Sean “Diddy” Combs was once party life. He was known to have welcomed sumptuous and exclusive rallies in Hamptons, apparently having countless celebrity friends and climbing good life with powerful allies in the music industry.
However, a question remains as an approach to opening declarations next week in his federal sex trafficking trial: why don't more of his famous friends come to his defense?
“The music industry is capricious,” said Ramal “The Hometown Heat” Brown, a former hip-hop disc jockey at 105.3 kjamz in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “Everyone wants to be there when you're at the top.”
But when a video of Combs defeating her former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura was broadcast by CNN last year, “nobody wanted to be there because he could tarnish their image and their name,” he said. “Being with Diddy could involve you in the case.”
After the video Friends, Combs apologized publicly, saying that his behavior was “inexcusable” and that he took full responsibility for his actions.
Combs is charged in an indictment of five charges of sexual traffic, racketeering and transport to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty and risks 10 years in life if he is convicted.
Declarations of opening the federal trial in Manhattan is expected to start next week.
The case of the government focuses on allegations according to which the banes have forced women to participate in sexual dating fueled by drugs with male workers he has performed and filmed. He described the sexual parties as “pinball machine”, said prosecutors.
In addition to the federal accusations, Combs was accused of sexual assault and misconduct in more than 50 civil proceedings, including one tabled by Ventura in 2023 which was settled private in one day.
His lawyer said that the regulation was not an admission of reprehensible acts and that Combs had vehemently denied allegations in current civil proceedings.
Last year saw a turn of events in Hitmaker, which was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards for three decades while transforming unknown musicians, such as my $ e, Total and Carl Thomas, into platinum recording artists.
During the selection of the jury last week, when the magnitude of the moment was starting to go up, Combs seemed to look nervously in the courtroom and asked for the American district judge Arun Subramanian for a bathroom break.
No celebrity supporter appeared in court during the jury selection. Being associated with Combs and its federal case is risky and can only tarnish the blurred images of the celebrities on list A, said music experts.
“People do not express themselves because they do not want a level of involvement,” said Gerrick Kennedy, independent journalist and culture critic based in Los Angeles.
Madison Gray, a former website editor for Black Entertainment Television, said that he thought that many combination partners have moved away from the odious acts he was accused of.
“Famous friends and powerful friends disperse.” When things are good, the games are excellent, the liquor flows. But as soon as something goes wrong, the friendships are ephemeral. “
Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was one of the shortest supporters of Combs led to the trial, defending him online on several occasions and accusing Ventura, who was signed once on the brand of Combres discs, to try to put him for money.
Ye accused Ventura of having tried to extort combs in a post since deleted on X on March 18.
Ventura replied the next day going up an article in the Culture website showing a screenshot of rapper PlayBoi Carti telling you to shut up. Ventura's lawyer Douglas Wigdor refused to comment this week.
Ye's comments came in the middle of the controversy on a multitude of messages on X in which he made hate comments on the Jewish community and said “I love Hitler” and “I am Nazi”.
Former internal producer Bad Boy Records, Stevie J, has also expressed his support for Combs, calling for many civil actions deposited against his ex-“false” and saying that he prays for Combs and his family every day.
“I have never experienced a case where you will be guilty before I even go to F —– g short,” he told the Youtube channel Entertainment Vladtv. “I'm never going to stop being there for someone I consider a friend. I'm not going to turn my back. I was examined simply by being a friend. I guess someone never had a real friend before. ”
Singer Ray J admitted to having attended combat parties in several interviews, but said that he had never seen a monster or orgies.
“I can guarantee you that most of the celebrities who have gone to Diddy Holidays have never even heard of panic,” he said Press nation The host Chris Cuomo in November. “At the beginning, it seemed really interesting and entertaining, I would say, but when you look back, where were the monsters? From my knowledge, I have never seen a monster.”
Ventura should take a position once the trial at the start, but no list of witnesses has been published. The potential jurors received this week a list of places and names that could be mentioned during the trial, including celebrities such as Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers and Ye, none of whom is involved in the case.
