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- [00:02]
Kayla Brantley
Seriously popular. 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. Welcome to the trial of Diddy. I'm Kayla Brantley.
- [00:17]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
And I'm Hermania Rodriguez Poleo.
- [00:18]
Kayla Brantley
We'll be back in a second.
- [00:20]
Ryan Reynolds
Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of assistance assistance. Switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com.
- [00:38]
Kayla Brantley
Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate, first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees, extra fee, full terms@mintmobile.com so hermania, the day is full finally here. We've been waiting nine months for this trial to start and I feel like it's not an exaggeration to say that it's really one of the most anticipated entertainment cases in recent history.
- [01:12]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
That's right, Kayla. And today we heard the shocking case against him outlined for the very first time. We're going to hear how the rapper, with the help of his trusted inner circle, was allegedly allowed to commit and get away with a string of serious sex and violent crimes for more than 20 years.
- [01:29]
Kayla Brantley
We'll hear how it's claimed he physically assaulted and sexually exploited multiple women, including his girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another woman known only as Jane.
- [01:38]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
How the women were forced to take drugs and have sex with male prostitutes in secret sex sessions which he called freak offs that he filmed for his own sexual gratification.
- [01:48]
Kayla Brantley
How he allegedly called himself the King and expected his staff to cater to his every desire.
- [01:53]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
And when they failed to meet his impossible demands, he allegedly attacked them, sexually assaulted them and made them take drugs. Welcome to the King on trial.
- [02:03]
Kayla Brantley
What is dadication?
- [02:05]
Ryan Reynolds
The thing that drives me every day as a dad is Dariona. We call him day date for short. Every day he's hungry for something, whether it's attention, affection, knowledge. And there's this huge responsibility in making sure that when he's no longer under my wing that he's a good person. I want him to be able to sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job.
- [02:25]
Kayla Brantley
That's daddication. Find out more@fatherhood.gov brought to you by the U.S. department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. The biggest secret in the entertainment industry, that really wasn't a secret at all.
- [02:39]
Marjorie Hernandez
At the height of his career, Sean Diddy Combs had it all.
- [02:43]
Kayla Brantley
Everything Diddy touched turned to gold.
- [02:45]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
Now he faces multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise.
- [02:53]
Marjorie Hernandez
Another woman has now come forward alleging.
- [02:55]
Kayla Brantley
Combs of sexual assault Music mogul and rapper Sean Diddy Combs.
- [02:59]
Ryan Reynolds
She claims she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs.
- [03:03]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
Oh, this guy is dangerous.
- [03:05]
Kayla Brantley
From freak offs to the mysterious list, the shocking case that has gripped the world is finally here. And we'll be bringing you every detail as it happens.
- [03:15]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
Welcome to the trial of Diddy.
- [03:20]
Kayla Brantley
So as we said before, this day has been very much anticipated. And thanks to everyone, thanks to all our listeners who've been following this podcast up to this point. Point. Because at times there were doubts that this trial would even take place. But today it finally all began and people started lining up outside the Manhattan Federal Court in New York where the trial is being held as early as yesterday afternoon. And by this morning, there was a huge crowd around 150 members of the public waiting outside for a chance to get a front row seat at the most important show of Diddy's career. Our reporter Marjorie Hernandez has been there all day for us. So let's hear for her on the vibe down at the courthouse.
- [04:00]
Marjorie Hernandez
Hi, guys. This is Marjorie Hernandez, west coast news editor from baymail.com I'm standing here in front of the Manhattan Federal Court building where Diddy's trial is about to begin. As you can see, there's tons of excitement outside, scores of media and also just curious onlookers who actually some of them actually do want to go inside the courtroom and actually get a glimpse or a chance to see Diddy himself. Now Diddy is facing some very serious charges. And you can see today his family members actually came in full force. His mom Janice was there. His sons Justin King and Quincy were there as, as well as his three daughters. And all of them were in full force. We're expecting to hear from Cassie this whole week. Hopefully she will come up and be one of the first few witnesses to take the stand. But again, just a general atmosphere here in court. There's a lot of excitement. Also people are wondering who will become called today on the stand and if there will be some a list celebrities who will be be called to testify. So we shall see as this week progresses who they actually will call.
- [05:10]
Kayla Brantley
And I just want to remind all of our listeners that Diddy is charged with five serious federal charges. It's two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution, and one count of racketeering, all of which he denies. If Diddy is found guilty, he will go to prison for the rest of his life. And we should also say here that cameras and microphones are not allowed in federal court. This is not a televised trial. So we'll be bringing you everything from the courtroom on the podcast.
