Combs, Sean

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      Trump Says He’d ‘Look at the Facts’ of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Case: Latest Trial Takeaways

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      President Trump discussed if he would consider a pardon for Sean Combs, while in court, an ex-assistant testified about sexual abuse. Mr. Combs denies sexually assaulting anyone.As the third week of Sean Combs’s racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking trial came to a close on Friday, the second woman to testify that she was sexually abused by him came under close questioning by the music mogul’s lawyers. The woman, who took the stand under the pseudonym Mia, spoke about eight grueling years working for Mr. Combs in an environment characterized by sleep deprivation and violent outbursts.In the afternoon, President Trump commented on the trial, saying that although no one had asked about a potential pardon, he would be open to looking “at the facts” of the case.The music mogul has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. His lawyers have acknowledged their client has a history of violence and a “bad temper,” but assert he is not a racketeer or sex trafficker.Here are some takeaways from the day in court.Mia faced her former boss’s lawyers.Mia testified that Mr. Combs threatened her, threw objects at her and sexually assaulted her during her years working for him. Prosecutors have accused him of subjecting her to forced labor — including sexual activity — through violence and threats of serious harm.During cross-examination, Brian Steel, a lawyer for Mr. Combs, sought to show the jury another side of Mia’s time working for the famous record producer. The defense displayed dozens of posts from her Instagram account, many of which showed her posing beside or celebrating Mr. Combs, whom she called a “mentor” and an “inspiration,” as well as marveling at her good fortune to be working for him — years after she says he first sexually assaulted her.“Why would you promote the person who has stolen your happiness in life?” Mr. Steel asked.“Those are the only people I was around, so that was my life,” Mia replied, describing her time working for Mr. Combs as a “confusing cycle of ups and downs.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s Ex-Employee, ‘Mia,’ Set to Testify of Sex Abuse

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      Testifying under a pseudonym, the mogul’s former assistant is expected to describe allegations of sexual assault that prosecutors say amounted to forced labor. Mr. Combs denies coercing anyone into sex.A former personal assistant of Sean Combs who, prosecutors say, was sexually assaulted by her boss, is set to take the stand on Thursday at the music mogul’s sex trafficking and racketeering trial.Throughout the trial, the woman has been referred to by the pseudonym “Mia.” Prosecutors have previewed her testimony for jurors by saying that she would “tell you about the times that the defendant forced himself on her sexually, putting his hand up her dress, unzipping his pants and forcing her to perform oral sex, and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her against her will.”Previous witnesses have described Mia as part of Mr. Combs’s entourage and a friend of Casandra Ventura, the music mogul’s on-and-off girlfriend of 11 years whom he is charged with sex trafficking.Mr. Combs is not accused of sex trafficking Mia but of subjecting her to forced labor — including sexual activity — through violence and threats of serious harm. The forced labor allegation is part of a broader racketeering conspiracy charge that accuses Mr. Combs of directing a criminal enterprise that helped him commit crimes and cover them up over two decades.Mr. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him. His lawyers have acknowledged that he was responsible for domestic violence, but they vehemently denied the existence of a criminal conspiracy, asserting that he was the head of entirely lawful businesses that had nothing to do with his private sex life. They have argued that the sex at issue in the case was entirely consensual.In the defense’s opening statement, Teny Geragos, a lawyer for Mr. Combs, previewed the upcoming cross-examination of Mia, which will surface messages she wrote to Mr. Combs throughout her employment in which Ms. Geragos said she expressed “unbelievable love” for him.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      At Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial, ‘Victim-4,’ His Ex-Employee, Set to Talk of Sex Abuse

