What happened on the first day of the Diddy trial? Key highlights explored

On the first day of Diddy's federal s*x trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court on May 12, 2025, the prosecutors called two witnesses to testify against the rapper, Israel Florez and Daniel Phillip.

After the jury selection was finalized in the morning, the prosecutors began their opening statements. They told the jury that:

"To the public, he was Puff Daddy or Diddy, a cultural icon, a businessman, larger than life... but there was another side to him."

They alleged that the 55-year-old rapper used lies, threats, drugs, and violence to get s*x in highly orchestrated ways. They alleged that he recorded women while they were forced to engage in s*xual encounters.

According to a report in NBC News, Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs, has been facing five criminal counts, including one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of s*x trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

The rapper has denied the allegations against him, pleading not guilty to the charges. In case he is convicted, he will face life in prison. Here are more details about what happened on the first day of Diddy’s trial.

Understanding the key events on the first day of Diddy’s trial

On the first day of his trial, Diddy entered the court shortly before 9 a.m. He wore a white sweater and sported grey hair that was different from his previous look. He greeted his lawyers with hugs and signalled a thumbs-up to his supporters, including his family.

The lead prosecutors, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey and Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson, presented their opening statements. They allegedly accused Combs of running a criminal enterprise that systematically exploited women for s*x over a period of two decades, according to a report in The New York Times.

The report stated that their first witness, Israel Florez, was a Los Angeles police officer who worked as a security guard at the InterContinental Hotel. Reportedly, it was the same hotel where a violent incident was captured showing Combs attacking his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.

Florez testified that he responded to a distressed woman on the sixth floor and found Mr. Combs seated in a towel, with a “devilish stare.” He said that Combs allegedly offered him a wad of cash for his silence. He added that in one corner was Ms. Ventura, who had a “purple eye,” and she kept saying:

“‘I want to leave, I just want to leave.’”

According to CNN, the second witness was a 41-year-old male escort named Daniel Phillip. He told the jury that he was paid thousands of dollars to engage in s*xual encounters with Ventura between 2012 and 2014, while Combs watched and pleasured himself in one corner.

He allegedly said that he witnessed the rapper dragging Ventura by her hair into her bedroom. He testified Ventura was screaming and repeatedly saying “I’m sorry” while he heard what sounded like Combs slapping her. The report also stated that during a portion of graphic testimony, his daughters stood up and left the courtroom.

Comb’s six adult children and their grandmother, Janice Combs, attended the first day of the trial.

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