Sean “Diddy “’s trial continued on Monday before the Manhattan Federal Court, where the 55-year-old hip-hop magnate faces accusations of sex trafficking, racketeering and transport to engage in prostitution.
Federal prosecutors claim that for decades, combs have mistreated, threatened and forced women to participate in marathon sexual meetings called “Freak Offs” and used its commercial empire, as well as firearms, kidnappings and criminal fires, to hide its crimes.
On Monday, Dawn Richard, one of the singers of the Danity Kane girls group; Kerry Morgan, Cassie Ventura’s former best friend; And David James, former Personal Assistant of Combs.
Richard and Morgan said that they had witnessed Combres physically Ventura, his former girlfriend, on several occasions. Morgan also testified that Combs had smothered her and struck her with a wooden hanger. “I had a concussion. I was dizzy. I vomited several times,” said Morgan in his testimony.
Morgan and James said Ventura felt that she could not leave combs because he controlled too much of his life. Last week, Ventura spent four days on the position of the witnesses, telling the court that her decade relationship with Combs was marked by violence and physical violence. Ventura, who is eight months pregnant, described in detail the “freak offs” fed by drugs that would take days to recover.
Combs pleaded not guilty. If he is found guilty, he could risk in life to life. He is detained without surety in a Brooklyn prison. A jury of 12 New Yorkers and six deputies will decide his fate. The trial should last at least eight weeks.
You can read our coverage of the first week of the trial here, and you can read what happened in court on Monday in the blog below. Our reports were extracted from various journalists and press organizations in the audience room, including the Associated Press, CNN, NBC News and the Washington Post.
If you or someone you know suffer from domestic violence, you can call the National Hotline of domestic violence at 1-800-799-Safe (7233). Find more resources here.