Sean Combs' legal proceedings are scheduled to commence in the coming week.
Rewritten Article:
Yo, what's up, Sasha?
SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST:
The high-profile trial of hip-hop icon Sean "Diddy" Combs is set to kick off in the Big Apple next week, with Combs currently behind bars since his arrest last year. He's touted his not-guilty plea for all charges, and the music industry will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye. It wasn't too long ago when Combs was basking in the adoration for his influential career. NPR's Isabella Gomez Sarmiento has been following this sordid tale and, just a heads up, this story involves some graphic descriptions of sexual abuse. So, hi Isabella.
ISABELLA GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Sup, Sasha!
PFEIFFER: Alright, let's talk about the claims against Combs. How's that going down?
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Sorry to break it to you, but we gotta rewind a few years. Back in 2022, Combs, known to some as Puff Daddy or P Diddy, was on top of the world. He'd picked up a lifetime achievement award from BET and received the key to New York City from the mayor. Fast forward to 2023, he's nominated for a Grammy and, before you know it, his rep takes a nose-dive. Combs' ex-partner, singer Cassie Ventura, files a civil lawsuit claiming that Combs trafficked, raped, and brutally assaulted her throughout their relationship. She alleges that these acts of violence occurred for over a decade, with Combs' employees allegedly covering it up. Combs denies these accusations, but the lawsuit is later settled out of court for an undisclosed amount. The allegations are so damaging that Combs' reputation doesn'
t seem to recover.
PFEIFFER: So, Isabella, Ventura filed a civil lawsuit, but Combs is now in jail facing criminal charges. How did we get from point A to point B?
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: You got it, Sasha. After Ventura comes forward, a bunch of other people file civil lawsuits against Combs, making similar allegations. Combs keeps denying the accusations. But hang on, these aren't criminal charges. Then, in March 2024, federal law enforcement agents storm several properties linked to Combs, confiscating weapons, electronics, and all sorts of stuff. Two months later, CNN gets hold of a hotel surveillance video that shows Combs violently attacking Ventura. The incident happened in 2016, and Combs posts this online.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SEAN COMBS: My actions on that video are indefensible. I take full responsibility. I'm sickened.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: In September 2024, Combs gets nabbed in New York City. The feds charge him with sex trafficking, transportation to indulge in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Basically, they're claiming that Combs used his businesses to facilitate and conceal sex crimes dating back more than a decade. An account of that hotel incident can be found in the criminal indictment, though without mentioning Ventura by name. Prosecutors argue that the video is proof that Combs could behave violently, and a judge agrees, keeping him in custody until the trial.
PFEIFFER: Once the trial gets underway next week, give us a sense of how it's likely to unfold.
GOMEZ SARMIENTO: Four women, including some who filed civil lawsuits, are expected to testify against Combs, with the CNN video serving as evidence. Combs' lawyers insist he's innocent and maintains that all these encounters were consensual. But if convicted, if the jury finds him guilty of all the charges, he could spend the rest of his life in the slammer.
- The criminal trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs, a renowned celebrity in the entertainment industry, is scheduled to commence in the government's judicial system of New York next week, following his arrest last year.
- In a surprising twist of events, the government's investigation into Combs led to the confiscation of weapons, electronics, and other items from several of his properties, which eventually culminated in federal charges against him, including sex trafficking, transportation to indulge in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy.
- As the trial approaches, general news outlets anticipate a series of testimonies from four women, some of whom had previously filed civil lawsuits against Combs, alongside the use of a hotel surveillance video as evidence, in a bid to portray his alleged involvement in criminal activities dating back over a decade.
