Warning: This article contains allegations of sex trafficking, abuse and assault which some readers may find distressing.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial has commenced with accusations against him laid out in the first day alongside two witnesses being called to the stand.
On September 16 2024, the 55-year-old was arrested at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, New York, after a grand jury indicted him.
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Combs was ultimately charged with racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex trafficking and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution - the rapper having denied all charges.
And on Monday (May 12), his sex-trafficking trial commenced in Manhattan and details of the allegations against him were laid out in full in the opening statements.
Accusations against Sean 'Diddy' Combs outlined by the prosecution
When the indictment against the rapper was unsealed, it revealed Combs was accused of having 'abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him to fulfil his sexual desires, protect his reputation and conceal his conduct' alongside using 'employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled' to 'attempt to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice'.
The indictment describes the alleged abuse towards 'women and other individuals' as a combination of 'verbal, emotional, physical and sexual' and states the 'physical abuse by Combs' was 'recurrent and widely known', referring to the video of him and former partner Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura in a hotel corridor.
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On the first day of Combs' sex trafficking trial, prosectors focused on Ventura and another former girlfriend - who has remained anonymous.
Prosectors alleged Combs sexually abused women and ran a criminal enterprise, using violence and threats against Ventura's career to get her to perform in so called 'freak-offs'.
And two witnesses were brought to the stand by prosecutors.
Security guard from hotel where video of Combs assaulting Ventura was filmed
The first witness to be brought up following opening statements was Los Angeles police officer, Israel Florez.
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Florez was working as a security guard at the InterContinental Hotel in California where the video of Combs assaulting Ventura was filmed in March, 2016.
He was the officer who responded to the altercation at the time, detailing how he was called about 'a woman in distress on the sixth floor', BBC reports.
The security guard alleges he went upstairs to find Ventura curled up in a corner covering her face and Combs in a towel and socks with a 'devilish' look on his face.
Florez says Ventura told him she wanted to leave but Combs said she wasn't allowed and he then escorted the pair back to their room, leaving a foot in the door to make sure Ventura could get out before helping her down to the valet.
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He also reports Ventura having a purple eye but refusing his offer to call police.
Florez also alleged when he and the hotel manager went back up to Combs that the rapper took the hotel manager's phone in fear of being recorded alongside allegedly showing Florez a wad of cash which the security guard believed to be an attempt at a bribe - a claim denied by Combs' defence.
The video - which was widely spread online - was played to the court despite the defence's attempt to have it blocked and photographs from the aftermath of the incident were also shared.
Combs' attorney Teny Geragos' response to the video? Well, he argued 'domestic violence is not sex trafficking'.
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And then the second witness took to the stand.
Witness claiming Ventura and Combs paid him to have sex with Ventura and detailing 'freak-offs'
A 41-year-old named Daniel Phillip alleged he was paid $5,000 to have sex with Ventura while the rapper watched.
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Phillip claimed he went to the meet-up at the Gramercy Hotel in the belief he was filling in for a male stripper co-worker at a bachelorette party but when he showed up he found himself with Ventura.
Phillip also weighed in on Combs' alleged 'freak-offs' - claiming they would typically occur in New York hotel rooms or the rapper's own residences.
Ranging from one hour to 10 hours, the witness told the court the meetings would sometimes see Combs masked and instructing him and Ventura what to do, the rapper allegedly recording the meet-ups.
One incident Phillip claims Ventura and Combs were in a next-door room and he heard what sounded like Ventura being beaten and left in tears alongside seeing the rapper allegedly drag Ventura by her hair, stating the reason he didn't go to authorities was because he was 'concerned for [his] life,' BBC adds.
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In defence of Combs, Geragos said he simply has 'a bit of a different sex life'.
What Combs' attorney has said
In response to the news of Combs' arrest, his attorney Marc Agnifilo told UNILAD at the time: "We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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"Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.
"To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."
The trial is expected to last around eight weeks. If convicted, Combs faces up to life in prison.
UNILAD has contacted representatives for Combs and Ventura for comment.
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If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
Poppy Bilderbeck