My boss called me and said he couldn't find any of our black dancers, so could I go to a bachelorette party in the Gramercy Park Hotel in downtown Manhattan.
AUSA Comey: What did you expect to do?
Witness: A little stripper dance.
5h / 12:13 PM
Judge: Re-cross?
Steel: They are motion sensitive cameras - so there are gaps, right?
Flores: Yes.
Steel: Nothing further.
Judge: Next witness
AUSA Comey: What did Ms. Ventura pay you for?
Witness: To have sex with her. Sean Combs was there too
5h / 12:10 PM
AUSA: When he offered you money, what did he say.
Flores: That he didn't want anyone to know about it. Pretty much.
AUSA: Which way way Mr. Combs dragging Cassie?
Flores: Back toward the room.
AUSA: Nothing further.
5h / 12:08 PM
Steel: It can be embarrassing for a guest-
AUSA: Objection!
Judge: Sustained.
Steel: One moment.. Nothing further.
Judge: Re-direct.
AUSA: Did you typically include every single detail in a report?
Flores: No.
AUSA: Did he seem drunk or high?
Flores: No.
5h / 12:06 PM
Steel: You were in the hospitality business as well as security, right?
Flores: Yes.
Steel: Mr. Combs, it was clear to you that he wanted to pay for the damage, right?
AUSA: Objection! Calls for speculation.
Judge: Ask in a different way
5h / 12:04 PM
Steel: Do you remember the layout?
Flores: No. Just a corner room.
Steel: Was it a normal hotel room like I would stay in, just one room? Or did it have a living room?
Flores: I don't know.
Steel: The 3d party, you said he was on a bed
Flores: It was a pull out
5h / 12:00 PM
Steel: You said you put Mr. Combs against the wall - that's aggressive, isn't it?
Flores: It could be. But I only put my forearm against his chest.
Steel: But you didn't put that in your report.
Flores: You're asking me to have put more detail in my report
5h / 11:57 AM
Steel: And the 7 foot driver - do you know who it was?
Flores: I don't know. But Cassie knew him.
Steel: You didn't put in your report that you offered to call law enforcement but she refused. Why not?
Flores: She said no, so there was no reason to include it.
5h / 11:54 AM
Steel: The gentleman you say you saw in the room, you described to the jury things not in your report.
Flores: He didn't engage.
Steel: Why didn't you ask him his name?
Flores: He wasn't talking to no one.
Steel: Did you tell anyone at the time?
Flores: No.
5h / 11:51 AM
Steel: So it wasn't important nine years ago, but only now?
AUSA: Objection!
Judge: Overruled.
Flores: I did not put in the report at the time.
Steel: You said you were offered a bribe - but hadn't you told him he had to pay for the vase?
Flores: Yes.
5h / 11:49 AM
Steel: You told the jury Mr. Combs said to Cassie, You're not leaving - but your report did not say that, right?
Flores: At that point I did not believe it was a significant fact. I'm not going to put down the back and forth.
5h / 11:47 AM
Steel: Mr. Combs did not attack you, did he?
Flores: No.
Steel: And was there any law enforcement involvement?
Flores: No.
Steel: You videoed for your wife and kept it, right?
Flores: I did.
Steel: But never was law enforcement called?
Flores: They were not.
6h / 11:44 AM
Steel: You mention that when you get off the elevator, 11:14 or 11:15, you describe Mr. Combs as having a devilish expression on his face
Flores: That's my opinion.
Steel: When you get off the elevator, what's in your hand?
Flores: My radio.
6h / 11:41 AM
Flores: But it was gone.
AUSA: Did you ever see it again.
Flores: Yes. Recently.
AUSA: Nothing further.
Judge Subramanian: Cross examination.
Combs' Brian Steel: Your said your report was the 5 Ws, right?
Flores: Yes.
6h / 11:39 AM
[Flores' video of the video, with his voice over (including about how shiny his shoes were] is played for the jury]
AUSA: Did you work the next day?
Flores: No, I had the next two days off.
AUSA: When you came back in, did you look for the video?
Flores: I did
6h / 11:30 AM
AUSA: What did you add to the incident report after you reviewed the video?