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      Prosecutors say the woman, who will testify under the pseudonym “Mia,” was forced into sex when she worked for Sean Combs.Jurors at Sean Combs’s sex-trafficking and racketeering trial have heard gripping testimony from Casandra Ventura, the singer known as Cassie, who described in lurid detail the violence and coerced sex that she suffered at the hand of the music mogul.On Wednesday, they are set to hear from a second woman, testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” who prosecutors say had her own harrowing experience with Mr. Combs.For months before trial, little was disclosed about Mia — then identified only as “Victim-4” — other than that she is a former Combs employee who prosecutors say was coerced into sex with him. In one filing last month, the government redacted virtually an entire page-long passage about her.But in opening statements this month, lawyers for both sides fleshed out the woman’s profile somewhat. Emily A. Johnson, a prosecutor, described Mia as a former personal assistant whom Mr. Combs “worked to the bone for years.” At some point, she said, he then “forced himself on her sexually, putting his hand up her dress, unzipping his pants and forcing her to perform oral sex, and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her against her will.”“Mia will tell you how she could not talk about what happened to her until recently,” Ms. Johnson added, “how she wanted to take the secret of what the defendant did to her to her grave.”Mr. Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, has denied having anything but consensual sex with women, and his defense team has suggested it will pursue that approach in countering the testimony of Mia when she appears on Wednesday, likely in the afternoon.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      What It’s Like on the Ground at the Sean Combs Trial

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      Subscribe to Popcast!Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTubeThe trial of Sean Combs, the rap mogul best known as Puff Daddy or Diddy, has entered its third week, as federal prosecutors attempt to prove charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy in a Manhattan courtroom.Centering so far on the testimony of Casandra Ventura, a former girlfriend who performs as Cassie, the trial has also included time on the witness stand by Ms. Ventura’s family and friends; a former boyfriend, the rapper Kid Cudi; male escorts who were involved in her sexual relationship with Mr. Combs; and multiple employees of Mr. Combs, who witnessed his behavior over the years. (Mr. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with his lawyers arguing that any sex was consensual.)Yet while many headline-grabbing cases tend to be broadcast online these days, the rules at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse prohibit video or audio recording, meaning only those present can experience the proceedings directly.Present each day for The New York Times has been a team of reporters, led by Julia Jacobs and Ben Sisario, who have covered the story since even before Mr. Combs was under criminal investigation. (Ms. Ventura filed a lawsuit against Mr. Combs in November 2023, which was settled a day later for $20 million; that account helped put into motion a series of events that led to Mr. Combs’s indictment last year.)This week on Popcast, the host Joe Coscarelli, who has also been covering the trial, was joined by Ms. Jacobs and Mr. Sisario to discuss the intricate charges against Mr. Combs; how the testimony so far has played in court versus how it is consumed online later; the effect of the trial on the reputations of Mr. Combs and Ms. Ventura; and what is still to come in the weeks that remain.Connect With Popcast. Become a part of the Popcast community: Join the show’s Facebook group and Discord channel. We want to hear from you! Tune in, and tell us what you think at popcast@nytimes.com. Follow our host, Jon Caramanica, on Twitter: @joncaramanica.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. More

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      At Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial, Former Employee Expected to Describe Being Kidnapped

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      Prosecutors are set to present the testimony of a onetime assistant, who they say was twice held against her will. The defense denies she was kidnapped.A former employee of Sean Combs who, prosecutors say, was kidnapped twice by the music mogul or his bodyguards, is expected to testify on Tuesday at Mr. Combs’s racketeering and sex-trafficking trial.The woman, Capricorn Clark, has been a frequent character in testimony at the trial, figuring prominently in the much-discussed fallout over Mr. Combs’s discovery that Casandra Ventura, his longtime on-and-off girlfriend, and the rapper Scott Mescudi, known as Kid Cudi, were romantically involved.The government contends that after Mr. Combs discovered evidence of the budding relationship in late 2011, he went — armed and with a bodyguard — to wake up Ms. Clark in the middle of the night and force her to take them to Mr. Mescudi’s home. On Thursday, Mr. Mescudi gave his account of Mr. Combs’s jealous meltdown, which he said escalated to his Porsche being set on fire with a Molotov cocktail in early 2012.Lawyers for Mr. Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, have denied Mr. Combs’s involvement in any kidnapping or arson — and have said there was never any criminal conspiracy. They assert that Ms. Ventura and another woman that Mr. Combs is accused of sex trafficking are not victims, but rather former girlfriends who agreed to participate in sex that, while “kinky,” was entirely consensual and legal.Capricorn Clark, a former employee of Mr. Combs, is expected to testify this week.U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New YorkThe kidnapping accusations are meant to buttress the racketeering conspiracy charge against Mr. Combs, which accuses him and members of his inner circle of a series of crimes dating back to 2004. The crimes cited in the indictment include sex trafficking, arson, drug violations, bribery, obstruction of justice and two acts of kidnapping — both of them involving Ms. Clark.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Draws Long Lines and Limited Seating

