Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sex trafficking trial continued in New York on Monday, with the government expected to wrap up its case by the middle of the week after hearing from new witnesses, including an alleged “drug mule.”
Things got underway with Judge Arun Subramanian dismissing Juror No. 6 after he came under scrutiny from prosecutors last week over an alleged “lack of candor” with the court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey indicated Friday that prosecutors could finish as early as Wednesday. Most of the witnesses expected to be called to the stand this week are “summary witnesses,” who will walk jurors through various records and text messages.
Summary witness Ananya Sankar, a paralegal for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, took the stand first, followed by Deleassa Penland, a special agent with the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Penland is expected to take the stand again Tuesday morning.
Diddy 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.
The rapper has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
Key moments from the fifth week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
Ye makes surprise appearance at Diddy’s sex trafficking trial as judge weighs removing juror
Mystery rapper takes center stage as testimony at Diddy trial centers around sex parties
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer complains about trial secrecy as a famous rapper's name goes unmentioned
Key Points
- Kanye West tipped to return in show of support for Diddy
- 'Drug mule' to testify and judge to rule on dismissing controversial juror
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.
Kanye West tipped to return in show of support for Diddy
13:20 , Joe SommerladSean “Diddy” Combs’s sex trafficking trial will resume in New York today, with the government expected to wrap up its case by the middle of the week.
Friday’s session saw fellow hip-hop star Kanye West make a surprise appearance at the courthouse in a show of support for the defendant and he has been tipped to return in week six.
Here’s Kelly Rissman on his extraordinary cameo.
Ye makes appearance at Diddy’s sex trafficking trial as judge weighs removing juror
'Drug mule' to testify and judge to rule on dismissing controversial juror
13:40 , Joe SommerladNew witnesses we can expect to hear from today include Brendan Paul, an alleged “drug mule” who was arrested during a raid on Diddy’s home last year.
We’ll also hear from two summary witnesses who will tie the allegations made by Cassie and Mia to the charges.
Judge Arun Subramanian is also expected to make a final determination this morning on the potential removal of Juror No. 6, who came under scrutiny from prosecutors last week over an alleged “lack of candor” with the court.
Six alternate jurors are waiting on the sidelines.
Diddy received Father's Day well wishes from sons Christian "King" Combs and Justin Dior Combs
14:20 , Isabel KeaneDespite spending the holiday behind bars, two of the rapper’s sons wished him a Happy Father’s Day on social media.
Christian “King” Combs, 27, and Justin Dior Combs, 31, who have both been present in Manhattan federal court for their dad’s trial, shared their love for their “pops.”
“Happy Father’s Day Pops thank you for giving me life & always being president! My super hero! I’m w you 4ever no matter what!! Miss you & love you,” Justin Combs wrote in an Instagram story.
Meanwhile, Christian Combs shared a throwback image of him and Diddy, writing, “Happy Fathers Day Pops!! I Love you & miss you !!! We waiting for you at [home emoji]”
Paralegal specialist called to the stand
14:40 , Isabel KeaneThe government has called its first witness, Ananya Sankar, to the stand.
Sankar, a paralegal specialist at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, will walk jurors through a chart of evidence the government has collected.
Juror No. 6 replaced
15:00 , Isabel KeaneAfter Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed Juror No. 6, a replacement from the alternate pool was selected.
The newest member of the jury is a 57-year-old accountant from Westchester County, the suburbs just north of New York City.
There may be issues with another juror over conversations he may have had with a colleague, according to NBC.
Subramanian said they would further question that juror after the group is dismissed this afternoon, CNN reported.
Paralegal specialist reads texts between Combs' staff members to jury
15:30 , Isabel KeaneAnanya Sankar, a paralegal specialist at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, shared text messages sent between Kristina Khorram, Combs’ former chief of staff, and one of his assistants, Ryan Lopez.
The messages, sent on December 29, 2019, were read to jurors by Sankar, according to CNN.
“Lol think I saw one of the cowboys today. You can spot them in a lobby like a escort. I forgot to tell you about it,” Lopez wrote to Khorram.