Flores: I described what I saw in the video.
AUSA: What else did you do with the video?
Flores: I recorded two videos of it with my iPhone. To show my wife at home.
6h / 11:28 AM
AUSA: What did you find when you got there?
Flores: The broken vase
AUSA: What is at the end of this video?
Flores: Me coming out of the elevator.
AUSA: Let's pull up the incident report again.
Flores: Here, we reminded him that the check out time was approaching
6h / 11:18 AM
AUSA: I'm handing you a thumb drive with videos.
[Video shown]
AUSA: Did it have audio?
Flores: No.
AUSA: Let's walk through it. Who is this?
Flores: Cassie.
AUSA: And this?
Flores: Mr. Combs.
AUSA: What's happening here?
Flores: She picked up the wall phone
6h / 11:10 AM
Flores: I took photos of the broken vase, to tell them to come clean it up. I went to write the incident report.
AUSA: Is this it?
Flores: My report, with my name on it.
Defense: Same objection.
Judge: Noted.
AUSA: Then did you review the video?
Flores: Yes.
6h / 11:03 AM
Flores: He said, she wants to leave. I said, I'm talking to her, not you. They left.
AUSA: Then what?
Flores: We went up to Mr. Combs' room to remind him of hotel rules. He opens the door and grabs the phone and says, Are you recording me? I pinned him to the wall
6h / 11:00 AM
AUSA: What did you say?
Flores: I said, I don't want your money, the damage is going to be charged to your room.
AUSA: Where did Cassie go?
Flores: After I spoke with her, she left - a car pulled up, she left in a black SUV
AUSA: Was there a driver?
Flores: 7 feet
7h / 10:57 AM
Flores: Ms. Cassie said she wanted to leave. Mr. Combs said, You're not leaving. I saw inside the room, a male Black wearing dark clothing.
AUSA: What did Mr. Combs do after Cassie left?
Flores: He called for me. He was holding a stack of money, not to tell anyone
7h / 10:54 AM
AUSA: What did you tell them?
Flores: That is they were arguing they'd have to take it back to these room. And that the broken vase would be charged to the room. Cassie said she wanted her phone and her bag
7h / 10:51 AM
AUSA: What did you see on the 6th floor?
Flores: Mr. Combs in a towel and some like colored socks. He's a rapper, producer. And Cassie on the floor.
AUSA: Let me show you photos
[Combs in a tuxedo, and, in a separate photo, Cassie Ventura smiling]
7h / 10:48 AM
AUSA: When did this incident take place?
Flores: 11 am. I got report of a woman in distress on the 6th floor. I closed the security base and checked the cameras. There was an African American man pacing back and forth. I didn't see a female. I rushed there
7h / 10:43 AM
AUSA: What kind of incidents did you respond to?
Flores: All kinds. We had a couple of suicides there. We'd prepare incident reports: the 5 Ws.
AUSA: Would you attach photos to the reports?
Flores: Yes. But not video. We did not have the password
7h / 10:36 AM
Flores: There, I recognized Sean Combs. He is there, wearing a gray sweater.
AUSA: What was your title?
Flores: Assistant director of security.
AUSA: Let me show you a photo of the Inter Continental Hotel.
Flores: It's shaped like a pyramid.
Judge: Admitted
7h / 10:32 AM
AUSA: We call LAPD Officer Israel Flores. [He is sworn]
Flores: I'm also a reservist for the Army. I was a guard with Securitas in 2016, in the Inter Continental Hotel near Century City.
AUSA: What happened on March 5, 2016?
Flores: I was told of the sixth floor
7h / 10:30 AM
Judge: The exhibit with the added note, the objection is well taken - it is excluded. Let's get the jury back in.
Judge: All rise! [Jury enters] Is the government ready to call it's first witness?
AUSA: First we enter four exhibits.
Agnifilo: No objection.
DAY: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
AND NOW THE VERSION NBC NEWS
POSTED TO THEIR WEBSITE
2h ago / 1:20 PM PDT
Sex worker recalls telling Cassie, 'you need to get help'
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Asked if there was any other time Philip could recall Combs yelling at Cassie, he testified that there was an incident he could hear while the couple was in a bedroom at the Essex Hotel.
