Question at Heart of Diddy Trial: Was He a Swinger, or Criminal Mastermind?

Jury selection began Monday in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, who faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Combs, 55, is accused of abusing, threatening and coercing women and others to “fulfill his sexual desires” and leading a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, federal prosecutors said following his arrest in September.

The embattled hip-hop mogul allegedly forced women into so-called “freak offs” — elaborate sex performances that he arranged, directed and often recorded while pleasuring himself sexually. Prosecutors allege Combs used violence and intimidation dating back to 2008 to control his victims, including by distributing narcotics to them or threatening to release the sensitive footage.

“Freak Offs occurred regularly, sometimes lasted multiple days, and often involved multiple commercial sex workers,” the indictment reads. “During Freak Offs, Combs distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant. Sometimes unbeknownst to the victims, Combs kept videos he filmed of victims engaging in sex acts with commercial sex workers.”

The Bad Boy Records founder and his victims typically received IV fluids following the encounters to recover from exertion and drug use, prosecutors allege. Combs’ staff facilitated the performances by booking hotel rooms and stocking locations with supplies, including controlled substances, baby oil, lubricant and extra linens, according to the indictment.

Authorities in March seized more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant during searches of Combs’ residences in Miami and Los Angeles, prosecutors said.

“As alleged in the indictment, for years, Sean Combs used the business empire he controlled to sexually abuse and exploit women, as well as to commit other acts of violence and obstruction of justice,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in statement following Combs’ arrest.

Williams also urged victims of Combs’ alleged abuse to contact authorities, insisting at the time that the investigation was “far from over.”

Prosecutors allege Combs repeatedly abused his female victims to control them, including physical attacks that often resulted in injuries that took weeks to heal in some instances.

“Combs also threatened victims’ careers and livelihoods, including if they resisted participating in Freak Offs,” the indictment continues. “Victims believed they could not refuse Combs’ demands without risking their financial or job security or without repercussions in the form of physical or emotional abuse.”

Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, 38, is expected to testify during the trial, which could last eight weeks or more. The singer sued Diddy in November 2023, accusing him of rape and assault during their relationship for more than decade starting in 2007.

Combs denied the accusations, including forcing Ventura to have sex with other men, and her lawsuit was settled within 24 hours of filing. Footage of Combs attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway was later published by CNN in May 2024, closely mirroring an assault she detailed at the same hotel, the InterContinental in Los Angeles.

“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this only the beginning,” Ventura wrote on Instagram in late May 2024. “Domestic violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”

Judge Arun Subramanian has ruled that jurors will be allowed to watch the disturbing footage of the hotel assault on March 5, 2016.

Combs, who was not charged criminally due to statute of limitations, later apologized on social media for assaulting Ventura, describing his behavior as “inexcusable.” The post was no longer visible as of Monday.

Forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes, who previously testified at R. Kelly’s federal trial and the defamation trial between actor Johnny Deep and actress Amber Heard, is also expected to take the stand, NBC News reported last month. She declined to speak to the outlet ahead of the much-anticipated trial.

Combs, whose main residence is in Miami, has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation for purposes of prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and reportedly turned down a last-minute plea deal from prosecutors.

The ‘Lifestyle’ Defense

One of Combs’ attorneys, Marc Agnifilo, has acknowledged his client wasn’t a “perfect person,” but claims the hip-hop mogul had engaged in consensual sexual activity with Ventura and others.

Agnfilio suggested at a pretrial hearing last month that Combs’ conduct wasn’t unlawful.

“There’s a lifestyle, call it swingers or whatever you will, that he thought was appropriate because it was common,” Agnifilo said. “Many people think it’s appropriate because it’s common.”

One prominent New York attorney, meanwhile, believes Combs “faces an uphill battle” in the high-profile case, referencing the footage of the hotel assault from 2016.

“There’s already a lot of negative publicity out there and that one video doesn’t look pretty, so you know this case is going off with like at least one strike against [Combs] if not a strike and a half out of three,” defense attorney Arthur Aidala told the New York Post.

Combs remains held without bail at Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his arrest in New York City on September 16. Opening statements in the case are expected to begin next week.

Comb’s legal team, led by Agnifilo and attorney Teny Geragos, added a seventh member on May 2, USA Today reported. Xavier R. Donaldson, who is based in New York, previously worked for the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office before entering private practice.

Up to 150 potential jurors will be summoned to the courtroom to be questioned by Judge Subramanian, who hopes to finish jury selection within three days, according to USA Today.

Combs, who wore dark glasses and a dark sweater atop a white shirt, smiled and hugged his attorneys upon arriving in court Monday, the paper reported. His hair and goatee were almost completely gray.

Reporting by the Associated Press contributed to this story.