It's Not Their Shame, It's His

Summary

The Trial of Diddy: "It's Not Their Shame, It's His" – Detailed Summary

Episode Release Date: April 25, 2025

Introduction

In the landmark episode titled "It's Not Their Shame, It's His," hosts Kayla Brantley and Germania Rodriguez delve deep into the highly publicized trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Facing severe federal charges, including sex trafficking and running a criminal enterprise, Combs' case has captivated the global audience. This episode provides an in-depth analysis of the allegations, legal strategies, and the broader implications for the entertainment industry.

Background of the Case

The episode opens with Marjorie Hernandez setting the stage for the current legal battles surrounding Diddy Combs. At the peak of his career in the 1990s and early 2000s, Diddy was a powerhouse in the music industry, producing hits for mega-stars like Biggie, Mary J. Blige, and Jennifer Lopez. However, his legacy is now overshadowed by multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and operating a criminal enterprise.

Legal Proceedings and Courtroom Updates

Marjorie Hernandez provides a comprehensive update on the state of the trial as of April 25, 2025. She notes that jury selection is set to begin on May 5th, with significant pre-trial motions already influencing the course of the case.

A pivotal moment discussed is the judge's decision to allow three alleged victims to testify under pseudonyms, while Cassie Ventura, Diddy's ex, plans to testify using her real name (04:39). Additionally, the judge granted Diddy's motion to exclude most testimony about prior bad acts, limiting its use to only one proposed witness (04:39). This ruling, influenced by precedents like the Harvey Weinstein case, aims to prevent the prosecution from overreaching with character evidence that could sway the jury unfairly.

Expert Insights with Rachelle Keon

The episode features an exclusive interview with Rachelle Keon, a former special victims prosecutor and founder of Collective Liberty, an organization dedicated to eradicating sex trafficking. Her extensive experience includes prosecuting over 20 felony jury trials and more than 100 rape, human trafficking, and domestic violence cases.

Rachelle explains the complexity of "prior bad acts" in court cases, emphasizing the delicate balance prosecutors must maintain to present compelling evidence without overstepping legal boundaries (03:32, 04:39). She highlights the strategy behind focusing on specific charges like trafficking and RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) to construct a coherent narrative that can withstand judicial scrutiny.

Impact of Evidence and Testimonies

A significant piece of evidence in the case is a viral video released by CNN, showing Cassie Ventura attempting to escape Diddy in a hotel hallway, only to be forcibly pulled back (12:24). Rachelle underscores the importance of this video as it directly contradicts Diddy's claims of consensual encounters, portraying the situation as one of coercive control and extreme domestic violence.

Rachelle also discusses the emotional and psychological preparation required for victims to testify, noting that it is a challenging process to relive traumatic experiences in court. She praises Cassie's courage in choosing to testify under her real name, framing it as an act of empowerment and healing (10:54).

Potential Implications and Future Charges

The discussion shifts to the possibility of additional charges against other individuals in Diddy's circle. Rachelle expresses surprise that no co-conspirators have been charged yet, considering the scope of the allegations. She anticipates that if Combs is convicted under RICO, it would inherently implicate others involved in the criminal enterprise (16:21, 17:43).

Furthermore, Marjorie brings up the multitude of civil lawsuits filed against Diddy, questioning how these might interplay with the ongoing criminal case. Rachelle explains that while civil cases can influence public perception and put additional pressure on the prosecution, they typically proceed independently to avoid affecting the criminal trial's outcome (17:52, 18:03).

Public Perception and the Broader Impact

Rachelle highlights how high-profile cases like Diddy's can shift public understanding of human trafficking and gender-based violence. She emphasizes that recognizing traffickers as trusted individuals rather than faceless abusers changes the narrative and encourages more victims to come forward (18:48, 19:38).

The episode also touches on societal attitudes towards victims, with Rachelle advocating for a more compassionate and supportive approach rather than victim-blaming or questioning their actions (19:52, 20:02).

