4 Takeaways From 1st Day Of The Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial

NEW YORK CITY — The Sean “Diddy” Combs' sex crimes trial began on Monday with opening statements and witness testimonies.

In April, Combs was charged with additional offenses in a superseding indictment, Patch previously reported.

Combs was hit with another count of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The 55-year-old previously faced one count of those charges, including one count of racketeering conspiracy.

Prosecutors allege Combs created "a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in" various crimes, such as "sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice."

In addition, Combs used his businesses and employees to carry out, facilitate, and cover up his abuse and commercial sex, according to prosecutors.

Here are the important takeaways from the first day of the trial:

Opening Statements From Prosecutors & Defense

Prosecutor Emily A. Johnson began her statement portraying Combs as a serial abuser who sex trafficked women and coerced them into "freak offs" that were facilitated by employees and his organization.

Prosecutors will focus their case on the testimony of two women — singer and ex-girlfriend of Combs, Cassie Ventura, and a woman identified as “Jane."

On the other hand, the defense acknowledged instances of domestic violence and abuse but contended that all the sexual encounters were consensual. They also rejected any sex trafficking claims.

Surveillance Video Of 2016 Hotel Attack/First Witness Testimony

The jury was shown video of Combs beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Venutra inside a hotel in 2016 and heard from the prosecutors' first witnesses — a security guard from the hotel.

Israel Florez, a security guard at the former InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, said Combs had attempted to bribe him with cash for his silence and that the music mogul had a “devilish” look on his face.

According to Florez, Ventura had a “purple eye,” and kept saying, “‘I want to leave, I just want to leave.’”

Defense attorneys scrutinized Florez about why several details in his testimony were not included in a written incident report he filed at the time.

The jury was also shown footage from the north hallway of the sixth floor of the InterContinental hotel.

The video shows Florez escorting Sean “Diddy” Combs back to his room, followed by Ventura walking down the hall after them.

Second Witness Testimony

Daniel Phillip, 41, testified Combs abused his ex-girlfriend during sexual encounters with the couple. He was apparently paid thousands of dollars between 2012 and 2014 to have sex with Ventura while Combs watched and pleasured himself in a corner.

Phillip said on occasion he witnessed Combs drag Ventura by the hair before taking her into her bedroom.

He also testified he heard Ventura screaming and repeatedly saying “I’m sorry” while he heard what sounded like Combs slapping her.

On another occasion at a hotel, Phillip testified he heard Ventura “yelling, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ and the sound of someone slapped around and slammed around the room.

Jury Will Be Shown "Freak Off" Videos

Defense attorneys said the videos may be hard to watch but argued the footage is "intimate" and proves that the events “consensual and not based on coercion.”

The jury heard explicit descriptions of “Freak Offs,” which included threesomes, prostitution, sexual urination, masturbation, voyeurism, drugs and copious amounts of baby oil.

Prosecutors allege that the other main accuser, "Jane" was promised that if she did "Freak Offs" she would be able to spend quality time with Combs.

The music mogul instead lied to her and forced to take drugs and stay awake for days at a time.

Defense attorney Teny Geragos contended that Jane was a willing participant in hotel nights with Combs for three years.

“She tried many times to change the tenor of their relationship to something maybe deeper or more meaningful,” Geragos said. “But it always came back to what they would call parties, these nights in the hotel rooms.”

“Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking,” she said.