"I heard her yelling, 'I’m sorry, I’m sorry, someone was being slapped around and slammed around the room," Phillip said. "And I looked around the corner and I saw Mr. Combs walk out of the hotel altogether without clothes, he might have had a towel on."
Cassie then ran out of the room and jumped into Phillip's lap, shaking and terrified, he said. Philip said he recalled wondering why Cassie stayed with someone who was "beating her like this."
"She basically tried to convince me that, 'it's OK,' and 'I’ll be OK,'" Phillip said. "And I said, 'it is not OK and you need to get help.'"
2h ago / 1:19 PM PDT
Sex worker describes witnessing Combs assault Cassie
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Phillip said he once saw Combs assault Cassie because she didn't come to the rapper's side as soon as he called.
"I heard him yell out, 'Babe, come here,' ” Phillip said, adding that Cassie then asked for a moment more time as she finished working on her computer.
"Combs came out of the room and I saw a liquor bottle fly past her and hit the wall," he told jurors. "He grabbed her by her by her hair and dragged her by the hair into the bedroom. She was screaming and he pulled her into the bedroom. And what I heard sounded like him slapping her."
Phillip said Cassie apologized, but that Combs responded by saying, 'b--- when I tell you to come you come now, not later.'"
Phillip said he was "shocked" and "terrified" but that he "didn't know what to do." He said he "did not intervene," and that "there were four or five bodyguards in the other room."
2h ago / 1:09 PM PDT
Stripper says Combs urged him to keep quiet
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Phillip told jurors that Combs made it clear that he was to keep quiet about the alleged work.
"He asked for my driver's license and took a picture of it and said, 'It's just for insurance," that if I spoke about it to anybody, I understood it to be that he was threatening me," he said.
2h ago / 12:55 PM PDT
Sex worker alleges that Combs gave instructions during sex with Cassie
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Phillip told the court that Combs would often instruct him on how to have sex with Cassie.
"He started really directing us after the second time," Philip testified.
Some of those instructions allegedly included role play scenarios, when to orgasm, where Combs wanted Phillip to ejaculate, and what sex acts to perform. According to Phillip, Combs would occasionally stop him so that Combs could have sex with Cassie.
He also alleged that Combs offered him drugs, but Phillip said he didn't use substances. Phillip described one time in which he said it appeared Cassie might have been under the influence of drugs.
"Combs opened the door, he said I don't think this is going to happen today," Phillip said. "She looked like she was completely passed out, half on the couch and half off the couch."
2h ago / 12:37 PM PDT
Male stripper says he had sex in front of Combs
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Philip described a 2012 or 2013 gig when he was paid "a few thousand dollars" to have sex with Cassie while Combs watched.
The prosecution witness said he was "expecting to do a strip tease and leave" with $200 and a tip.
"At that point she gave me a few thousand dollars and said she would tip me when I leave," Phillip told jurors. "We ended up having sex, rubbed baby oil on each other for a couple minutes. He (Combs) was sitting in a corner masturbating."
After they had sex, Phillip said Cassie gave him "a couple of thousand more."
3h ago / 12:17 PM PDT
Male escort called to the stand as second witness
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
The prosecution has called a new witness: Daniel Philip, who worked as a male escort and says he received money from Cassie to have sex in around 2012 or 2013.
3h ago / 12:09 PM PDT
Guard '100%' thought Combs holding up money was a bribe
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Combs' attorney, Brian Steele, took up questioning Florez on the cross-examination and pushed the former guard on his belief that Combs was trying to bribe him.
"As far as the bribe, Mr. Combs held up a hundred-dollar bill. You took that as a bribe, you used the word bribe?" Steele asked.
"100%," Florez answered, later affirming the same belief when asked about the "sack of money" Combs held up.
Steele also pushed Florez about the report made for the hotel at the time of the 2016 incident. He asked Florez why he didn't include Combs' allegedly telling Cassie she couldn't leave.
Florez responded that he didn't think it was a "significant fact" to include.
3h ago / 11:50 AM PDT
Former hotel guard took cellphone video after Cassie incident to show his wife
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Florez testified that he took some cellphone videos after responding to the hotel incident between Cassie and Combs.
