Sean “Diddy” Combs’ upcoming sex trafficking and racketeering trial took a significant turn on Friday when US District Court Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that a security video showing him assaulting his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, is admissible as evidence. The video, first broadcast by CNN last year, shows Combs beating, kicking, and dragging Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
Defense attorneys had sought to exclude the video from evidence, claiming it was altered and manipulated, but prosecutors argued that it is a critical piece of evidence. CNN has denied altering the video and maintains that the original footage exists.
Ventura, who was once signed to Combs’ record label, sued him in 2023 over alleged years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. The two quickly settled, with Combs publicly apologizing for his actions after the video aired on CNN.
Prosecutors allege that Combs ran a criminal enterprise engaging in sex trafficking, kidnapping, and arson, among other crimes. They plan to show jurors some of the freak off videos as evidence, which allegedly involved commercial sex workers and were often recorded electronically.
Combs has been detained at a federal prison since his arrest in September. His legal team claims that the encounters with Ventura were consensual, but prosecutors argue otherwise.
The judge also ruled that Dr. Dawn Hughes, a clinical psychologist, can testify to coping strategies and delayed disclosure, despite Combs’ lawyers trying to block her testimony on coercive control.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/video-sean-diddy-combs-beating-ex-girlfriend-will-allowed-trial-judge-rcna202985