May 12, 2025 - Day 1 of testimony in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial | CNN (2025)

Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial began today in New York, where he faces five counts, including one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.

If convicted, he could face life in prison. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges.

Here’s what to know from the opening statements and first witness testimonies:

Prosecution’s opening statement: Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson said there was “another side” to Combs, the cultural icon, who “ran a criminal enterprise” with an inner circle of people who “helped him commit crimes and cover them up.” Here’s what else she walked through:

Defense’s opening argument: Defense attorney Teny Geragos said that while Combs takes full responsibility for his violent behavior, “domestic violence is not sex trafficking.” Here’s what else Geragos said:

First witness testimony: Los Angeles Police Officer Israel Florez was a security official at the InternContinental Hotel in March 2016 when he got a call saying there was “a woman in distress.” Here’s what he said on the stand:

Second witness testimony came from Daniel Phillip, who described his role as managing male strippers for women. Phillip will be back on the stand tomorrow. Here’s what he said today:

The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has adjourned for the day.

Judge Arun Subramanian is dismissing the jury, instructing them not to read about or discuss the case.

Daniel Phillip, he government’s second witness who testified he was paid to have sex with Cassie Ventura on several occasions, will be back on the stand to continue testifying under cross-examination tomorrow morning.

Judge Subramanian instructed Phillip not to have conversations with anyone including his lawyer about his testimony before he returns tomorrow to the stand.

Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson says he still has about an hour of cross-examination for Phillip tomorrow.

What is expected tomorrow: The attorneys are going to begin at 9 a.m. ET tomorrow morning to argue evidentiary matters they expect to come up in Ventura’s testimony later in the day.

Witness testimony is expected to begin at 9:30 a.m. ET tomorrow morning as planned.

Judge Subramanian warned the public against trying to depict or identify the jurors. “Don’t do it,” the judge said.

Daniel Phillip, the prosecution’s second witness in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal criminal trial, testified about his sexual encounters with Combs and the music mogul’s former girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

Phillip will be back on the stand to continue testifying under cross examination tomorrow morning.

Here’s what he said during direct testimony:

Defense cross examination:

Judge Arun Subramanian has called the attorneys to the bench for a side bar.

Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson has now started his cross-examination of Daniel Phillip.

Phillip testified on cross-examination that he wasn’t an active stripper or dancer when his boss asked him to go meet Cassie Ventura and Sean “Diddy” Combs for the first time.

He testified that he would sometimes fill in if he was needed, and that day his boss said there was a request for a black male stripper and no one else available that fit that description.

He thought he was going to strip for a bachelorette party, Phillip testified.

Donaldson is walking Phillip through his first interaction with Ventura and Combs.

Donaldson asked Phillip if it appeared Ventura enjoyed herself and was sexually aroused during their first encounter. He said yes.

Prosecutors have completed their direct examination of Daniel Phillip, who testified he was paid to have sex with Cassie Ventura on several occasions.

Cross-examination will begin after the court takes a short break.

During a portion of graphic testimony when Phillip described having sex with Ventura as Sean “Diddy” Combs watched and masturbated, Combs’ daughters stood up and left the courtroom.

They returned for a brief period but left again when the testimony continued in a graphic sexual nature. One of Combs’ son’s placed his arm around his grandmother during some of this testimony.

Earlier when the hotel surveillance video was played, Combs’ family members had their heads turned and appeared to be intently watching the video projected on a monitor in the courtroom. Jurors were also facing screens and watched the video.

Prosecutor Christy Slavik questions Israel Florez at Sean Combs' trial in New York on Monday.

There may be a larger reason why the prosecution is focusing on the graphic video footage of Sean “Diddy” Combs physically assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a California hotel in 2016 this early into the trial, Misty Marris, a legal analyst and defense attorney not affiliated with the case, told CNN on Monday.

The jury was shown the video footage during the testimony of their first witness called to the stand.

This all plays into what the prosecutors have to prove, Marris said, which is “force, fraud and coercion.”

The witness earlier today, Officer Israel Florez — who worked as security at the former InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles at the time — testified about his interactions with Combs and Ventura afterward.

On cross examination, Combs’ defense attorney Brian Steel made it a point to undercut some of these points by questioning Florez about why several details in his testimony about the encounter were not included in an indecent report he testified he wrote at the time.

