By James Fanelli

Over more than six weeks of testimony, a Manhattan jury -- and the country -- was riveted by testimony about Sean "Diddy" Combs: the hip-hop mogul's violent temper, sexual urges, celebrity beefs and the love-hate relationship that many of his former assistants had for their boss.

Federal prosecutors said his wealth and power masked an uglier side: a criminal enterprise that he ran over 20 years, involving kidnapping, bribery and sex-trafficking. Combs forced his then-girlfriends into participating in drug-fueled sex parties with male escorts that he referred to as "freak offs," they alleged. Lawyers for Combs said that the sex parties were consensual, and accused prosecutors of trying to paint his proclivities as a criminal enterprise.

As jurors prepare to begin deliberating his fate, here are five takeaways from the testimony.

Star Power

Combs's status as one of the most recognizable names in the music industry gave him a sense of impunity, prosecutors said. His lawyers contend it made him a target.

Trial testimony featured several boldfaced names. Singer Cassie Ventura, who dated Combs on and off for more than a decade, testified that she briefly started a relationship with actor Michael B. Jordan in 2015 while filming a movie in South Africa and had a short-term romance with musician Kid Cudi in 2011. The singer told the jury that Combs attacked her when he learned of her dating Cudi.

Journalists, social-media influencers and Combs supporters fought for space outside the courthouse during the trial. Some even camped outside for a chance at getting one of the coveted seats inside the courtroom.

During lunch breaks, influencers have rushed outside to give quick dispatches to their followers on Substack, Instagram and YouTube channels. The interest in the case has even prompted "Diddy on Trial: As It Happened," a streaming show where actors re-enact moments from the trial.

Rapper Kanye West dropped by. A friend of Combs, West went to the court in lower Manhattan one day to watch the proceedings but didn't get a seat in the courtroom.

Violence and Freak Offs

Drug-fueled "freak offs" were a regular occurrence in Combs's world. His defense said they were consensual. But prosecutors say they were the crux of the violent and coercive acts with which he is charged.

Two former girlfriends testified about Combs exploding with rage and forcing them into degrading sex acts. Ventura told the jury that Combs hit her and threw her to the ground in 2013 after he showed up at her apartment and found her sleeping rather than packing for a flight.

She sent Combs a photo of her wounded face after the incident. "I didn't want him to forget what he did," Ventura said.

Lawyers for Combs have acknowledged that he committed domestic violence, but say it wasn't in connection with the alleged sex crimes. They also said the two women were willing participants in the freak offs.

One of the most powerful pieces of evidence from prosecutors was a 2016 surveillance video of Combs assaulting and dragging Ventura in a hallway of a hotel in Los Angeles.

Prosecutors said Combs, wearing just a towel and socks, attacked Ventura because she tried to leave a "freak off" and then tried to cover up the incident by buying the video.

Eddy Garcia, who worked as a security guard at the hotel, testified that Combs and his chief of staff arranged to pay a bribe of $100,000 in exchange for the video. He recalled meeting with them and signing a nondisclosure agreement. He was given the cash in a brown bag, he said.

Working for Diddy

Prosecutors say that Combs relied on employees to help carry out his criminal acts -- and some staff were victims themselves. Former personal assistants to Combs testified about their bizarre and grueling time working for him. The job entailed meeting the mercurial demands of their boss at all hours, they said, including procuring drugs, baby oil and Gatorade for the "freak offs."

Former aides said they also had to keep Combs's favorite foods, such as apple sauce or Heinz ketchup, on hand. "Mr. Combs loves applesauce," former assistant George Kaplan testified. "He eats it on the side or on top of a lot of things," including cheeseburgers, he added.

Lawyers for Combs said he didn't run a criminal enterprise alleged to have involved some of his employees. They acknowledged that Combs was a tough boss but pointed out that some former staff who testified also said they learned from him and admired him and the businesses he built.

Biggie Business

Over a four-decade career, Combs turned a gift for making music into businesses that touched on rap, fashion and television. Biggie Smalls, the legendary Brooklyn rapper who was signed to Combs's record label and was killed at the height of his fame in 1997, was one of the reasons for the mogul's early success.

The artist, whose real name is Christopher Wallace, was name-dropped several times during the trial, with witnesses and lawyers giving snippets of the strong bond the two men had.

Kaplan, the former assistant, testified that Smalls's birthday was a holiday for Combs staffers. When Combs launched Revolt TV, a cable-news network focused on hip-hop, he did so on the steps of Smalls's former Brooklyn home, Kaplan said. Hotel rooms were booked for Combs under the pseudonym Frank Black, the former assistant added -- another nod to Smalls, whose nickname was Frank White.

Torched Porsche

One of the most talked-about moments from the trial came from testimony given by Cudi, who said his Porsche convertible was torched and Los Angeles home broken into after Combs learned he was dating Ventura.

Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, said he began a relationship with Ventura toward the end of 2011, but it ended abruptly after Combs's meddling and threats. Prosecutors said Combs and his security guards broke into Cudi's home after learning of the relationship, and alleged that Combs was behind Cudi's car being firebombed with a Molotov cocktail. The arson, they said, goes toward proving the racketeering conspiracy charge that Combs faces.

Cudi testified that a day after the arson incident he and Combs met at the Soho House in Los Angeles to talk over their differences. When he arrived, Cudi said, Combs "was standing there, staring out the window with his hands behind his back like a Marvel supervillain."

The meeting ended with the two men shaking hands, but Cudi said he used the opportunity to look Combs in the eyes and ask about his burned car. "He looked right back at me, a very cold stare, and said, 'I don't know what you're talking about,'" Cudi said.

Lawyers for Combs deny that he was involved in the arson.

Write to James Fanelli at james.fanelli@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 29, 2025 09:00 ET (13:00 GMT)

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