He told the court that he made a video because he didn't think his wife would believe him if he went home and told her what happened. One video showed him motioning to Cassie to go into the room and another includes him picking up a phone and discussing the incident with his supervisor.
The former hotel guard testified that he hadn't reviewed video of the assault before writing the incident report. Florez said he didn't call the police because Cassie wanted to leave and no one was pressing charges.
3h ago / 11:30 AM PDT
Videos of Cassie's 2016 hotel assault played at trial
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Videos from the March 5, 2016, incident where Combs was seen beating Cassie in the hallway of the InterContinental hotel were officially submitted into evidence.
Prosecutors approached Florez with a thumb drive, which the former hotel guard said contained five videos from that morning. He was asked to describe the videos as he watched them on the witness stand.
Florez, describing one video, said Cassie comes down the hall and puts down a bag before "Combs comes up behind her in a towel and slams her in the head and drags her to the floor, starts to drag her back to the room."
In another video of the same hallway, Florez said Combs barrels down the hall toward Cassie and tries to grab the phone from her.
3h ago / 11:28 AM PDT
Combs tried to take phones of hotel security but was pinned to the wall, former guard testifies
Adam Reiss and Gavon Laessig
After describing the sack of money Combs offered him as "a bribe," Florez then testified that Combs attempted to take the phones of hotel security guards.
"He came to the door, closed the door behind him, he grabbed the phone my colleague was holding because he thought he was being recorded. He eventually gave the phone back," Florez said.
"We said we are not recording you and de-escalated the situation," he continued. Florez then said that when Combs tried to grab his phone, he pinned Combs to the wall.
4h ago / 11:25 AM PDT
Combs supporters slept outside overnight
Chloe Melas
At least 20 fans of Combs camped out overnight ahead of the court’s doors opening at 8 a.m., including some who slept in tents.
The circus-like atmosphere — dozens of cameras and spectators outside — suggests this trial has a ton of interest from the public.
The turnout serves as a stark contrast to the relatively muted turnout for former Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s retrial.
4h ago / 11:06 AM PDT
Former guard says Combs offered him 'sack of money' not to talk about Cassie hotel incident
Doha Madani and Adam Reiss
Florez testified that he was on shift the day at the InterContinental hotel in March 2016, where surveillance video showed Combs dragging and kicking Cassie in the hallway.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. and Florez was called to a woman in distress on the sixth floor. He testified that he recognized Combs, who was in a towel, but did not recognize Cassie at the time.
"She was scared," Florez testified. "She was in the corner, hood on, covered up. I couldn't see her face, she was pretty much in the corner. On the floor was a destroyed flower vase."
Florez said that Combs told him they were arguing at the time. He noticed Cassie trying to walk away and get her phone, but Combs told her she wasn't going to leave.
The former hotel guard said he put his body in the doorway and stood for a few minutes until Cassie left the room.
"I started to leave and (Combs) called for me," Florez said. "He had a sack of money and he threw it at me and said, 'Don't tell anyone.'"
4h ago / 10:38 AM PDT
Trial resumes; hotel security guard first witness to take the stand
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
The government called the first witness of its case: LAPD officer Israel Florez, who once worked in hotel security.
He was on duty the day Combs was caught on camera attacking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016.
4h ago / 10:36 AM PDT
Defense loses bid to keep some evidence out of testimony
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Before lunch began, Combs' attorneys spoke to the judge about objections they had regarding evidence that the prosecution wanted to submit into evidence along with its witness.
Comey told the judge the witness is a security guard who worked at the InterContinental hotel who would testify to incident reports and personal observations following an incident between Combs and "Victim-1."
Combs' attorney, Brian Steele, argued that the witness had "no personal knowledge" of the incident and includes speculation. Steele told the judge that the documents have prejudicial elements and doesn't believe they are trustworthy.
Subramanian ruled against Combs' attorneys and said that so long as the government establishes a foundation, the exhibits would be allowed into evidence.
5h ago / 10:14 AM PDT
The circus is in full swing outside court
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
There is a circus-like atmosphere outside of U.S. District Court in Lower Manhattan with dozens of cameras roaming around looking for family members who stepped outside for lunch.
