SEAN “Diddy” Combs can still come out of his federal trial as a winner if he’s not convicted on all charges, despite the scandalous evidence and testimony from witnesses, according to an attorney.
Week three of Combs’ federal trial has wrapped up as more witnesses, including another former assistant, continued to testify about the violence the music executive, 55, inflicted behind closed doors.
The testimonies dived into the prosecution’s accusations that the hitmaker, with the help of an inner circle of close confidants, used his far-reaching power and intimidation to cover up his alleged crimes and protect his public image.
However, Combs’ defense team has argued that the alleged victims all engaged in consensual sexual acts and remained by his side for years because of his lavish lifestyle and career advancements.
Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the trial, said even if the music mogul is convicted of some crimes but not all, he will come out as a winner.
“Diddy’s defense is that these individuals engaged in these sex acts willingly,” Rahmani told The U.S. Sun.
“There was no force. There was no coercion. They chose to do drugs. They weren’t drugged.
“And the fact that they may have been paid may be unlawful under the prostitution charges, but to the extent that the defense gets guilty verdicts on prostitution only, and not guilties on racketeering and sex trafficking, that would be a huge win for Diddy in the defense.”
WEEK THREE
For the second day, the courtroom heard on Friday gut-wrenching testimony from Combs’ former assistant, referred to only as Mia, about the total control he held over her.
Mia, who worked for Combs for eight years in various capacities starting in 2009, testified how he made her work grueling hours and violently attacked her.
The former assistant, one of Combs’ many ex-employees who have taken the stand, broke down in tears as she told the jury about the multiple times he allegedly raped her.
Mia admitted in her testimony that she never disclosed the alleged sexual assaults to anyone, saying, “I was going to die with this.”
The emotional victim recalled Combs’ spurts of violence towards her and Ventura, telling jurors about the times he allegedly threw a computer and his bowl of spaghetti at her head.
“I wondered, what did I do to make him like this to me?” Mia testified.
The jury heard from Scott Mescudi, better known as rapper Kid Cudi, during the trial’s second week.
Mescudi testified about his brief relationship with Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura in late 2011, and told the court about when Combs flew into a jealous rage over the relationship.
The Mr. Rager rapper, 41, accused Combs of breaking into his house, messing with his dog and locking his pet in the bathroom.
Mescudi’s testimony was dominated by the January 2012 incident when his Porsche was blown up on his driveway by a Molotov cocktail, which he accused Combs of being responsible for.
The jurors were shown pictures of Mescudi’s charred sports car with the cut-up roof where the explosive was thrown.
The trial opened up with powerful testimony from Ventura, Combs’ ex-girlfriend of over a decade.
The singer, 38, emotionally spoke about how Combs forced her to participate in weekly drug-fueled sex marathons, which he called “freak-offs,” with male escorts.
Ventura, who said she did not want to engage in the sex acts, told the court her music career took a backseat due to the toll the “freak-offs” took on her day, testifying how she needed days at a time to recover.
Prosecutors also released photos of the injuries Ventura allegedly suffered from Combs’ years-long abuse, including a gash on her forehead that had become a permanent scar.
Dawn Richard, a singer who once competed in Combs’ reality show Making the Band, also testified how she witnessed the music executive’s abuse of Ventura.
Richard, who was signed to Bad Boy Records and part of the trio Diddy – Dirty Money, described how Combs hit Ventura “on the head and beat her on the ground” during a visit to his home recording studio in 2019.
Combs’ trial is expected to continue until the first week of July, with the prosecution’s case slated to rest the week of June 9.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/14362896/diddy-not-guilty-sex-trafficking-trial-winner-lawyer/