Conclusion and Forward Look

As the episode concludes, Rachelle expresses hope that a conviction will not only bring justice to the victims but also catalyze a broader reckoning within the criminal justice system. She criticizes the delayed response to previous allegations and underscores the importance of proactive measures to prevent such abuses in the future (22:31).

Marjorie Hernandez wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to stay engaged and informed as the trial progresses, promising continued coverage and expert analysis in future episodes.

Notable Quotes

• Marjorie Hernandez (04:39): "The judge also issued a very important order that was pretty much a win for Diddy by granting his motion to exclude testimony about prior bad acts from all but one proposed witness."

• Rachelle Keon (10:54): "It's not their shame, it's his. And it makes me think of the lady in France whose husband drugged her and had men rape her. Right? And she's like, I'm not doing this anonymously because this isn't my shame, this is his."

• Rachelle Keon (22:31): "If there's a conviction, hopefully it gives justice to these victims and really brings a reckoning for the criminal justice system. Like why did we handle this 15 years ago, how many dozens, hundreds of victims would not have suffered?"

Final Thoughts

This episode of "The Trial of Diddy" offers a comprehensive and nuanced exploration of the legal challenges facing Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Through expert insights and detailed analysis, listeners gain a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in prosecuting high-profile cases of human trafficking and sexual assault. The discussion not only highlights the immediate legal strategies but also underscores the broader societal implications for victims and the justice system.

Transcript

[Rachelle Keon]

Seriously popular.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

The following episode explores a number of allegations regarding the artist Diddy. He denies all charges and has pled not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The biggest secret in the entertainment industry that really wasn't a secret at all has finally been revealed to the world.

[Rachelle Keon]

At the height of his career, Sean Diddy Combs had it all. It seemed like everything Diddy touched turned to gold. Now the once untouchable hip hop mogul is fighting for his life as he faces multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise.

Music mogul and rapper Sean Diddy Combs has faced four different lawsuits in recent weeks alleging sexual assault. Combs can be seen grabbing Ventura and throwing her to the ground.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Oh, this guy is dangerous.

[Rachelle Keon]

Woman has now come forward.

A legend comes of sexual assault. She was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs.

I'm DailyMail.com journalist Marjorie Hernandez, and over the last six months, I've been investigating this incredible story and speaking to the people in the eye of the storm. Welcome to the trial of Diddy.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Hey, I'm Marjorie Hernandez, DailyMail.com's West coast news editor. And welcome to episode 34 of the trial of Diddy at the time of this recording. Jury selection starts in just 12 days. It's hard to imagine what's happening on both sides of this case right now. So it's a special episode today as we're devoting the show to someone who will know all about it. Rashad Keon is a former special victims prosecutor and founder of Collective Liberty, an organization dedicated to eradicating sex trafficking. Rachelle has an amazing resume. Her work has led to the arrest of over 1,000 human traffickers and the training of over 3,000 investigators. She's an expert in advocacy for vulnerable populations and gender based violence issues, including domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking. Rachelle has prosecuted 20 felony jury trials, more than 100 rape, human trafficking and domestic violence felony bench trials, and over 10,000 domestic violence misdemeanor hearings. But before we speak to her, it's important to state, as we do every week, that Diddy has vehemently denied each and every allegation made in all recent lawsuits filed against him. And he's also denied all the federal charges that have been filed against him. Like everyone else in the legal system, he remains innocent until such time as he is proven guilty.

[Rachelle Keon]

And.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

And with that being said, here we are with Rachelle Keon. Thank you so much for appearing on the pod, Rachelle.

[Rachelle Keon]

Thanks for having me.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Can you tell us a little bit more about your background and the Collective Liberty?

