NEW YORK– Hip-hop impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs when administered like a royal prince over his White Celebrations in the Hamptons, bring in A-list celebs, chatter reporters and digital photographers. However at a test beginning Monday, district attorneys will certainly cast the performer as a criminal sex-related deviant that manipulated his popularity to abuse females at events held way out of public sight.
For over 20 years, district attorneys affirm, the Bad Kid Records owner made use of the power and status he had actually obtained in developing a hip-hop realm to ruin young lives.
He deals with a charge that consists of summaries of “Fanatic Offs,” drugged-up orgies in which females were required to make love with male sex employees while Combs shot them.
Countless witnesses have actually stepped forward to charge Combs of scaring individuals right into silence by choking, striking, kicking and dragging them, typically by the hair, district attorneys state. As soon as, the charge declares, he also hung a person from a terrace.
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Combs’ legal representatives compete district attorneys are attempting to authorities consensual sex.
And while Combs, 55, has actually recognized one episode of physical violence – the caught-on-camera whipping of his previous partner, R&& B vocalist Cassie – his legal representatives state various other accusations are incorrect.
Court option is arranged to start Monday at a government court house in Manhattan. Testament will likely begin the complying with week.
If founded guilty on all costs, that include racketeering conspiracy theory, sex trafficking, and moving individuals throughout state lines to participate in hooking, Combs deals with a feasible sentence of years behind bars.
Sean ‘P.’ Diddy’ Combs gets to the yearly Freedom Day ‘White Event’ at the PlayStation 2 Estate in Bridgehampton, New York City, July 4, 2004.
AP Photo/Jennifer Szymaszek, File
Investigation complied with Cassie lawsuit
Although loads of males and females have actually declared in suits that Combs abused them, this test will certainly highlight the cases of 4 females.
Among them is Cassie, that submitted a claim in late 2023 stating Combs had actually subjected her to years of misuse, consisting of poundings and rape after they fulfilled in 2005.
The Associated Press does not generally call individuals that state they have actually been sexually over used unless they step forward openly, as Cassie, whose lawful name is Casandra Ventura, did.
Her legal action, which used the initial public account of the Fanatic Offs defined in the charge, was resolved in a day. 4 months later on, however, government private investigators invaded Combs homes in Los Angeles and Miami and challenged him at an exclusive flight terminal in Florida, confiscating 96 digital gadgets. They likewise discovered 3 AR-15-style rifles with ruined identification numbers.
The three-time Grammy victor was fingered last September. He has actually because been kept in a government prison in Brooklyn after courts ruled that he would certainly be a hazard to daunt witnesses and targets if launched.
The 17-page charge versus Combs charges him of making use of workers of his organization ventures – consisting of document tags, a recording workshop, a clothing line, an alcoholic spirits firm, an advertising and marketing company, a tv network and a media firm – to promote his criminal activities with acts that consisted of kidnapping, arson and bribery.
District attorneys intend to reveal jurors take a trip documents, sms message and e-mails, resort documents and video clips to supplement statement and sustain their cases concerning what they call “Fanatic Off task.”
Jurors will certainly likewise see protection video camera video clip revealing Combs boxing, kicking and after that dragging Cassie in the corridor of a Los Angeles resort in 2016.
After the video clip broadcast on CNN in 2015, Combs asked forgiveness, stating, “I take complete obligation for my activities because video clip. I was ashamed after that when I did it. I’m ashamed currently.”
Defense claims Fanatic Offs were consensual
Combs’ lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, stated at a bond hearing that Combs composed “a large check” to Cassie after she submitted her legal action. The attorney stated the payment inspired others ahead onward with incorrect cases.
Agnifilo stated Combs was “not an ideal individual” which there had actually been substance abuse and harmful connections, however he stated the rap artist was going through treatment prior to his apprehension.
He stated Cassie and Combs remained in a 10-year partnership that was “extremely caring sometimes” and in some cases picked to bring a 3rd individual right into their affection.
” That was their point,” he stated. “It was a popular, unique component of their partnership.”
The test is not Combs’ initial. In 2001, he was acquitted of bringing an unlawful hand gun right into a congested Manhattan dancing club where 3 individuals were injured by shooting. A rap artist in Combs’ entourage, Jamal Barrow, that executed under the name Shyne, was founded guilty in the capturing and offered almost 9 years behind bars.
At a pretrial meeting Thursday, Combs validated to a court that he declined an appeal deal that would certainly have lugged a lower fine than what he could deal with if he is founded guilty at his approaching test.
Prior to he left the court after the hearing, he certainly trembled his clenched fist airborne.
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