The jury found Combs guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura) and guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution (in connection with his ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane").
He was found not guilty of both charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion in connection with Ventura and "Jane."
Combs was accused of being the ringleader of an alleged enterprise that "abused, threatened and coerced women" into prolonged, drug-fueled sexual orgies with male prostitutes, which he called "freak-offs," and then threatened them into silence. Combs has said that all of the sex was consensual and that while his relationships sometimes involved domestic violence, he wasn't engaged in trafficking.
Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, said Combs was simply part of the swinger lifestyle and that he "vehemently denies the accusations made by the SDNY."
May 22, 2025, 9:28 AM EDT
Kid Cudi expected to take the witness stand today
Scott Mescudi, aka rapper Kid Cudi, is set to take the witness stand today in the trial against Sean "Diddy" Combs.
Mescudi shared a brief romantic relationship with Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, according to Ventura's prior testimony.
Rapper Kid Cudi arrives to testify for Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial at U.S. court in Manhattan, in New York City, May 22, 2025.
David Dee Delgado/Reuters
When Combs was made aware of Mescudi and Ventura's relationship, he allegedly threatened violence against Mescudi and Ventura, according to Ventura's testimony, including allegedly threatening to blow up Mescudi's car.
May 21, 2025, 4:19 PM EDT
Combs' former employee takes witness stand; Kid Cudi expected to testify tomorrow
George Kaplan, 34, who spent two years working for Combs Enterprises and 15 months as one of his personal assistants, testified that Combs threatened his job "maybe monthly."
Kaplan testified about setting up hotel rooms for Combs in Los Angeles, New York and Miami, sometimes with only a "matter of hours" notice.
"There was a hotel bag," Kaplan told the court. The bag contained clothes, a speaker, candles, liquor, baby oil, and Astroglide.
George Kaplan testifies at Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., May 21, 2025 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
On subsequent occasions, Kaplan testified, "I just tried to recreate the bag."
According to Kaplan's testimony, Combs "would have guests" in the hotel rooms, often a "female partner" and when his stay was over Kaplan testified that he would see "lots of empty bottles" and baby oil "on the table, on the floor, on the bed." On one occasion, Kaplan testified about seeing a crystalized powder on the bathroom sink.
He testified it was his job to clean up the rooms.
"I tidied them," he told the court. "I made it as close as I could to the way it was found when he came in." Asked why he cleaned up after his boss instead of asking hotel staff to do it Kaplan replied, "I think that it was implied in the role as you continued to work closely with Mr. Combs that you protected him."
Prosecutor Maureen Comey asked, "How was cleaning up these hotel rooms related to your job of protecting Mr. Combs?" Kaplan replied, "I would see often that hotels would sell videos and images and try and embarrass celebrities and other figures and that was something I wanted to avoid."
On two occasions, Kaplan alleged Combs asked him to procure drugs.
Once, in Miami, "He gave me a number to call and some cash to pick up what he wanted." Kaplan testified, "The guy came and I paid him for drugs." He testified it was a bag of MDMA that he gave to Combs.
According to Kaplan's testimony, the second time was in Los Angeles at the Bel-Air Hotel.
"It was a very similar exchange. Call this number, meet this person, bring this back to me," Kaplan testified. "I arranged to meet the person in Hollywood." The exchange went down the same way as the Miami exchange, according to Kaplan's testimony. "I gave him money. He gave me a bag. I didn't know what the bag was," Kaplan testified. "I gave it to Mr. Combs."
Court is over for the day, but Kaplan will continue his testimony Thursday, followed by rapper Kid Cudi, who had a brief relationship with Cassie Ventura, prosecutors said.
May 21, 2025, 3:04 PM EDT
Psychologist's testimony concludes
In cross-examination, the defense aimed to question the background of psychologist Dawn Hughes.
"Isn't it a fact that you have never come into court, taken the witness stand in defense of a man accused of a sex crime?" Bach asked.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner questions Dawn Hughes, a psychologist, at Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial in New York City, May 21, 2025 in this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
"That's correct, I don't evaluate offenders," Hughes responded.
On re-direct examination, Hughes said she has testified for both the prosecution and defense in criminal cases.
Hughes had been retained in a case by Combs' attorney Brian Steel, though on re-cross examination, Hughes said she was not called to testify in that case.
Hughes' testimony has concluded. The next witness is George Kaplan, a former employee of Sean Combs.
May 21, 2025, 1:06 PM EDT
Psychologist continues testimony; former Combs employee granted immunity
Psychologist Dawn Hughes testified generically about an abuse victim’s passive and active self-defense mechanisms.
Passive self-defense is something “the least provocative as possible,” Hughes told the jury, listing as one example “curling up in a ball.”
Both Dawn Richard and Kerry Morgan previously testified about seeing Ventura drop into a fetal position during alleged beatings they told the court they witnessed Combs inflict on her.
Hughes also testified that there is a link between trauma and substance abuse. Ventura testified that she turned to drugs during "freak offs" to “numb” herself and consequently became addicted to opiates.
On cross-examination, the defense noted that Hughes did not directly examine Ventura or anyone else associated with the case.
“You can’t diagnose somebody without hearing what they have to say, correct?” Bach asked.
“Correct,” Hughes answered.
The defense also asked about the concept of malingering, which Hughes defined as fabricating psychological symptoms.
“People can fabricate emotional responses, correct?” Bach asked.
“They can,” Hughes responded.
The court then recessed for lunch until 12:45 p.m. ET, when cross-examination of Hughes will continue.
During the break, George Kaplan, a former employee of Sean Combs, was granted immunity from prosecution by Judge Arun Subramanian. Without such immunity, Kaplan had signaled his intention to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Kaplan is scheduled to testify after Dawn Hughes' testimony concludes.