[Rachelle Keon]

Absolutely. So I was a prosecutor in Philadelphia for six years where I did domestic violence, sex assault and human trafficking cases. I tried the first two trafficking trials in the state of Pennsylvania. So I learned through how tough all of that can be. And now I run Collective Liberty. We're a national anti trafficking nonprofit organization that's really focused on identifying trafficking networks and evidence around them to support more prosecutions of traffickers in the US and.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

It'S definitely a problem worldwide. The good work that you're doing out there is just highlighting that. But in connection with the Diddy case, however, obviously he is facing trafficking charges as well in this case, federal case out in New York. And just to give our listeners a little update on the case itself. So did he appeared in court last Friday, April 18, and there was a lot of pre trial motions that was discussed. I'm sure Rachelle can go over that with us. One of the things that happened is the judge did allow three alleged victims to testify under their pseudonyms and not their true legal names. But Cassie Ventura, who's Diddy's ex, plans to testify under her name. But something else that happened that I was hoping Rashad can dive into. The judge also issued a very important order that was pretty much a win for Diddy by granting his motion to exclude testimony about prior bad acts from all but one proposed witness. And I was hoping you can explain what are prior bad act witnesses and also how this decision could affect the case itself.

[Rachelle Keon]

Yeah, it's a potentially tough ruling. So prior bad acts are. So when a defendant is charged with something, often, especially in domestic violence and sex assault cases where it's emotionally charged, the prosecution will look at other things the defendant has done in the past that kind of show the character of the defendant or show how they make these decisions. And they do do these things to bring credibility to the evidence you're hearing and sort of corroborate it. But what can be tough is a balance between if it's so damning, why did we not charge this victim as well? Right. Like, why are they not also a victim on this case? So a balance between how many uncharged other acts you can bring in versus when you should actually bring the charges for them. And it's not just in these types of cases where other acts are admissible, but it is more common. And there's been different rulings in New York specifically over the last several years that tries to limit how many uncharged other acts can come In. And I think what's interesting about this ruling is that it kind of refers back to a Harvey Weinstein ruling last year that led to one of his verdicts being overturned because too much evidence came in through other acts. So prosecutors have this really delicate balance. They have to navigate on strategy. Right. Okay. I need to win this case. I need to bring as much evidence as possible to win this case. But I want that verdict to last, not just be two years and then overturned. Right. So I don't think that this evidence is 100% not coming in because what it also did was put defense on notice. Like we have these witnesses that can say this stuff. Sure. At this moment, trial hasn't started, the judge doesn't know what's going to be said, so they're not allowed. But it makes defense have to sort of walk a tightrope to not open the door for the prosecution then to re argue this and say, look, it's admissible now, like you have to let us bring these witnesses in. So it kind of also ties the hands of defense a little bit, even if they lost the motion at the moment. So hopefully it's not a full on windfall for them.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

That's interesting. So it can be argued again at some point during trial whether or not these uncharged victims could come in and testify.

[Rachelle Keon]

Yeah, if something changes. Absolutely. So defense could just make the wrong argument and prosecution is just waiting for it to be like, okay, your honor, we have to argue motions.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

One of the interesting things, I also saw that a minor might be a possible witness. And we haven't seen an actual again, charge involving a minor in the allegations against Diddy. However, how does that play in the case?

[Rachelle Keon]

Absolutely. I think that's probably partially why the judge was weighing things. Right. Because it's always more inflammatory when these types of abuse happens to a minor. Personally, for me, I feel like it's inflammatory regardless of age, but I definitely know having tried juries, the horror is higher the younger the victim is. It's absolutely something that the defense needs to be wary of. I think also it's makes me wonder why prosecution didn't charge sexual assault because then all of these probably would have come in as other acts or they could have charged it because then it would be directly relevant to his history of coercive sex and that minor would have made potentially a big difference. So I wonder if part of it's also just strategy on prosecution where they want to be able to focus on a specific type of behavior and not have to have a whole separate trial on something different. Because if they were arguing sexual assault separately and having that minor as part of the main case, it might distract from or confuse what they're arguing on trafficking and rico, which are really already pretty complex concepts to communicate to a lay jury.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Now Diddy has claimed his innocence. He said he's not guilty and he says that these were all consensual threesomes and, and these alleged freak offs. But you know, in a case like this, it does come down to he said, she said. And I was wondering how, how do you prep your witnesses as a prosecutor in such a case like this? And in this case, it's a huge case against a celebrity.