The defendant's son, Justin Combs, was chatting with supporters of his father who have been attending court long before today.
They were then swarmed by TV news cameras and he was forced to escape into a sprinter van with other family members.
5h ago / 10:11 AM PDT
Who are Victims 2 and 4?
Adam Reiss
There's been much speculation about the anonymous victims mentioned in the Combs indictment, and today we have a few more answers.
Prosecutors have provided pseudonyms for two of the victims: Victim 2 is referred to as Jane and Victim 4 is referred to as Mia.
During opening statements, Jane was described as a single mother who met Combs in 2020. Prosecutors said she "fell in love" with Combs quickly and had a nonexclusive relationship with him, which included alleged abuse and coercion.
Mia was described as a former personal assistant who worked for Combs for years, according to the prosecution during openings. She allegedly is "just beginning to grapple with" the times that Combs forced himself on her and "wanted to keep the secret to her grave."
5h ago / 9:42 AM PDT
Combs and his family kept their eyes on the jury
Adam Reiss and Chloe Melas
The jury had the Combs family's undivided attention during the opening statements.
Combs' mother and children all had their bodies turned right to face the jury box, keeping their eyes on the jury and Combs' defense attorney this morning.
Combs too focused on the faces of the jury, but didn't provide reaction himself. His only notable moment was when Geragos introduced him, standing up when she said, "This is Sean Combs."
5h ago / 9:31 AM PDT
Jurors takes first lunch break of trial
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
The jury was excused for its first lunch break of the trial.
They'll return at 1:15 p.m. ET and possible testimony once the defense, prosecutors and judge hash out evidentiary issues.
6h ago / 9:22 AM PDT
Defense ends opening statement by telling jury not to judge as 'the moral police'
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Geragos ended the defense's opening statements by asserting that the victims, including Cassie, were motivated to "lie" because they were seeking a "money grab."
"They will tell you they were victimized. Ask yourself, what is their motive?" Geragos said. "The answer is simple: money."
Combs' attorney insisted that Combs was conspiring with "no one" and that the drugs were obtained for personal use. Combs also did not knowingly pay sex workers to travel for commercial sex acts, his lawyer insisted.
"It is money for time, he was paying money for that experience," Geragos said, noting the specific charge.
Geragos told the jury they are not there to judge as "the moral police," but only to see if the evidence meets the burden for the charges.
6h ago / 9:14 AM PDT
Defense: Alleged victims were willing participants; there was no trafficking
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Combs' defense told jurors it will show how his accusers were not forced into sex and could've parted with him at almost any time.
"She was a willing participant in their sex life," Geragos said of alleged victim and likely prosecution witness Cassie Ventura.
The accuser known as "Jane" had her eyes open during her relationship with Combs, according to the defense.
"After a period of time, their relationship becomes mostly sexual," Geragos said. "She was a capable, strong adult woman."
6h ago / 9:08 AM PDT
Cassie left Combs when she realized she would 'never be his wife' after Kim Porter funeral, defense says
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Cassie ended her relationship with Combs because she realized she would "never" mean as much to him as his former girlfriend, Kim Porter, Combs' attorney Teny Geragos alleged her in opening statement.
Geragos told the jury that when Porter died of pneumonia in 2018, Cassie went to the funeral to support Combs.
"When Combs said Kim Porter was his soulmate, Cassie realized all the things she would not be, she wanted to be Combs’ wife," Geragos said.
Porter and Combs had an on-and-off relationship for over a decade and share multiple children. Geragos alleged that there were years of "jealousy" at the center of Combs' relationships with Cassie and Porter.
Cassie then left on her own terms when it was clear "she would never be that, never be his wife, never be his love of his life," Geragos added.
6h ago / 8:47 AM PDT
'You may know of his love of baby oil. Is that a federal crime? No!'
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
The defense won't fight allegations that Combs has committed acts of domestic violence or used baby oil during sex — saying none of those actions amount to potential federal crimes being adjudicated here.
Combs is "not proud of that but he will own" that "he has a bad temper and sometimes he is so angry and jealous that he gets out of control," Geragos said during the defense's opening statement.