- [05:40]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
And just as at the scene, Diddy arrived in court with a new outfit today. He was wearing a gray suit with a white shirt and glasses. His 85 year old mother, Janice was there too. She was wearing a large pair of sunglasses. Six of his seven kids also showed up to court. They all sat a couple of rows behind him in the main courtroom. Diddy's girlfriend, Dana Tran also made a surprise appearance at the courthouse and several of his close friends were also in the overflow court. One of Diddy's representatives, a woman called Holly Baird, told reporters that he was upbeat and ready for his side of the story to be told. The jury selection in this trial has already been a lengthy process. Over the past week, 150 potential jurors have been whittled down. There was even some debate around potential racial bias in the jury pool as the defense highlighted that seven black prospective jurors were being dismissed. This was quickly resolved and just after 9:30am today, the hearing got underway with the final 18 jury members being chosen. There are 12, eight men and four women on the main jury and another six alternates. At around 10:17am today, they were each asked to stand in turn and were sworn in to try the case. The judge told them that they had a tremendously important task to do. He said it would be a long road, but they alone could be the sole judges of the facts of the case.
- [07:06]
Kayla Brantley
Then finally, once jury selection was over, it was over to the main prosecutor, Emily Ann Johnson, to open the case. We're going to be bringing you a lot of the detail about what she said in our full episode tomorrow. But for now, we're just going to give you a bit of an overview. So Emily Ann Johnson, she told the court that to the public, Sean Combs is known as Puff Daddy or Diddy. She called him a cultural icon and a businessman who's larger than life. But she said there's also another side to him, a side that the public is unaware of. She said that side involved him using his vast wealth and power to run a criminal enterprise for more than two decades.
- [07:43]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
She said with the help of his trusted inner circle of bodyguards and staff, he committed many serious crimes, including kidnapping, arson, bribery, and crimes involving drugs and sex. And his entourage allegedly helped him to commit and cover up these crimes again and again. She said she wanted the jury to understand that the case is not about Diddy's private sexual preferences. Rather, his behavior was allegedly coercive and criminal because he forced women to have sex when they did not want to.
- [08:15]
Kayla Brantley
The main prosecutor said that much of the evidence will involve two particular women and would be difficult to hear. The first, of course, is Diddy's ex girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. We know her as the R B singer who first met him as a teenager in 2006 and was with him for 12 years. The reason we can name her now is because she has waived her right to anonymity. Now, the other woman, who can't be named for legal reasons, but the court is calling her Jane. She was a single mom when she met and quickly fell in love with Diddy in 2020 and was his girlfriend for three years.
- [08:47]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
Both women, she said, were forced to take ecstasy and have sex with multiple male escorts, sometimes for days on end, which Diddy filmed for his own sexual gratification. These secret sex parties were highly orchestrated and nicknamed freak offs or Wild King nights or hotel nights. She said they allegedly took place in hotel rooms across the US and the world. Diddy would tell the women what lingerie and high heels he wanted them to wear, and he demanded that his inner circle stage dark lighting in the hotel rooms, supply lubricants and extra bedding for the sex sessions. He allegedly masturbated during these sessions, which he filmed and beat the women if they tried to leave without his permission. He also allegedly used the footage to control and blackmail them by threatening to release them publicly and destroy their careers.
- [09:39]
Kayla Brantley
Ms. Johnson said the jury would see that now infamous video from an LA hotel hallway which has been talked about so much already and which I know everyone already knows about. It's the video Cassie back in March 2016 and she claimed that Diddy was attacking and kicking her because he wanted to force her back into the hotel room where they'd been with a male prostitute. She said Diddy staff handed over $100,000 in cash in a brown paper bag to a hotel security guard for what they thought was the only copy of the footage. But obviously another copy existed and was given to CNN and aired last year.
- [10:17]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
Now, you'll probably remember that Diddy apologized for his behavior in the video and his lawyers tried and failed to have it excluded from the trial. And we should say here that all the while this graphic detail was being outlined to the jury, Diddy simply stared blankly straight ahead with his hands folded in his lap. Then, just before the lunch break, it was his lawyer, Tenney Garagos, chance to address the jury. She asked Diddy to stand up as she described how they may know her client as Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or just Diddy, but in court, he would be simply Sean Combs. She said he was born in Harlem and came from nothing, but worked hard to create a music label that changed a generation. She admitted he could be extremely jealous and occasionally lose his temper. And they might think he's a jerk and kind of mean. She also said the jury might not approve of his drug use or his preference for kinky sex and swinger lifestyle.
