Daijiworld Media Network – New York

New York, Jun 24: In a case that has sent shockwaves through the global music industry, federal prosecutors on Monday presented the final pieces of damning evidence against hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, including nearly 20 minutes of sexually explicit videos alleged to support the sex trafficking and racketeering charges he currently faces.

The footage, described as depicting drug-fueled "freak-offs" or "hotel nights," was shown only to the jury and parties involved due to its highly graphic nature. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey referred to the videos as "explicit," prompting jurors to don headsets for private viewing.

The videos featured in court date back to 2021 and 2022, with one woman, identified only as "Jane", testifying earlier for six days about her intimate relationship with Combs and her forced participation in multiple such encounters. Prosecutors allege that Combs used his network of employees, business accounts, and associates to fly in male sex workers to cities like Miami, Las Vegas, New York, and Los Angeles, arranging hotels and ensuring clean-up after the events.

Monday’s viewing capped nearly seven weeks of gripping testimony, which began with surveillance footage showing Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Cassie, born Casandra Ventura, had already testified to attending hundreds of such events during her relationship with Combs, which lasted from 2007 to 2018. She previously filed a lawsuit in 2023, alleging years of abuse, a case that was settled within hours.

Though Combs has pleaded not guilty, prosecutors argue that the nature and logistics of these repeated events amount to a well-organized trafficking network, undermining the defense’s assertion that the encounters were consensual.

Combs, 55, has remained engaged throughout the proceedings, often scribbling notes to his legal team and closely managing defense strategy. His attorneys, in turn, played nearly 18 minutes of their own video excerpts last week in an effort to prove consent in prior sexual activity involving Cassie and others.

The final government witness, Homeland Security agent Joseph Cerciello, took the stand Monday to read out text messages and timelines tied to the case. He testified that many of the illicit videos from late 2021 to August 2023 ran for hours and formed a central piece of the investigation.

Closing arguments are expected on Thursday, following a brief defense presentation. If convicted, Combs could face life imprisonment — marking a dramatic downfall for one of the music industry’s most prominent and powerful figures.