"We will not shy away from the things he did, but we will not own the things he did not do," she told jurors. "He is physical, he is a drug user, you may know of his love of baby oil. Is that a federal crime? No!"
Combs faces criminal counts that include alleged racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
6h ago / 8:36 AM PDT
Defense begins openings: Combs is a 'complicated man'
Adam Reiss and Erik Ortiz
Teny Geragos previewed the defense's case, and began by acknowledging that "Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case."
Geragos said Combs' life is about "real-life relationships," but accused prosecutors of trying to turn them into a racketeering sex-trafficking case, "and it will not work."
"You will hear why people stayed around him and why it matters, he gave people opportunity and chances," Geragos said, adding that "they didn't always like what he did or how how he behaved, but they truly loved him, and by being with him, they were part of something special."
"The only people who knew about a racketeering enterprise are the prosecutors," Geragos said. "This case is about Sean Combs' private personal sex life. The government has no place in his private bedrooms. They say it is not about his private sex life, but the evidence will show that it is."
6h ago / 8:33 AM PDT
Government wraps up opening statement: 'Sean Combs is guilty'
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
The prosecution told jurors that, after all the evidence is heard several weeks from now, they'll have no choice but to find Combs guilty on all charges.
"I ask you do three things," Johnson said. "Please pay close attention to the evidence, follow the judge’s instructions on the law, please use and trust your common sense."
She concluded her opening statement for the United States: "If you do all of that, you will reach the only verdict — that the defendant, Sean Combs, is guilty."
6h ago / 8:32 AM PDT
Combs' personal assistant 'Mia' to play role in trial
Adam Reiss and Gavon Laessig
Prosecutors in their opening statement said jurors will also hear from "Mia," a pseudonym for Combs' personal assistant who worked with him for years.
"She is just beginning to grapple with the times he forced himself on her sexually. She wanted to keep the secret to her grave," Johnson said.
"They worked punishing hours for the defendant without sleep. ... They were expected to keep quiet of what they saw and heard in the defendant's homes," Johnson added.
7h ago / 8:28 AM PDT
Single mom 'Jane' among Combs' victims, prosecutors say
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
A single mother, whom prosecutors call "Jane," was allegedly under Combs' total control, forcing her to have unprotected sex with escorts and do drugs, prosecutors said.
Jane and Combs met in 2020, when she quickly got caught up in the defendant's web of abuse, Johnson said.
"She wanted the escorts to wear condoms, but he would not let them. Then he would make her take drugs; she broke down and took ecstasy," Johnson said. "One time she vomited, he told her to hurry up and get back in the room where an escort was waiting."
7h ago / 8:25 AM PDT
Combs and bodyguards tried to cover up Cassie video, prosecutors say
Adam Reiss and Erik Ortiz
Combs and his bodyguards attempted to cover up surveillance video of him assaulting Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016, by trying to "get what they thought was the only copy" of the footage, Johnson told jurors.
She alleges the defendant gave "a brown paper bag full of $100,000 in cash" to a security guard to "broker a deal."
"Nothing could put his public image at risk," Johnson said of Combs, adding, "They covered up brutal beatings while keeping Cassie locked up for days."
The video, key evidence in the trial, was made public by CNN a year ago.
7h ago / 8:16 AM PDT
Government: Combs directed wild, dayslong 'freak offs'
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
The prosecution warned jurors to brace themselves for troubling evidence of "freak offs," dayslong, drug-fueled orgies allegedly orchestrated by Combs.
"Some of the details of what happened to them will be hard to hear," Johnson said of victims. "He used lies, drugs, threats and violence to force and coerce first Cassie and later Jane to have sex with him in front of male escorts."
There were allegedly no borders that could limit Combs' desire for these acts.
"He directed freak offs week after week, around the country and sometimes out of the country," Johnson added.
7h ago / 8:03 AM PDT
Cassie suffered beatings and forced sex acts, prosecutors allege
Doha Madani and Adam Reiss
Cassie, Combs' former girlfriend, tried to run away from years of abuse but was threatened by the release of videos of sex acts Combs forced her to participate in, the prosecution alleged.
"Her life and safety depended on keeping him happy," Johnson said in her opening statement.