- [11:13]
Kayla Brantley
She also accepted that that hotel footage was indefensible and showed, quote, horrible, dehumanizing violence. But she insisted the full film, which has never been made public, would show that he and Cassie were actually fighting over alleged infidelity. She said he was an extremely jealous man and they had a toxic relationship. But while she admitted his behavior did amount to domestic violence, it was not sex trafficking or racketeering, which this whole case is about. She said both women were capable, strong women and consenting adults who chose to stay with Diddy for years after the alleged assault.
- [11:51]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
She also claimed that money played a significant role in these relationships because Diddy was paying for the women's homes, their cars, their vacations and trips on private planes. She said Cassie had demanded $30 million when she sued him for physical abuse in 2023. And she said that while the evidence would show a very flawed individual and a complicated man, this was not a complicated case. This was how she summed it up. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity, and money.
- [12:23]
Kayla Brantley
We'll be back in a second in la mescla de Mayo. Ketchup. La barbecue. Que dona el fondo de la cajita. Hot fudge sundae. Ela Nueva Creamy Chili McCrispy Strip Dip. Los Nuevos McCripy strips out in McDonald's. Diddy also shared a moment with his family, and as a trial adjourned for the lunch break, Diddy blew a kiss to his mom and made heart hands to one of his daughters. And after the break, Israel Flores was the first witness of this case to be called. Now he's an LA police officer, and at the time, he was working as the assistant director of security at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles. This, of course, is where Diddy allegedly attacked Cassie on March 5, 2016. In the video that we've all seen.
- [13:27]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
Mr. Flores said that it was around 11am when he received a call from the hotel saying there was a woman in distress on the sixth floor. When he arrived, Cassie was bundled up on the corner looking scared, and Diddy, who was dressed only in a towel and socks, was slouched in a chair. He immediately recognized the rapper, and he said he looked with a devilish stare. He said Cassie told him she wanted to leave, but initially Diddy told her she could not. Mr. Flores said he told the rapper that she could go if she wanted to, and Cassie left. But just as he also went to go, Diddy allegedly offered him a stack of money. He said, take care of this and don't tell anybody. He said he took this to be a bribe and refused. He later noticed Cassie had a purple eye and asked her if she wanted to call the police, but she said no.
- [14:19]
Kayla Brantley
The first piece of evidence was then introduced to the jury in the form of an incident report that Mr. Flores wrote for his boss, which revealed revealed that when he returned to talk to Diddy with a colleague, Diddy got upset and tried to grab the colleague's phone because he was worried he was being filmed. Mr. Flores said he was forced to pin Diddy against the wall. It was at that point that Diddy told him, quote, it's just that I don't want to lose anything, and I can lose it all.
- [14:46]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
But Diddy's lawyer, Brian Steele, then pointed out that there were some discrepancies between what he was telling the jury and what he had written in the report. He said he hadn't mentioned that Diddy had grabbed his colleague's phone and insisted Diddy only offered him this money because he wanted to pay for the damage caused to the hallway.
- [15:04]
Kayla Brantley
But Mr. Flores insisted the money was because he, quote, didn't want anybody to know. He insisted Diddy told him, take care of it. I don't want people to find out. The jury were then told that the CNN clip of that hallway incident was only a small part of what had actually happened. And they were shown two cell phone videos and three hotel surveillance videos which showed the different angles.
- [15:28]
Hermania Rodriguez Poleo
And what it showed was Cassie standing with a bag at the hotel's elevators just before Diddy rounds a corner, strikes her, and throws her to the ground before kicking her and then dragging her back towards the room.
- [15:40]
Kayla Brantley
Mr. Flores said he even made a copy on his cell phone to show his wife because he thought she wouldn't believe him. So that's what we have for today. It's honestly been a whirlwind and it's only day one. There's been a lot of information and a lot of shocking details. But tomorrow we will hear from more witnesses and we will be bringing you the word for word account of what is happening in the courtroom via our transcripts. So make sure you tune in to the Trial of Diddy every Tuesday and Friday, everywhere you get your podcasts.
- [16:29]
Emily Ann Johnson
In 2022, a group of divers were sucked into an oil pipe and trapped deep beneath the sea. They could have been saved, but they weren't. Following their story has led us to lucrative contracts, failing safety standards, and secretive political relationships. As as we ask, why were those men left to die? This is Pipeline. Pipeline is out now, with new episodes released every Thursday. Search Pipeline Wherever you get your podcasts.