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Editor’s Note: This communicative contains discussions of rape oregon intersexual battle that whitethorn beryllium disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize has been sexually assaulted, you tin find assistance and discreet resources connected the National Sexual Assault Hotline website oregon by calling 1-800-656-4673.
(NewsNation) — Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial is acceptable to commencement May 5 with assemblage selection, but who is acceptable to testify?
A tribunal filing did amusement that 3 radical would beryllium testifying anonymously astatine his trial. It is besides known that Cassie Ventura, his ex-girlfriend, volition beryllium testifying nether her ain name, PEOPLE archetypal reported.
Combs is being charged with enactment trafficking, racketeering and proscription to prosecute successful prostitution.
What celebrities could beryllium called to attest astatine Diddy's trial?
It is unclear what celebrities could beryllium called to testify. However, determination are galore who person had erstwhile connections with Combs.
Jay-Z, for example, had been named successful a now-dismissed lawsuit that claimed helium and Diddy had raped a 13-year-old miss portion a pistillate personage watched. Jay-Z had released a connection erstwhile the suit was filed successful October 2024, accusing the lawyer down the suit of attempting to blackmail him.
“Hip-hop cop” Derrick Parker told NewsNation's Paula Froelich that "Jay-Z and Diddy were beauteous close." He besides said, "It's not conscionable Jay-Z... everybody's precise frightened close now."
FILE - Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives astatine the BET Awards astatine the Microsoft Theater successful Los Angeles, connected June 26, 2022. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP File)
Sean Combs arrives astatine the Pre-Grammy Gala and Salute to Industry Icons astatine the Beverly Hilton Hotel connected Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, successful Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 25: In an aerial view, the location of Sean "Diddy" Combs is seen during a raid by national instrumentality enforcement agents connected March 25, 2024 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
Defense lawyer and erstwhile authoritative Mark Eiglarsh joins NewsNation to sermon the latest developments successful the national enactment trafficking lawsuit against Sean "Diddy" Combs. Cassie Ventura, a longtime subordinate and erstwhile woman of Combs, antecedently filed the civilian suit that triggered the transgression investigation. She was besides seen successful leaked surveillance footage being physically assaulted by Combs, which helium aboriginal apologized for. Prosecutors person present added 2 much charges: enactment trafficking and proscription to prosecute successful prostitution, bringing the full to five. In response, Combs’ ineligible squad issued a connection calling the allegations aged and characterizing the relationships arsenic consensual and private.
MIAMI - FEBRUARY 05: Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Justin Bieber and Sean Kingston execute astatine the BET SOS Saving Ourselves � Help for Haiti,� payment performance and telethon astatine AmericanAirlines Arena connected February 5, 2010 successful Miami, Florida. (Photo by Larry Marano/Getty Images)
FILE - Rap moguls Sean "Diddy" Combs, left, and Jay-Z be the NBA All-Star hoops game, Feb. 15, 2015, successful New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
Sean Combs is seen connected October 30, 2023 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 21: Joey Badass toasts to Sean "Diddy" Combs and the satellite premiere of Can't Stop Won't Stop astatine the authoritative aft enactment powered by CIROC Vodka and Deleon Vodka astatine a backstage residence connected June 21, 2017 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 27: Cassie (L) and signaling creator Sean "Diddy" Combs be the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z connected January 27, 2018 successful New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 17: (L-R) NBA players LeBron James, manager Erik Spoelstra, Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen, Sean 'Diddy' Combs and adjunct manager David Fizdale airs backstage astatine The 2013 ESPY Awards astatine Nokia Theatre L.A. Live connected July 17, 2013 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for ESPY)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 21: Cassie and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs be the Los Angeles Premiere Of "Can't Stop Won't Stop" astatine Writers Guild of America, West connected June 21, 2017 successful Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jerritt Clark/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 07: Giggs and Diddy execute astatine O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire successful a peculiar 1 nighttime lone lawsuit astatine O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire connected November 07, 2023 successful London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images for Sean Diddy Combs)
Pop prima Jennifer Lopez is Combs' ex-girlfriend and was with the rapper successful 1999 erstwhile helium allegedly fired a weapon successful a club, causing the mates to beryllium arrested.
According to reports astatine the time, they had been partying astatine Club New York successful Midtown Manhattan erstwhile Combs accidentally spilled a portion onto Matthew "Scar" Allen.
After this, a combat ensued, and Combs was charged with weapon possession. Lopez was besides arrested aft fleeing with Combs successful a Lincoln Navigator, and constabulary allegedly recovered a weapon successful the car. Lopez had to walk 14 hours successful jailhouse earlier her charges were dropped.
Back successful 2024, Jennifer Lopez released a documentary that talked astir "people successful my beingness who said 'I emotion you' and past didn't bash things that were benignant of successful enactment with the connection love..." Froelich said an insider told her that it was successful respect to Lopez's erstwhile narration with Diddy.
Parker besides mentioned different names to Froelich, including Lebron James, Chris Brown and Kevin Hart. Hart had been seen interviewing a pistillate successful a bathtub astatine a Diddy enactment successful the past. After Diddy was arrested, a video resurfaced of James saying, "Ain't nary enactment similar a Diddy party."
However, nary of these men person been charged with immoderate wrongdoing oregon linked to immoderate of Combs' alleged crimes. According to Froelich, galore erstwhile associates of Diddy are said to beryllium tense astir whether they volition beryllium mentioned during the trial.
Cassie Ventura to attest astatine Diddy's trial
It was reported successful April that Ventura, 38, would beryllium testifying nether her name. Surveillance video from March 2024 that was obtained by CNN showed Ventura being chased and beaten by Combs successful her edifice successful March 2016.
The footage showed Combs allegedly chasing Ventura and grabbing her by the cervix earlier throwing her to the ground. He is past shown kicking and shoving her and grabbing her stuff. It is said that the footage supports allegations she made successful a now-settled suit successful November 2023.
Combs' ineligible team claimed successful a filing that CNN had altered the footage by buying the lone copy, uploading it to escaped editing bundle and editing the original.
Who other could attest astatine Diddy's trial?
Besides Ventura and the 3 who are testifying anonymously, it is unclear who volition attest astatine Combs' trial. Reuters did report that prosecutors are allegedly readying to telephone scientist Dawn Hughes to the stand.
Hughes has reportedly testified successful different cases, including R. Kelly's proceedings successful 2021. In Combs' case, she is going to interaction connected however victims of intersexual maltreatment mightiness stay loyal to their perpetrator and enactment successful relationships owed to fearfulness of unit oregon affectional manipulation, according to Reuters.
Prosecutors said Hughes' expertise could contextualize Combs' argument that the victims participated successful his parties (called "Freak Offs") willingly.
In a tribunal filing, prosecutors said, "The defence volition past reason that these unfortunate responses are incompatible with the unfortunate being a unfortunate of abuse. Dr. Hughes would attest that it is the dynamics of interpersonal unit that effect successful specified behavior."
One of Combs' lawyers, Alexandra Shapiro, said, "They're going to usage this [Dr. Hughes' testimony] to accidental that this adept told them that fundamentally they should judge these people."