“It’s really sowing doubt, which is the point, into the jury’s mind and framing how they want these witnesses to be viewed with some skepticism moving forward,” Marris said of the defense’s strategy.

Ultimately, Marris added, “it’s interesting to see this video coming out with the first witness, it just shows how critical it is to the case.”

Daniel Phillip recounted one incident where he saw Sean “Diddy” Combs assault Cassie Ventura at her home.

“I was shocked,” he said.

Ventura was on the computer when Combs shouted at her to come here, Phillip testified.

When Cassie responded that her personal information was up on the computer, Combs came out and “started dragging her by her hair into her bedroom,” Phillip said.

He testified Cassie was screaming and repeatedly saying, “I’m sorry” while he heard what sounded like Combs slapping her. Phillip testified he heard Combs, saying, “B*tch, when I tell you to come here, you come. Now, not later.”

“In my mind, it was going through my head if I tried to do something, I might lose my life.”

When asked why he didn’t report the incident, Phillip said, “My thoughts were that this was someone with unlimited power and chances are that even if I did go to the police, I might still end up losing my life.”

At some point, a visibly upset Ventura emerged from the other room. Combs asked if they were ready to continue. Phillip said he couldn’t continue after that though he thought he may have tried to “act like everything was okay.” He can’t remember if he was paid that day, Phillip said.

Phillip said he continued to see the couple after that violent incident because he had developed a sort of friendship with Cassie.

Daniel Phillip testified that Cassie Ventura appeared to be intoxicated on drugs once when they met up.

Sean “Diddy” Combs said to him at the time, “I don’t think this is going to happen today,” he testified. Phillip said Ventura was slumped over on a couch.

Phillip said he once took Molly, a synthetic drug, that Combs offered him. He said he felt “nauseous, but also euphoric at the same time.”

Phillip said he was paid between $700 and $5,000-6,000 for each encounter with Combs and Ventura, but sometimes he was not paid at all.

“I was just excited that I was in this world, and happy to be involved with people with such notoriety,” Phillip said. “I didn’t care if I got paid one way or another.”

Daniel Phillip, the male revue manager who was paid to have sex with Cassie Ventura on multiple occasions, is describing how their interactions would go. Phillip testified that Sean “Diddy” Combs would direct him and Ventura as they had sex.

When asked, Phillip said they’d use baby oil every time he was with Cassie and Combs, and Combs would instruct them to use more. Sometimes the pair would ask Phillip to pick up the items before meeting them for sex, he testified.

Phillip testified about one occasion where Ventura instructed him to urinate on her. Combs was masturbating while this happened, he said.

Philip said he often didn’t wear a condom while having sex with Ventura, and he brought an STD history at one point to verify his health status.

Phillip testified Combs recorded them having sex on one or two occasions, using a phone and camcorder device.

Daniel Philip testifies on the witness stand in Manhattan federal court on Monday.

Daniel Phillip testified that he went to the Gramercy Park Hotel expecting to perform for a bachelorette party, but when he arrived, Cassie Ventura was alone.

“When I arrived, Cassie opened the door and she asked me if I was okay if it was just going to be us,” he said, noting that she was wearing a red laced lingerie outfit with high heels, a red wig and dark sunglasses.

According to Phillip, Ventura said it was her birthday. “Her husband wanted to do something special for her, so she asked me if I would mind rubbing baby oil on her and giving her a massage and wherever things went from there it went based on how comfortable it was,” he testified.

Ventura gave him “a few thousand dollars,” he said, and she said that she would tip him at the end.

Phillip said a man was sitting in the room wearing a white robe, a hat and a bandana covering his face from his nose down. Phillip said he immediately recognized the man’s voice as Sean “Diddy” Combs, though Combs didn’t truthfully identify himself at the time.

Ventura also told Phillip at the time that her “husband” wasn’t gay and wouldn’t try to touch him, Phillip testified.

Phillip said that he had sex with Ventura while Combs was “sitting in the corner masturbating.” Combs gave him “a couple thousand dollars more” before he left, he testified.

Phillip said he had sex with Ventura in front of Combs “a few more times” after that through late 2013 or early 2014. He said he’d meet them in a hotel or at either of their homes in New York.