The singer met Combs when she was a 19-year-old with a hit song. Combs allegedly began his abuse of her early on and forced Cassie to regularly participate in his "freak offs," or sex parties that often included sex workers.
“Cassie tried her first freak off because she loved him and wanted to make him happy. ... If Cassie didn’t do what he wanted, the consequences were severe,” Johnson said.
Johnson listed off a range of allegations of abuse that Cassie endured between 2006 and 2018, including the beating that was seen on hotel surveillance video and made public by CNN.
7h ago / 7:59 AM PDT
Combs was 'king' of self-serving criminal empire, prosecutor says
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Prosecutors want to paint Combs as the kingpin of a criminal enterprise, accusing him of using a vast network of employees to carry out any number of alleged illegal acts.
"He sometimes called himself the king and expected to be treated like one," Johnson said, "to cater to all his desires."
She added: "He used his companies to manipulate women, forcing them with male escorts to have sex while he watched. He and his inner circle made sure he got everything he wanted."
7h ago / 7:53 AM PDT
Combs had inner circle help cover up 'crime after crime,' prosecution says in opening statement
Doha Madani and Adam Reiss
Prosecutor Emily Johnson began her opening statement by describing Combs as a "larger than life" figure who ran a criminal enterprise enabled by an "inner circle" of employees.
One example Johnson gave was a night he was "on the hunt" for his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura after learning she had a new man in her life. Johnson alleged that Combs forced an employee into an SUV to take him to the new man's home.
"When he finally found her he beat her brutally, kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll," Johnson said.
He had to "make sure he had control over Cassie once again."
"So he threatened her and said if she defies her again he will release video of her having sex with male escorts," Johnson told the jury. "Souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life."
This is just the tip of the iceberg in 20 years of Combs using his inner circle to cover up "crime after crime," Johnson said.
7h ago / 7:47 AM PDT
Judge's order to jurors: Have no opinion, don't use social media
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Judge Subramanian reminded the newly impaneled jury to form absolutely no opinions during trial — and definitely not post anything about it on social media.
"I am ordering you not to talk about this with anyone," he said. "Do not form any opinion until all the evidence is in."
8h ago / 7:30 AM PDT
Judge hopes jury can be done by July 4
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian thanked jurors for their service and targeted the Fourth of July for the possible end of Combs' trial.
The jurist said he hopes the trial could be done by Independence Day, though it "could go longer, but I don't expect that it will."
The jury's daily schedule will include a "light breakfast" at 8:30 a.m. and a 30-minute lunch break later in the day, the judge said.
"I will make every effort to move trial along," he added. "We will keep your names and identity in confidence, that personal information will not be made public and this is in no way unusual."
8h ago / 7:26 AM PDT
Here is what we know about the jurors
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
The jury consists of 12 people in the main pool and an additional six people who may be asked to step in as alternates. It includes residents from Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester, and includes an investment analyst, a physician assistant, a massage therapist, a deli clerk, a scientist, a social worker and an architect. Several have said they have seen the video of Combs’ assaulting Cassie Ventura in a L.A. hotel hallway.
This is what we know about the main 12 jurors:
Juror No. 2: A 69-year-old male who works as an actor and massage therapist. He lives in Manhattan.
Juror No. 5: A 31-year-old male who works as an investment analyst. He lives in Manhattan.
Juror No. 25: A 51-year-old male who has a Ph.D. in molecular biology and neuroscience. He lives in Manhattan.
Juror No. 28: A 30-year-old female working as a deli clerk. She lives with her mom and brother in the Bronx.
Juror No. 55: A 42-year-old female who is an aide in a nursing home. She lives in Manhattan.
Juror No. 58: A 41-year-old male who works in communications at a correctional facility. She lives in the Bronx.
Juror No. 75: A 68-year-old male who is retired from a bank. He lives in Westchester.
Juror No. 116: A 68-year-old male who is retired from working at telecommunications company. He lives in Westchester.
Juror No. 160: A 43-year-old female who works as a physician assistant. She lives in Westchester.
Juror No. 184: A 39-year-old male who works as a social worker. He lives in the Bronx.