Khorram texted back four laughing face emojis. “Btw how long is he gonna stay awake?” she wrote back.
“Lol I’m guessing until tomorrow night,” Lopez responded.
Earlier in the trial, two women who had dated Combs, Cassie Ventura and “Jane,” testified that they used a service called “Cowboys and Angels” to find escorts for “freak-offs.”
Jury shown texts of Combs planning 'hotel night,' staff discussing hotel damage charges
15:45 , Isabel KeaneThe jury was shown text messages between Sean “Diddy” Combs’ assistants and Kristina Khorram, his former chief of staff, about planning hotel nights for the rapper and his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, in March 2016.
In one of the messages, they discussed adding the name of an escort to the hotel room file. In another message, Khorram tells an assistant, “Heads up, he’s probably about to do wild king tonight.”
The assistant, Dave Shirley, who did not testify at trial, replied: “Shit need to reup on baby oil and shit,” according to CNN.
The alleged “Wild King Nights” were full of sex, drugs and alcohol and would require hefty clean-ups afterward.
Jurors were also shown text messages sent by Combs’ staff detailing high charges they faced for damages he left to his hotel rooms.
One message from Khorran read, “Your damage charges on the one hotel are always high.”
In a later message to “Jane,” who dated Combs from 2021 to 2024, Khorram wrote, “ask them if they can bring up like 15 bath towels.”
Juror in Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial dismissed over 'lack of candor'
15:58 , Isabel KeaneJuror No. 6 was dismissed on Monday after providing inconsistent information about where he lives — prompting concern that he had been seeking out a spot on the jury.
The discrepancy gained attention last week when the juror casually mentioned moving in with his girlfriend in New Jersey, after saying he lived in the Bronx with his fiancée during jury selection.
While prosecutors argued the inconsistent stories showed a concerning “lack of candor,” lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs fiercely opposed the juror’s dismissal.
Combs’ attorneys said that while the jury is diverse, Juror No. 6 was a Black man, like Combs, and his dismissal would unfairly disadvantage the defendant.
Judge Arun Subramanian struck down the defense’s argument, noting the jury is quite diverse with or without the juror in question.
“It would be improper to allow the race of juror #6 or the alternate juror to play a factor” he said.
Juror No. 6 was replaced Monday morning with a 57-year-old accountant from Westchester County who is a white man.
The judge on Monday also noted there may be another potential issue with a different juror. He said he would further question that juror after the group is dismissed this afternoon.
Diddy passing notes with attorneys
16:30 , Isabel KeaneAs the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs enters its sixth week Monday, the music mogul was seen in court wearing a light blue sweater and passing notes on bright pink post-its to his attorneys.
Combs greeted his attorneys with a huge hug, as he usually does at the start of each day in court.
From ‘Love contracts’ to ‘movie nights’: The twisted terms of the Diddy trial
16:45 , Isabel KeaneAs the jury hears from witnesses in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial, they’ve also encountered an array of terms not usually found in a courtroom.
Initially, jurors learned all about his so-called “freak offs” when his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura took the stand in May, code for drug-fueled multi-day sex sessions often involving male sex workers.
Now, another ex-girlfriend, who dated the rapper from 2021 through 2024 and testified under the pseudonym Jane Doe, has introduced a series of new phrases into the trial lingo, like “movie nights” and “love contract.”
The music mogul faces five federal counts of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors have accused him of threatening, abusing and coercing victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” from 2004 to 2024. He’s pleaded not guilty and has denied any wrongdoing.
Reporter Kelly Rissman explains some helpful terms to know when following Diddy’s trial:
Jury shown array of texts spanning from drug requests, details about "Wild King Nights" and the lawsuit filed by ex, Cassie Ventura
16:47 , Isabel KeaneJurors on Monday heard about an array of text messages while Ananya Sankar, a paralegal specialist at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, is on the stand.
The court was shown messages between Sean “Diddy” Combs and his staff about buying drugs from a dealer, “Guido,” according to CNN.