[Rachelle Keon]

I don't know that you really can prep a victim for what, what they're going to experience. It's, it's kind of impossible because not only are they having to get up there and relive it in front of people and then be like torn apart by someone in front of a bunch of strangers is in front of the guy that did it. Right. So you can only prep them as much as possible. I think one interesting thing is if any of them are at the point where it would be healing to say it all out loud, and they're at the healing stage where they know it's not their shame, it's his. Which I'm feeling like might be where Cassie is coming from, because she's like, no, I'm gonna say it by my name. And it's making me think of the, the lady in France whose husband, I'm gonna pronounce her name wrong, but whose husband drugged her and had men rape her. Right? And she's like, I'm not doing this anonymously because this isn't my shame, this is his. And I wanna make sure everyone knows who did it and what he did. And I feel like in that way the whole process is healing for them. And when they're attacked, they don't feel it necessarily so much as an attack because they know what's happening. So hopefully it's. If Cassie is in that space in a way, she will then empower the rest of the women as well, because there's like that anchor point where she's gotten to that point of healing. But I mean, at some point probably we will know who those other victims are, right? It's not necessarily. They can stay anonymous and hide behind this. And it's something that the Internet makes permanent, so they'll have it forever. So it's really focusing on their holistic well being and making sure that there's support or around them before, during, and after trial, because you can't really prep someone for something like that.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

But can you also talk about how Cassie's decision to actually come out and use her own name in court, how that could also affect the case and even how jurors might perceive her?

[Rachelle Keon]

It's going to be tough. And especially since he's saying it's all consensual, we can imagine the inflammatory things he's going to say to describe these women. To say that, you know, like the behavior in these cases, what he's basically saying is they love performative sex while intoxicated, doing violent things in front of a million famous people. Like, it's the leaps they're gonna have to go to describe is gonna truly be like a character shift on them. And so I think that trial aspect of it is going to be interesting. And we're gonna have to just really trust juries that it's not 2000 anymore, and hopefully they know better. And that video should be really helpful to show. Like, what do you mean this is consensual? Hopefully we can trust them to really see through it. And the stressor is all they need to do is convince one guy, and the prosecutors have to convince all 12. But I'm pretty confident we're going to hopefully have a jury that can see through some of that.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

You mentioned that that video, that was a 2000, I think, so 16. Video of Cassie fleeing inside a hotel hallway. She was trying to go down the elevator, and we see Diddy pulling her back up by her hair, which. That video was released by CNN and went viral. Can you tell me how important that video was to this case? And also the fact that he's not being charged with battery and sexual assault like you said. But why this particular video is so important?

[Rachelle Keon]

Yeah, definitely. So I like to describe human trafficking as, like, extreme domestic violence with sexual assault. You know, it's got so much coercive control that's present in domestic violence. So evidence of domestic violence is relevant to sex trafficking cases. And his main argument is she loved it and she's consenting to all of this. So that video directly contradicts any sort of real defense he could have. And I think it also makes them seem a little monstrous. Like the jury is going to be like, oh. Because his defense attorney argued it's. It's an unfortunate domestic dispute. So in their mind, that's just normal in a domestic dispute. And it calls to question for any moral jury to be like, oh, you're not saying you didn't do any of those things. You just think they're normal and okay, you know, it's going to just really reframe it for them because that was extreme violence in that video. It wasn't like a yelling match or a slap. So I do think the video is really compelling evidence and if it got excluded, I do think it would like seriously impact the case. But we don't know what other evidence they have. Also that's just the piece that went viral, so there's potentially abundant other similar pieces.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Right. And obviously Diddy's attorneys are, is trying to keep that Cassie video out of the trial and also other videos as well. So we shall see what actually ends up in front of the jury. Some speaking about, you know, consent, the other uncharged victims, the fact that they also allegedly went through this with him. But there's no sexual assault or even arrest of Diddy for all these years. How do you think that will play out in court when they finally have a chance to testify, even though they're not named as victims on the complaint?

