Jurors in Sean “Diddy”sex trafficking trial saw more related footage of “freak offs” on Tuesday as defense attorneys tried to argue that Combs and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, had a more loving relationship than the government has portrayed.
Special Agent DeLeassa Penland reviewed phone records between Combs and Ventura and testified that Combs incessantly called and texted Ventura after hitting her at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016.
Under cross-examination, defense attorneys showed jurors other messages between the two that displayed a very different, more loving, side of their relationship.
Tuesday’s proceedings got off to a hot start with Judge Arun Subramanian scolding both the defense and prosecution after an article was published containing information that was under seal. He warned both sides that they could face consequences if that continued.
Subramanian ended Tuesday’s proceedings in a closed courtroom, presumably to discuss a potential issue with another juror.
Combs is facing charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Federal authorities have accused him of threatening, abusing, and coercing victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024.
Prosecutors are expected to call Combs’ former assistant and alleged “drug mule”, Brendan Paul, to the stand on Wednesday.
Key Points
- Lawyers create different narratives in analyzing messages between Ventura and Combs
- Judge begins Tuesday by lambasting defense and prosecution over leak
- Combs paid more than $45,000 in hotel damages from 'freak offs'
- Kanye West will now have a seat in the courtroom: report
- Trial shown video of ‘freak-offs’ and texts about drug purchases
Lawyers create different narratives in analyzing messages between Ventura and Combs
20:25 , Ariana BaioAttorneys for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and the government spent most of Tuesday sharing two different narratives about the relationship between Combs and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, using phone records.
Prosecutors used flight, hotel, and phone records to argue that Combs organized “freak-offs” in different hotels across the country. They showed jurors a timeline of the day Combs physically assaulted Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016.
Message and phone records show that Combs incessantly called Ventura after the incident and utilized some of his staff to try to get Ventura back.
Defense attorneys, meanwhile, showed jurors messages that displayed a much more loving relationship between Combs and Ventura. In some of those messages, Ventura expressed interest in participating in “freak offs.”
Prosecutors will call Combs’ former assistant and “drug mule” to the stand on Wednesday.
Jurors dismissed for the day
20:10 , Ariana BaioJudge Arun Subramanian has dismissed jurors for the day, meaning Branden Paul’s testimony will have to wait until tomorrow.
Prosecutors are less confident they’ll rest by Wednesday and said they’ll need at least an hour and a half to question Paul.
Special agent off the stand
20:05 , Ariana BaioSpecial Agent DeLeassa Penland is now off the stand after a brief re-direct from ASUA Johnson about the incident at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016.
Defense seeks to emphasize Ventura willingly participated in ‘freak offs’
19:44 , Ariana BaioDefense attorneys have been showing text messages between Ventura and Combs, in which Ventura expresses interest in participating in “freak offs.”
Geragos brings up one text message from 2013 when Ventura responded “LOL, sure, when” when Combs asked her to mee up for a rendezvous at a Mondrian Hotel.
Cross-examination resumes
18:47 , Andrew GeorgesonCourt has returned from lunch and Penland has taken the witness stand once again.
Jurors have little reaction while watching 'freak off' footage
18:21 , Kelly RissmanJurors watched more footage, which once again elicited very little reaction.
Some of the jurors furrowed their brows in concentration, some rested their hands on their mouths, some tapped their pens with their fingers.
Court breaks for lunch
17:45 , Ariana BaioJudge Subramanian has dismissed jurors for a roughly hour-long lunch break.
When court returns, Penland will return to the stand for cross-examination.
Jurors watching ‘freak off’ footage
17:40 , Ariana BaioJurors are currently watching sexually explicit footage from “freak offs” that are shielded from public view.
They’re watching portions of a video, recorded in October 2012, that was also shown on Monday.
They also watched part of another video recorded that same month and year.
They’re also being shown footage filmed in December 2014.
Defense highlights loving messages between Combs and Ventura
17:26 , Ariana BaioDefense attorney Teny Geragos has brought up multiple text messages between Combs and Ventura showing the other side of their relationship – the more loving and fun side that Ventura said would occasionally peak through.
In one text message, Combs thanked Ventura for a great time together.
In another message, Ventura tells Combs she loves him and misses him.
Both exchanged many text messages about having “freak offs” together and coordinating times to do so.
Geragos has asked Penland why these text messages were not included in the government’s timeline. Penland reminded attorneys that she was not part of the investigation and her role was to review evidence for the government, not add anything in.
Kanye West will now have a seat in the courtroom: report
17:00 , Ariana BaioRapper Kanye West, also known as Ye, will now have a seat near Combs’ family and friends if he chooses to go to federal court to support the music mogul in his sex-trafficking trial, according to Business Insider.
Ye showed up to the trial on Friday but was denied entry into the courtroom because he was not on the list of approved people to sit in the reserved two benches for Combs’ family and friends.
But he has now been added to the list, two sources with knowledge of the document of Combs’ approved guests told Business Insider.
It’s unclear if Ye plans to attend any more of the trial.
Defense attorneys show messages where Ventura expressed interest in a ‘freak off’
16:54 , Ariana BaioDefense attorney Teny Geragos is now questioning Special Agent Penland’s thoroughness when reviewing the government’s presentation of messages between Combs and Ventura.
Geragos mentions that some text messages were omitted, including several where Ventura expressed interest in having a “freak off” with Combs and a male escort.
