NEW YORK (AP) — Witnesses are testifying this week in the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, one of the biggest music moguls and cultural figures of the past four decades.
The R&B singer Cassie, Combs’ former girlfriend, is the prosecution’s star witness. She told the jury that he beat her mercilessly and controlled every aspect of her life, making her engage in drug-fueled, multiday sexual marathons with strangers that he called ” freak offs.” During opening statements, the prosecution said Cassie was not the only woman Combs beat and sexually exploited.
The trial in New York is expected to last at least eight weeks. Here’s a look at some of the details.
What are the charges?
Prosecutors allege that the three-time Grammy winner used his fame and fortune to create a deviant empire of exploitation, coercing women into abusive sex parties while silencing victims through blackmail and violence, including kidnapping, arson and beatings.