Diddy key witnesses could hurt prosecutions case despite explosive testimony: expert

During the first two weeks of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial, the jury heard from the rapper’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, male escorts, ex-assistants, and former Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents.The prosecution has roughly six weeks to prove Diddy helmed a criminal enterprise used to sexually exploit women, including Cassie.Authorities charged Diddy with multiple counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transporting for prostitution in 2024.“Week two of the Combs trial helped the prosecution corroborate Ventura’s testimony through independent witnesses and establish the elements of sex trafficking and racketeering,” former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital.

“The defense scored some points on cross-examination, but I think they’re way behind.”However, other experts noted the defense is doing a “great job” using the prosecution’s witnesses to bolster their arguments during cross-examination.“The defense is doing a great job at exploiting witness testimony to support their theory of the case and show that while Mr.Combs may be a ‘bad actor’ when it comes to domestic violence, etc.

— something no one is condoning — the federal charges are unsubstantiated based on the testimony we have heard to date, in my opinion,” attorney David S.Seltzer told Fox News Digital.

“While we cannot hear the testimony in real time because we are in Federal Court, I think the Government is not meeting their burden to date.”Entertainment lawyer Tre Lovell noted that while the jury has heard “consistent” testimony from the witnesses, reasonable doubt “looms very heavy” after the first two weeks.“To date, we have heard consistent testimony from several of the witnesses that Diddy was violent with Cassie Ventura, was controlling over her, instructed what to do in the ‘freak offs’ and was a jealous boyfriend, but none of this is sufficient to ju...