Diddy’s Trial, Explained: A Full Rundown of Key Players and the Disturbing Claims They’ve Made

• Sean “Diddy” Combs pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution

• One of the attorneys representing the Bad Boy Records founder has a connection to UnitedHealthcare shooting suspect Luigi Mangione’s lawyer

• Ahead of the trial, jurors were asked about their knowledge of several celebrities

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial is underway, with several key players taking their place in the courtroom.

In September 2024, the rap mogul was indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. After several women came forward with claims that the musician had raped them, the Bad Boy Records founder denied all of the allegations in a statement to PEOPLE in December 2023.

“ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday.”

Combs continued, “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

After pleading not guilty, Combs’ highly anticipated trial began on May 12. On day two, key witness Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura took the stand, delivering an emotional testimony filled with explosive claims from their decade-long relationship.

From the legal teams to the witnesses, here’s a guide to the key players in Diddy’s sex trafficking trial.

What is Diddy charged with?

In September 2024, Combs was indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.

A 2024 federal indictment alleges that Combs used his power in the music industry to manipulate and lure women, forcing them to participate in orchestrated sex acts during so-called “freak off” parties.

According to prosecutors, “freak offs” were “elaborate and produced sex performances” that Combs allegedly coerced women into performing with male sex workers. After authorities raided Combs’ home in Miami and Los Angeles in March 2025, prosecutors said they found “freak off supplies,” which included drugs and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.

Prosecutors allege that the rapper used various controlled substances — sometimes without the victim’s knowledge — to maintain control over them, per the indictment. He is also described as the mastermind behind a “criminal enterprise” linked to allegations of kidnapping, arson and drug offenses.

When is Diddy’s trial taking place?

Following juror selection on May 5, the trial officially began on May 12 in downtown Manhattan, and it’s expected to last eight weeks.

Per CBS News, Ventura’s testimony will likely be the focus of the trial’s first week.

Who are the key players in Diddy’s trial?

Sean “Diddy” Combs

The rap mogul — who has been sued by dozens of people accusing him of sexual misconduct and denied the allegations — pleaded not guilty to the federal sex crime charges he is now facing.

There have been several disturbing allegations made by prosecutors against Combs, including that he forced victims to participate in “freak offs,” used drugs and power to coerce women and physically abused multiple people.

Since his 2024 arrest, Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Complex in Brooklyn. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison.

Cassie Ventura

Ventura, who dated Combs for about a decade, is one of the key witnesses in the trial against him.

The R&B singer first sued Combs for sexual assault in November 2023, though the suit was settled one day after it was filed. As for his current charges, sources confirmed to PEOPLE in April 2025 that Victim-1 was Ventura — and that she would testify using her real name.

On day two of the trial, Ventura — who has two kids and is expecting another with husband Alex Fine — took the stand and described the abuse she allegedly endured by Combs, explaining that he “controlled” much of her life.

Ventura testified that the rapper introduced her to the idea of sexual voyeurism early in their relationship and asked her about “freak offs.”

“The longest was 4 days or even more with breaks. Then I was recovering from the drugs, dehydration — just trying to stay awake all the time,” she told the jury, adding that the “freak offs became a job.”

Ventura also alleged that Combs filmed their sexual encounters and used the footage as “blackmail materials,” leading her to live in fear that he would use his “many resources” to release them.

As her testimony continued, she revealed private details of their relationship, which she noted had a 17-year age gap.

Victim 2, 3 and 4

In a motion filed in April 2025, prosecutors stated that three other victims would testify at trial, though their identities would remain protected. They requested that the women be referred to by their pseudonyms.

On day two of the trial, Victim 2 was given the pseudonym Jane, while Victim 4 was referred to as Mia, per NBC News. (Victim 3 has yet to be identified.)

During opening statements, prosecutors described Jane as a single mom who met Combs in 2020 and fell in love with the mogul. They said that she participated in a freak off, thinking it would be a one-time event, though it wasn’t.

Prosecutors outlined several other details about Jane’s relationship with Combs, including that he allegedly once kicked her to the ground and used threats to control her.

Meanwhile, Mia is Combs’ former personal assistant who alleges that the musician sexually assaulted her.

Marc Agnifilo

Leading Combs’ defense is Marc Agnifilo, the husband of Karen Friedman Agnifilo, who is representing UnitedHealthcare shooting suspect Luigi Mangione.

In response to the charges against Combs, Agnifilo said he would “fight like hell” to get the rapper released.

“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might and the full confidence of his lawyers, and I expect a long battle with a good result for Mr. Combs,” Agnifilo continued.

Ahead of the trial, Marc said his client was a “swinger,” but not a sexual predator, per ABC News.

“There’s a lifestyle, call it swingers, that he was in that he thought was appropriate,” the lawyer said. “The reason he thought it was appropriate is because it’s so common.”

Teny Geragos

Combs’ legal team also includes Teny Geragos, a founding partner at Agnifilo Intrater LLP and the daughter of well-known defense attorney Mark Geragos, who has represented Scott Peterson, the Menendez brothers and Michael Jackson.

During her opening statement, Geragos addressed hotel security footage in which Combs is seen assaulting Ventura. While she acknowledged that what Combs did was “horrible, dehumanizing, violent and terrible,” she argued that it was “evidence of domestic violence,” not sex trafficking.

Brian Steel

After representing Young Thug (né Jeffery Lamar Williams) during a high-profile racketeering trial in 2024, Brian Steel requested to join Diddy’s legal team.

Steel defended Williams, who pleaded guilty to drug charges, gun charges and one gang charge in October 2024, in what was the longest criminal trial in Georgia’s history.

In June 2024, the Georgia-based lawyer was briefly sent to jail after he refused to tell the judge how he found out about a meeting between the judge, prosecutors and a prosecution witness, per the Associated Press.

According to The New Yorker, Steel appealed the charge to the Georgia Supreme Court, who eventually overturned the decision.

Maurene Ryan Comey

Maurene Ryan Comey is among the group of assistant U.S. attorneys on the prosecution’s team. She is the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, who prosecuted Ghislaine Maxwell in her sex trafficking trial.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian will be presiding over the case. Subramanian was appointed to the bench in 2023 by former President Joe Biden, and previously clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Which celebrities have been mentioned during Diddy’s trial?

During jury selection on May 5, potential jurors were questioned about their knowledge of several high-profile celebrities, including Kanye West, Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers and Kid Cudi.

Although they were mentioned, the celebrities are not guaranteed to be called as witnesses or involved in the proceedings. A source confirmed to PEOPLE that Jordan would “not be a witness at the trial,” though they say he was mentioned because of his personal association with Ventura.

As for Kid Cudi, Ventura alleged in her lawsuit that Combs physically attacked her after finding out about her brief relationship with the “Pursuit of Happiness” singer.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

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