Online Reporter
NEW YORK. − Sean “Diddy” Combs is having the support of his family as opening statements in his sex-trafficking trial got underway on Monday in downtown Manhattan.
“He is holding faith and ready to finally be able to have his side of the story presented in court,” a source close to the Combs family told CNN.
“This is a long time waiting.”
At least six of his seven children were at court when testimony in their father’s high-stakes trial got underway.
Combs’ youngest child, Love, is just two years old, so it was unclear if she would be at the courthouse, the source said.
But his adult children – sons Quincy, Justin and Christian, daughters Chance and twins Jessie and D’Lila – along with Combs’ mother, Janice, and some of the mothers of his children, were there to support him.
Combs will have, at least, some family members in court each day of trial, which is expected to last approximately eight weeks, according to the source.
“The family is united,” they added. “Everyone is upbeat. Everyone is holding faith.”
The individual acknowledged that the past eight months, with Combs held in detention ahead of trial, have been “difficult.”
“It’s been extremely humbling and a reality check” for the embattled music mogul, the source said of Combs’ time in jail, noting he has lived a life of luxury and freedom to call the shots for more than three decades – a stark contrast to being confined to a jail cell as Inmate 37452-054.
Combs has spent much of his time in jail preparing for his trial, speaking with his defence team and his family, according to the source.
If convicted, Combs could be sentenced to life in prison.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs was arrested in September 2024 and has been held in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn ever since.
He was denied bail three times, despite efforts from his attorneys to have him kept in home detention as his trial loomed.
Prosecutors prevailed in their arguments that Combs presented a “danger to the community,” alleging in court documents that he paid other inmates to use their phone accounts in jail to evade monitoring and attempted to tamper with witnesses from behind bars.
The government is expected to present up to four key witnesses who will testify against Combs, including his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who will be among the first witnesses called as soon as Monday, prosecutors revealed last week.
If his legal team’s past arguments are any indication, an overarching theme of Combs’ defence strategy will be that all sexual relationships related to the charges were consensual – so therefore, even if those relationships were at times toxic, Combs’ defense would argue that he cannot be held criminally liable.
Several of the key witnesses have been characterized by the defense as “former long-term girlfriends.” When the government indicted Combs on new charges last month, his attorneys told CNN, “This was their private sex life, defined by consent, not coercion.”
Prosecutors alleged in their indictment that Combs ran a criminal enterprise, using his position of power to force victims to engage in sex acts against their will, often “under the pretense of a romantic relationship.” Prosecutors have said that during these encounters, known as “Freak Offs,” women were drugged and forced to have sex with male prostitutes. Some of the encounters were video recorded and took place over days, according to prosecutors.
In an October 2024 bail filing – which was ultimately denied by the judge – Combs’ attorneys wrote, “Mr. Combs believes the evidence will show that to the extent such activities occurred, all individuals who participated were adults voluntarily engaged in consensual sex.” In that filing, Combs’ attorneys described his relationship with Ventura as “often mutually toxic.” − CNN