In one thread, Faheem Muhammad, Combs’ head of security, gets approval to pay Guido for thousands of dollars worth of drugs.
Other messages between Combs’ Chief of Staff Kristina Khorram and Muhammad show the rapper once requested 15 MDMA pills, also known as molly or ecstasy.
“Puff, can you text Fah what you need him to pick up before his flight to Miami?” Khorram had said. Combs responded, in part, “Molly, 15 pills.”
The jury was also shown messages between Khorram and Combs’ former longtime girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
In one message sent in May 2017, Ventura told Khorram, “No one deserves being dragged by their hair. I locked the door for my safety.”
Khorram replied that she would try to talk to Combs and help Ventura retrieve her belongings.
In some messages shown to jurors, Khorram and Combs’ assistant, Brendan Paul, discuss how the rapper “might need king stuff potentially.”
Later Monday morning, jurors were shown a summary chart of messages, including texts sent days after Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs accusing him of rape and physical abuse.
The suit was settled the day after it was filed.
In the messages, Combs’ former security guard Damion Butler, who goes by D-Roc, messaged him, “Need to hear your voice bro, love you.”
Combs replied: “Thank you for checking on me rally appreciate you, love you.”
Combs called 'Mia' six times after ex Cassie Ventura's lawsuit was filed
17:15 , Isabel KeaneCombs repeatedly called and texted “Mia,” a former employee, to “clear up” things months after Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against him.
Phone records from February 2024 show that Combs called Mia at least six times in one day. He then messaged her to apologize, saying he wanted to “clear up a few things,” NBC News reported.
Ventura filed a lawsuit against the rapper in November 2024, accusing him of rape and physical abuse. The suit was settled the following day.
Paralegal specialist off the stand after cross-examination
17:30 , Isabel KeaneParalegal specialist Ananya Sankar finished cross-examination just after noon Monday.
Prosecutors used Sankar as a summary witness to explain the evidence she reviewed for the court to the jurors.
Second summary witness takes the stand
17:43 , Isabel KeaneThe government called its next witness, U.S. Attorney’s Special Agent Deleassa Penland, to the stand.
Penland did not work directly on Combs’ case, but was tasked with reviewing the investigation’s charts and data to ensure it was correct.
The chart Penland is showing the court contains 71 entries connecting the rapper, his longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura, and alleged escorts with flight records, hotel reservations and videos allegedly taken during freak offs, according to The Washington Post.
Court breaks for lunch
18:05 , Isabel KeaneSpecial agent Deleassa Penland will continue answering questions about travel records following lunch.
Prosecutor Emily Johnson was asking Penland to review flight records for a male escort that the court previously learned was hired for “freak offs” with Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie Ventura.
Penland’s questioning appears related to the two charges Combs faces of transportation to engage in prostitution.
The trial is set to resume at 1:30 p.m.
Court returns from lunch break
19:08 , Isabel KeaneThe jury returned following a break for lunch, during which prosecutors told Judge Arun Subramanian that special agent Deleassa Penland’s testimony is expected to take the rest of the day.
Court is expected to break around 3 p.m.
New court sketches show Sean "Diddy" Combs hugging his legal team
19:31 , Isabel Keane
Jury shown records tied to alleged meeting between Diddy, Cassie Ventura and escort
20:09 , Isabel KeaneThe jury was shown more records to support the alleged 2009 “meeting” between Sean “Diddy” Combs, Cassie Ventura and an escort named Jules.
Records shown while special agent Deleassa Penland was on the stand included those for flights and hotels, which were paid for with Comb’s American Express card.
The records showed that Combs paid for flights for Ventura and Jules, and a room at the London Hotel in New York City, according to CNN.
Jurors are being shown the travel logs and credit card records to help establish that Combs bankrolled the alleged freak-offs by paying for flights and hotels.
Jury dismissed for the day
20:23 , Isabel KeaneThe jury was dismissed for the day around 3 p.m.
Special agent Deleassa Penland will continue direct examination Tuesday morning.