[Rachelle Keon]

So I really do hope they get the chance to testify because I think it seems that at this point, if they're ready to come forward, they've had a lot of healing and they're able. And I think if they're not, it could impact them emotionally and personally if their story doesn't get to be part of the consequences that he experiences. But most probably if there is a conviction, prosecution will allow them, at least at sentencing to testify. And there's not really a limit on how many victims can come forward. So if there is a conviction, they should get a chance to then. But I think that it also kind of highlights how when prosecution isn't taken seriously on gender based violence, this is what happens. Finally, there's some sort of reckoning happening for P. Diddy, but most of his victims never got a chance the last 20 something years and they're still not getting a chance now because we never took it seriously back then and charged their case and allowed them to have that paper trail that made it justifiable to now argue that statute of limitations has passed. There's so many limitations now because we just couldn't be bothered. That's kind of what really bothers me. When he finally got arrested and I was like, oh, surprise. Nobody's surprised by this. But my only surprise is like, why are we finally doing it, you know, and what took so long to get it done? So that is one area of the injustice that some of These victims aren't going to have their voice heard, even though they're ready to, because the system this whole time just hasn't supported that.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

There's so much more coming up, but for now, let's pause for a break. Welcome back to the trial of Diddy. We're still here with Rachelle Keanu. Now, we obviously were talking about Diddy, who's in trial in his criminal case in New York, but other sources that I've spoken to said he didn't do this alone. This was an enterprise, and that this is why he got away with it, allegedly, for so long. Can you talk about the potential of other charges this could bring about to other folks who were around his circle?

[Rachelle Keon]

I'm actually surprised there haven't been any yet. And I'm wondering if part of it is that they're witnesses and we'll see those outcomes after the trial. And the charges are dependent on whether they decide to flip for Diddy or not. Because it doesn't quite make sense that Rico's charged and he's the only defendant.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Right.

[Rachelle Keon]

And I think that that's one also huge gap over the last 25 years that we don't pursue these cases from an organized crime perspective. And so they become a he said, she said case when it's not that. Right. And so when I looked at the motions, the evidence that prosecution's intending to present appears that they've handled this really well. They have investigated the full organized crime. They have the financial records, and so they should have the other co conspirators. So here's hoping that after this trial, we'll see who else is being held accountable and that they actually do get held accountable because there's also the potential. Right. Like, oh, you testified, we got the big fish, so you can have a year of probation. It's like, what's their disincentive from behaving like this again, if that's the only consequence? So there should be other charges coming, hopefully, and with hopefully real consequences.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Wow. So you're thinking that there could be other since they went for the big fish, Diddy himself, that there could be potential, I guess, arrest in the future once it all plays out in court.

[Rachelle Keon]

Yeah, because RICO requires like more than one guy, you know, so, I mean, not necessarily to be charged, but by its nature, it means they've found some others.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Right. City is facing dozens of civil lawsuits right now. I wonder if that will play also into what happens in criminal court and vice versa.

[Rachelle Keon]

It can, absolutely. And I think that's why Often prosecutors are stressed when civil stuff gets filed because the civil attorneys don't necessarily care how it affects the criminal. So I think often the hope is when you're collaborating that civil will wait to really push hard and forward until after the criminal is complete. So I think that there's a lot that can manifest after sort of like all the chips fall and we know who the co conspirators are that are confirmed. I think it will open up a lot civilly.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

When you have powerful famous folks like Ashawn Combs go to trial for human trafficking and sexual assault cases, how do you think that affects how the public sees these cases?

[Rachelle Keon]

I think it helps a lot. Like maybe less on P. Diddies because I think we he like identified as a pimp along, you know what I mean? Like we're not surprised by his. And one good piece on P. Diddies that it's really highlighting is like it looks like their girlfriend because that's how they're grooming them. That's how they're building their trust before they get it done. So yeah, it does look like their girlfriend and the girlfriend might not even realize that this guy doesn't love them at all. And it's just the form of control that's pretty present and it's humanizing, I think, victims that otherwise you could just say, well, why didn't they just leave their abusive relationship? It's really giving more depth to our understanding as a community. So I really wish these high profile people weren't doing it, but it makes a lot more people pay closer attention, which is amazing. I think for us. That's why I'm having hope that the jury just knows better now than they did 10 or 15 years ago.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

You brought up a good point that when you think about human trafficking, you think, you know, a boogeyman who comes and kidnaps a child or a woman and puts them into sex slavery essentially. But it's not often that at all. It's somebody who they trusted.

