Kevin Mazur/Getty Sean Diddy Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution Opening arguments in the hip-hop mogul's high-profile trial began on Monday, May 12, at a federal court in Manhattan Federal prosecutors allege that Combs is the mastermind behind a criminal enterprise that forced women — including his ex-girlfriend — to perform sex acts he filmed In the now-infamous surveillance video showingSean "Diddy" Combshitting and kickingCassandra "Cassie" Venturain the elevator bank of a Los Angeles hotel, she is seen curled up in a ball as she takes the brunt of his wrath. On the stand at Combs' high-profile federal sex crimes trial on Wed., May 14, the R&B singer told jurors why she didn't fight back. Doing so, she testified, "just made him more violent, made him stronger." Wearing a body-hugging grey dress with a black jacket she took off shortly after sitting down to testify, the eight-months pregnant Ventura told jurors that in the past, his response to her defending herself varied. "He was surprised I was actually fighting back— it made him have more anger, more frustration," she said. The "Me & You" singer, who is married to personal trainer Alex Fine, is testifying about how her powerful ex-boyfriend of 11 years allegedly forced her to perform sex acts and abused her physically and emotionally. The beating at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016 left Ventura with a black eye, bruised and cut lip and multiple bruises on her arm and legs, she testified. When Combs first started beating her, she said she did try to defend herself, but learned that the consequences of that only made him angrier, she alleged on the stand. "I did [fight back] more on the early side [of their relationship] and make it worse for myself," she said. Arrested in September 2024,Combs has pleaded not guiltyto counts of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Related:Who Is Cassie — and Why Is She Expected to Be a Star Witness at Diddy's Trial Today? On the first day of the trial on Monday, May 12, in Manhattan federal court, jurors saw surveillance video of the hip-hop mogul beating and kicking Ventura in the elevator bank of a hotel in 2016. Elizabeth Williams via AP Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter In her opening statements, U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson told jurors how Combs has allegedly used his influence in the music business to drug women and force them to take part in the Freak Offs. Related:Cassie Alleges Diddy Called Sex Tapes 'Blackmail Materials' — and She Lived in Fear He'd Release Them In her opening statement, Combs' defense attorney Teny Geragos said that any sex between her client and Ventura was consensual, as was the fact that she stayed with him for more than a decade. Combs could face up to life in prison if he is convicted on all counts. Since his 2024 arrest, he has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Complex in Brooklyn. 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 torainn.org. Read the original article onPeople