Juror No. 201: A 67-year-old male who works as a logistics analyst. He lives in Westchester.
Juror No. 217: A 74-year-old female who works as a treatment coordinator. She lives in Manhattan.
8h ago / 7:02 AM PDT
Jury is set with 8 men and 4 women
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed to a jury of eight men and four women, paving the way for opening statements shortly.
Six alternates, four men and two women, have also been seated as the court is in a brief recess as both sides prepare to deliver their opening statements.
Emily Johnson is set to open for the government and Teny Geragos for the defense.
8h ago / 6:56 AM PDT
Combs' team complains about prosecutors removing Black jurors
Adam Reiss and David K. Li
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo questioned whether the government was intentionally going out of its way to keep Black jurors out of the box.
Agnifilo said seven Black people had been removed, "which leads to a pattern and they need to give reason for strikes."
"We have conducted ourselves without any bias," prosecutor Maurene Ryan Comey responded. "The jury is diverse with a number of nonwhite (panelists)."
The judge denied the motion from Agnifilo, saying the defendant failed to show discrimination.
8h ago / 6:44 AM PDT
Court is in session: Attorneys finalize their jury selections
Adam Reiss and Tiffany Doherty
The judge entered the courtroom with greetings for all, including, "Good morning to you, Mr. Combs."
There was no other business to attend to so both sides are going through who they would like to strike from the juror pool.
Given the length of this trial, the parties agreed to give some time to see if anyone would get cold feet. Now that the case has been called, both sides' attorneys will weed through the remaining pool to secure a jury and a few alternates.
9h ago / 6:29 AM PDT
Delay as judge meets with both sides' attorneys in chambers
Adam Reiss and Doha Madani
Lead prosecutor Maurene Comey and defense attorney Marc Agnifilo entered the judge's chambers.
The courtroom is waiting on Judge Arun Subramanian before each side can finalize jury selection and give opening statements.
9h ago / 6:16 AM PDT
Combs greets his family with hugs and a kiss
Doha Madani and Adam Reiss
After eight months in federal prison, Combs arrived for his first day of the trial in a beige sweater over a white-collared shirt and khaki pants.
He greeted every member of his family with a hug before sitting down alongside his attorneys. After settling in his seat, Combs still turned around to blow a kiss toward his mother and children.
Janice Combs, the rap mogul's mother, is a presence in the courtroom. She made sure to sit in the middle of her grandchildren, with Combs' twin daughters on her right side and Combs' sons on the left.
Combs put on reading glasses and poured himself a glass of water as the parties prepare to begin.
9h ago / 6:10 AM PDT
Combs children and mother arrive for first day of trial
Doha Madani
Combs' sons and teenage daughters arrived at the federal courthouse this morning, exiting a black van as they walked through a sea of onlookers blocked off by police.
His sons Christian, Justin and Quincy first stepped out into the crowd before Combs' three daughters Chance, Jessie and D'Lila. It appeared that the girls held hands as they squeezed through the small walkway made my officers.
Combs' mother, Janice Combs, was also in attendance and sat with the children in the second row.
9h ago / 5:51 AM PDT
The big legal personalities in this celebrity trial
David K. Li and Daniel Arkin
In addition to Combs, the next eight weeks will bring several well-known names.
The lead prosecutor is Maurene Ryan Comey, a veteran of the Southern District who helped secure a conviction against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell for conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein. Comey is the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey.
While Southern California celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos isn’t representing Combs, his daughter, Teny Geragos, is one of the attorneys representing the rapper. The elder Gergaos, half of the “2 Angry Men” podcast, was recently chastised by the judge when he called prosecutors a “six-pack of white women.”
And lawyer Lisa Bloom, the daughter of feminist attorney Gloria Allred, may be seen in the press as the civil litigator representing some of Diddy’s accusers.
9h ago / 5:51 AM PDT
What to know about U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian
David K. Li
The judge who’ll be at the center of this trial is U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian.
He’s the first jurist of South Asian or Indian descent to sit on a bench of the Southern District of New York.
Subramanian was nominated to the Southern District by President Joe Biden in 2022 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, 59-37, on March 7, 2023. The Columbia Law School grad once clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
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