[Rachelle Keon]

Yeah, but it's a lot less scary if we're like, oh, it's a boogeyman, it's out of our control. As opposed to my best friend or my uncle or my dad could be.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

The one, you know, or my former boyfriend.

[Rachelle Keon]

Yeah.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

One of the things I guess I am interested in is, as you mentioned before, the kind of delicate line that prosecutors have to walk. Because if you call too many of these prior bad act witnesses, it could backfire.

[Rachelle Keon]

Absolutely. So prosecutors are often charging the highest, most comprehensive charge that they can find. So in this Case trafficking, you know, is the bigger charge, even though underneath it it's going to have assault, sex assault, all kinds of other felonies as well. And that lets them make sure they have strong enough penalties but still present like a clear, cohesive picture, tell a clear story that doesn't get distracted by other clauses they have to prove for charges. So it's a great strategy from that perspective. And then, yeah, what's tough is not all the evidence they have then gets to fit into that narrative. And you're making a trade off here. Like, if I tell this cohesive story with this really damning evidence that I have, the odds are good we're going to win. But what does that mean for these six victims that might not fit in and might get excluded? And what does that mean for if this witness goes off the rails for the main charge and I don't have these other charges to fall back on now? What's my strategy? And it really is like high level chess that you're playing here on, like, what's going to get the best outcome here. So while I'm highly critical of prosecutors all over the US That I think are not going hard enough on the organized crime piece of trafficking, I also really understand that there's a lot of complexity. And granted this is a federal trial, but it's in a district that had that Weinstein case and had that case law happen. And so these judges are still a lot of. There's like a lot of that influence on. That's what the region here handles things as. So they have that political stuff to navigate that we're not even always aware of as well. So, yeah, I think that's an important thing to flag. Like, prosecutors can always improve and always do better, but it's not a simple thing that they're improving on. And actually every time it's completely different because the human variables are always changing.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

Now, obviously, the trial hasn't started yet. It's Vadir. I think jury selection starts May 5th. But for you as a prosecutor, somebody who is working diligently with your organization to shed a light on human trafficking, what do you think this case will do in terms of getting the word out there about human trafficking and violence against women?

[Rachelle Keon]

I think the stakes are very high because if this prosecutor loses the case, it's going to be really bad. Because when you see someone that we all know has been doing various levels of interpersonal violence for a while, like, it's been part of pop culture, like they, they joked about it, it wasn't like a hidden thing and if they just can get away with it, I think that's going to be a very chilling impact on victims coming forward and people having trust in the system. That's I really teetering on not having sufficient trust around the right outcomes coming for victims. So I think there's a lot at stake here and I do think if there's a conviction, hopefully it gives justice to these victims and really brings a reckoning for the criminal justice system. Like why did had we handled this 15 years ago, how many dozens, hundreds of victims would not have suffered? You know, like how many would have been spared had we thought about this and done this right a long time ago? And what can we do in the future to be doing this more proactively and efficiently and sooner? Hopefully we get that reckoning and not the further backslide of a lost verdict.

[Marjorie Hernandez]

So for now, that's it. Thanks again to our guest, the brilliant Rashell Keon. And as we prepare for Diddy's own trial in May, what other trials would you like us to cover? Let us know by email the trialailymail.com or you can WhatsApp us on 44-779-665-7512 and start your message with trial as ever, thank you for listening. Please share all your comments, suggestions and thoughts on the Trial of Diddy on Apple or Spotify and follow us on TikTok@DailyMailCrime. Do follow the Trial of Diddy as we will be here each week with fresh information, new insights and some expert guests. Goodbye.