Prosecution Rests in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sex-Trafficking Case

 

Illustration: Jane Rosenberg/REUTERS

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Prosecutors rested their case on Tuesday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s New York sex-trafficking trial, bringing the bombshell proceedings closer to an end. The prosecution wrapped its case after more than six weeks of testimony that featured more than 30 witnesses, including three women accusing Diddy of sexual misconduct. Diddy faces five counts — one racketeering count, two counts of sex trafficking by force or fraud, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy’s case is centered on dayslong, drug-fueled sexual encounters called “Freak Offs” or “Wild King Nights.” Prosecutors allege that Diddy coerced female partners into participating in these events — which involved them having sex with male escorts — and kept them compliant with the threat of disastrous blackmail, physical abuse, and financial ruin. They contend Diddy wielded his sprawling business resources to orchestrate these encounters that, in the prosecutors’ view, amounted to a criminal enterprise.

Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, Diddy’s ex, was the first accuser who testified against him. She alleged that Diddy kept her under his thumb for nearly a decade, pressuring her into “Freak Offs” and at one point raping her. Another accuser, “Jane,” said she got involved with Diddy following his romantic overtures only to find herself pressured into unwanted “Wild King Nights.” “Mia,” who worked as Diddy’s assistant, testified that he sexually assaulted her on several occasions. She and Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist and close friend of Cassie, also described trying to protect her from an enraged Diddy in 2013.

 The finish line is in sight. 

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