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      Without any livestreaming of the often graphic testimony, securing space inside the federal courtroom has meant long lines and long waits.Hours before sunset, the line begins to form outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Lower Manhattan. By the time the sun has risen again, some 13 hours later, the sidewalk is quite full.Queue psychologists, who study things like how to keep the hordes happy in lines at Disney World, would have a field day at the trial of Sean Combs.Since the trial started two weeks ago, folks have been showing up at ungodly hours to wait for a seat in the room where the music mogul is facing racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.News reporters assigned to cover the trial are joined in equal numbers by vloggers who have made the case their subject of the moment and members of the public who are simply interested in hearing the courtroom testimony.During the first two days of the trial, when the crowds were bigger, one YouTuber, Mel Smith, said he would leave his house in Beacon, N.Y., at about 3:30 p.m. to get a seat for the next morning’s testimony. When he arrived at about 5 p.m., he said, there were already a half-dozen people waiting in front of him.“Everybody knows P. Diddy — he’s a household brand — and everybody’s clicking all day to see what’s the latest updates,” he said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      If You Want a Seat at the Trial of Sean Combs, Leave Yesterday

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      Without any livestreaming of the often graphic testimony, securing space inside the federal courtroom has meant long lines and long waits.Hours before sunset, the line begins to form outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Lower Manhattan. By the time the sun has risen again, some 13 hours later, the sidewalk is quite full.Queue psychologists, who study things like how to keep the hordes happy in lines at Disney World, would have a field day at the trial of Sean Combs.Since the trial started two weeks ago, folks have been showing up at ungodly hours to wait for a seat in the room where the music mogul is facing racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.News reporters assigned to cover the trial are joined in equal numbers by vloggers who have made the case their subject of the moment and members of the public who are simply interested in hearing the courtroom testimony.During the first two days of the trial, when the crowds were bigger, one YouTuber, Mel Smith, said he would leave his house in Beacon, N.Y., at about 3:30 p.m. to get a seat for the next morning’s testimony. When he arrived at about 5 p.m., he said, there were already a half-dozen people waiting in front of him.“Everybody knows P. Diddy — he’s a household brand — and everybody’s clicking all day to see what’s the latest updates,” he said.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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      3 Unsettled Questions in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial

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      The major outlines of the prosecution of the music mogul Sean Combs have taken shape in a Manhattan courtroom. But several issues at the core of the case remain unanswered.After two weeks of testimony in the racketeering conspiracy and sex-trafficking trial of Sean Combs, the rapper and producer known as Diddy, much of the prosecution’s central narrative is clear. Mr. Combs, they say, used his power and wealth, along with violence and threats of blackmail, to coerce women into complying with his elaborate sexual demands that included commercial sex workers.Such coercive behavior was enabled, the government argues, by members of his staff, who helped to arrange and stock the marathon sex sessions known as “freak-offs” and to clean up any fallout from Mr. Combs’s entanglements.The groundwork of the defense’s counternarrative has been laid firmly, as well. Mr. Combs, they have argued, while jealous, aggressive and drug-addicted, had nontraditional but consensual sex with long-term girlfriends. That may have led to damaging, interpersonal chaos but it was not sex trafficking, Mr. Combs’s lawyers have argued.Even as some of the contours of the case have become more clear through the testimony of Casandra Ventura, Mr. Combs’s former girlfriend, and others, major lingering questions will remain when the trial continues next week. Below are three unresolved issues that could affect how the trial, which is estimated to last about six more weeks, pans out.What happened to ‘Victim-3’?Before trial, the government repeatedly referred to a woman it called Victim-3, saying that she was subjected to sexual coercion by Mr. Combs outside of any freak-off activity. She was listed prominently in the indictment as an additional person whose experience would demonstrate that Mr. Combs’s conduct hurt people beyond Ms. Ventura, the singer known as Cassie who is the prosecution’s star witness.But for reasons that have yet to be explained publicly, Victim-3 is no longer expected to take the stand, according to the lawyers involved. The trouble first surfaced two weeks ago when prosecutors told the court they were having a hard time reaching her lawyer.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More