Prosecutors have called their second witness, Daniel Phillip.

Phillip testified that around 2012 and 2013 he was managing a male revue show. He described his role as managing male strippers for women.

Sometime around 2012, he received money from Cassie Ventura “to have sex with her,” he testified. He said Sean “Diddy” Combs was also present.

Phillip said his boss asked him to go to Gramercy Park Hotel for a bachelorette party, and he thought he was just going to do “a little striptease.” But when he arrived at the hotel around midnight, Ventura was the only one standing in the doorway.

Assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik questioned the prosecution’s first witness, Los Angeles Police Officer Israel Florez, earlier today.

Florez responded to the distress call in 2016 after video captured Sean “Diddy” Combs physically assaulting Cassie Ventura.

Catch up on what he said during his testimony:

Prosecution questions Florez:

Defense cross-examination:

CNN’s Maureen Chowdhury, Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle and Nicki Brown contributed to this report.

The prosecution’s first witness, Los Angeles Police Officer Israel Florez, has wrapped up his testimony.

Florez was the assistant director of security at the InterContinental Hotel on March 5, 2016, when the altercation between Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie Ventura happened.

The conclusion of opening statements marks the beginning of witness testimony as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial continues to get underway.

But while opening statements are “not evidence,” Court TV anchor and former prosecutor Julie Grant told CNN earlier Monday, they can still “make or break a case.”

Grant said that the makeup of the jury is also noteworthy, considering the eight men and four women on the 12-person panel, with the prosecution and defense’s decision to pack a panel with more men than women an “interesting choice by both sides.”

Earlier today, Officer Israel Florez testified that he pinned Sean “Diddy” Combs to the wall after Combs had grabbed another security guard’s phone, accusing him of the recording their conversation.

Defense Attorney Brian Steel pointed out that the incident report that Florez filed says Florez “grabbed his hand and told him to back off,” — but it does not detail him pushing Combs against the wall.

Steel has finished his cross-examination.

Defense attorney Brian Steel questioned Officer Israel Florez about why he didn’t mention seeing another man in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ hotel room in the incident report or to anyone else.

Florez, who was the assistant director of security at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016, acknowledged that he didn’t address the man at the time to ask him for his name or her perspective on the situation or review the surveillance footage to look for the man’s movements.

Florez testified he didn’t think it was relevant to the report but was still memorable enough that he recalls it now nine years later.

Earlier, Florez told prosecutors that the man wasn’t involved in the elevator lobby incident and didn’t engage with Combs and Cassie Ventura, so he felt the man wasn’t relevant to the incident or his report, he said.

Prosecutors are likely to call expert witnesses to the stand to testify about the behavior of victims in abusive or coercive relationships, two legal analysts said on CNN.

On the stand today, Officer Israel Florez, a security guard who responded to the altercation between Sean “Diddy” Combs and his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a hotel in 2016, testified that he didn’t call the police because no one pressed charges.

He said that when he spoke to Ventura, she didn’t respond to any of his questions and “just said, ‘I want to leave, I just want to leave.”

Expert witnesses for the prosecution will likely give “psychological testimony” about how victims typically “behave in these kinds of coercive relationships,” Areva Martin, an attorney and legal affairs commentator, told CNN. These experts could explain why some victims don’t go to the police right away, for example.

In its opening statement, the defense claimed Ventura willingly stayed with Combs for 11 years and left on her own terms.

Some background: Before the trial began, Combs’ attorneys said prosecutors informed them they plan to call Dawn Hughes, a clinical psychologist, who has previously testified as an expert witness in two other sex trafficking cases: the prosecutions of musician R Kelly and Lawrence Ray, who was convicted of preying on students at Sarah Lawrence college.

Combs said he would call his own expert, forensic psychologist Dr Alexander Barney, to counter the government’s witness.

CNN’s Kara Scannell contributed reporting to this post.

Officer Israel Florez testified earlier that Sean “Diddy” Combs offered him a stack of cash as a bribe following the 2016 hotel altercation.

Defense attorney Brian Steel noted that Florez had told Combs he would have to pay for the hotel damages. He again asked Florez if he believed Combs was offering him the money as a bribe.

“Definitely,” Florez said.