The trial against Diddy in New York has been ongoing for six weeks. How does he behave in the courtroom? And what has emerged from the testimonies so far? We answer some of your questions.
Why did Diddy refuse his settlement and was that wise?
Diddy rejected a settlement offer from the public prosecutor before his trial. The 55-year-old musician would receive a shorter prison sentence in exchange for pleading guilty. Diddy is on trial for extortion, human trafficking, and transportation for the purpose of prostitution.
Diddy does not say why he rejected the settlement offer. Suspects can reject a proposal for various reasons and bring the case before a judge. For example, because they do not consider it a fair proposal, the public prosecutor does not have strong evidence, or because a suspect believes in their own innocence. Diddy has consistently denied the allegations.
Because the founder of the label Bad Boy Records rejected the settlement offer, the case is now being heard in court, where a twelve-member jury will decide whether he is guilty. The judge then determines a sentence.
How does Diddy behave in the courtroom and does he still get to speak?
Court records show that Diddy is subdued. He passes notes to his lawyers and makes eye contact with the jurors. He gives air kisses to his family members, who sit in the front row of the courtroom almost daily.
In the past six weeks, there was one incident in which Diddy nodded at the jury during the cross-examination of a witness. The judge found that unacceptable and threatened to remove him from the courtroom if he did it again.
Diddy himself has not yet spoken. It is not known whether he will testify in the process. It can always backfire if a suspect speaks. It is therefore possible that his lawyers do not dare. They announced on the first day of the trial that they do not intend to launch a charm offensive.
What important information has emerged from the testimonies so far?
The Public Prosecution Service has now called almost thirty witnesses. The most important is singer Cassie Ventura, who had a relationship with Diddy for about eleven years. She said that Diddy forced her to have sex with male escorts. Another ex-girlfriend of Diddy, who testified under the pseudonym Jane, shared similar experiences.
The women said that Diddy threatened to leak intimate videos of them or withdraw financial support if they resisted. They described several moments when Diddy abused them. His violent character would have contributed to the fear of refusing sex with others.
Which celebrities have already testified against Diddy? Images of well-known witnesses are circulating on social media, but some suspect they were made with AI.
AI-generated images and audio of well-known witnesses are indeed circulating. In addition to Cassie Ventura, rapper Kid Cudi is the only celebrity who has given a statement so far. Kid Cudi briefly had a relationship with Ventura and Diddy would not have accepted that.
Kid Cudi told the court, among other things, that Diddy once broke into his house and called him from the house to intimidate him.
It is possible that more celebrities have been called to testify, but that they have refused. In the United States, everyone can invoke the right not to testify or provide incriminating information about themselves.
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Agents search ‘Diddy’ properties for possible exploitation
What was found during raids on Diddy’s properties?
In April, agents raided Diddy’s office buildings in Los Angeles. Diddy’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles were also searched. We only know something about the findings in the house in Miami. A involved agent stated this in court.
Among other things, a loaded pistol, sex toys, lubricant and baby oil were found. A bag containing MDMA tablets, ketamine and cocaine was also found.
Images of the finds were shown to the jury. They were also shown evidence such as text messages between those involved, photos of the alleged victims with bruises and injuries, and images of the sex parties where the alleged victims were forced to have sex with male escorts.
What punishment does Diddy face?
If Diddy is found guilty of extortion, he risks a life sentence. If he is guilty of human trafficking, he must spend at least fifteen years in prison. Transportation for the purpose of prostitutes carries a maximum prison sentence of ten years.