The defense has argued that Combs did not coerce anyone into having a “freak off” and that they were always consensual. During Ventura’s testimony, she admitted that she would express interest in having one, but only because she wanted to keep Combs happy. Ventura said she did not want to have “freak offs.”
Court returns
16:21 , Ariana BaioJurors have returned from their brief morning break and Penland is back on the stand.
Prosecution ends testimony, court takes a short break
16:00 , Ariana BaioProsecutors have finished their direct testimony of Special Agent DeLeassa Penland and the defense will now have the opportunity to cross-examine her.
Court is on a brief 15-minute break before cross begins.
Jurors shown timeline of messages leading up to and after hotel incident
15:33 , Ariana BaioAUSA Emily Johnson is showing jurors a timeline of message records between Combs and Ventura leading up to and after the March 2016 incident at the InterContinental hotel in which Combs beat Ventura.
The records show Ventura and Combs texting to inquire about a male escort’s availability for a “freak off,” days before the incident.
Jurors then saw phone records from the day of the incident. After Ventura left the hotel, Combs called her at least five times in a row and texted her incessantly, demanding she return.
“Call me, the cops are here,” Combs said, claiming he was “about to be arrested.”
Johnson lined up the timeline so jurors could see that Ventura took selfies of herself with a swollen lip as Combs was trying to reach her.
Jurors are also seeing how several of Combs’ staff got involved, with Kristina Khorram “KK” and D-Roc intervening.
Inside the wild musical featuring Luigi Mangione, Diddy, and more
15:26 , Josh MarcusA sell-out musical about the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin has hit the stage before Mangione has even gone to trial. Josh Marcus was on hand at the premiere of the wildest musical of 2025:
Inside the wild musical about Luigi Mangione and the UnitedHealthcare assassination
Combs paid more than $45,000 in hotel damages
15:02 , Ariana BaioJurors are well aware, at this point, that Combs’ “freak offs” often caused widespread damage to hotels. But they’re once again seeing some massive charges for those damages.
In 2012, the InterContinental Hotel in New York charged Combs $46,786 for “penthouse damages.”
In 2015, the Hermitage Hotel charged Combs $950 for “linen” damages and “deep cleaning.
The Beverly Hills Hotel charged Combs $500 for damages to drapes and carpets.
Penland says records show Combs’ company paid for sex worker to travel
14:50 , Ariana BaioSpecial Agent Penland is testifying about flight and hotel records for Combs, Ventura, and male sex workers that were paid for by Bad Boy Entertainment.
Those records get to the heart of the government’s transportation for prostitution purposes charge.
Penland testified that flight records from 2009 indicate Bad Boy Entertainment paid for a round-trip flight from New York to Los Angeles for Jules Theodore – a male sex worker whom Combs and Ventura often hired.
Hotel records show that Combs’ credit card was charged for the stay.
Another hotel record showed a stay for Clayton Howard, who was known to Combs and Venutra as “Dave.”
Agent Penland on the stand
14:16 , Ariana BaioSpecial Agent Deleassa Penland is back on the stand to testify about the evidence collected in Combs’ investigation.
Penland did not work on the investigation but reviewed evidence for jurors yesterday.
Judge begins by lambasting defense and prosecution
14:05 , Ariana Baio, Kelly RissmanJudge Arun Subramanian opened Tuesday’s proceeding with a warning to both the prosecution and defense after a reporter seemingly published information that was supposed to remain under seal.
Subramanian was furious and threatened to initiate a formal investigation into the matter to determine how information that was under seal had been leaked to the press.
"Someone is lying … the transcript was sealed,” Subramanian said.
It is unclear what article Subramanian was referring to exactly or who published it.
What to expect today
14:00 , Kelly RissmanToday, the court will finish up Special Agent Penland’s testimony, connecting the dots between flight records, hotel stays, and text messages that seem to correspond to freak offs.
Then we’ll hear from Brendan Paul, whose testimony should take us through the end of the day.
Trial shown video of ‘freak-offs’ and texts about drug purchases
13:40 , Joe SommerladJurors were shown videos of “freak offs” for the first time on Monday, six weeks into the eight-week trial.
While the panel has previously heard audio recordings and seen still images of the sex marathons, yesterday marked the first time the jurors watched clips of the days-long drug-fueled sex marathons.
Jurors watched the footage after hearing weeks of testimony about the sex encounters in intensive detail, from planning them – assistants buying baby oil and lube, women coordinating with escorts, the cash transactions – his ex-girlfriend’s feelings about them and how the encounters were recorded.
But oddly, the jurors appeared almost desensitized, barely reacting to the clips at all.
Here’s a full report from Kelly Rissman.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial shown video of ‘freak-offs’ and texts about drug purchases
Court to hear from rapper’s ‘drug mule’ as another juror could be dismissed
13:20 , Joe SommerladToday’s first witness is likely to be the returning Deleassa Penland, a special agent with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, who is expected to conclude the testimony she began yesterday before we hear from alleged “drug mule” Brendan Paul.
The government has said it expects to wrap up its case against Diddy by the middle of the week so we are nearing the end of this phase of proceedings.
On Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed Juror No. 6 after he came under scrutiny from prosecutors last week over an alleged “lack of candor” with the court.
The fate of another juror, who might have spoken improperly about the case, was left in the balance and we can get a ruling on that too.
Good morning
13:00 , Joe SommerladHello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs as it resumes in New York.
Combs is facing sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy charges.
He was arrested in September 2024 as federal authorities alleged he threatened, abused and coerced victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024.
Combs has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
