NEW YORK (Reuters) -Sean “Diddy” Combs was accused of rape by a second woman on Thursday as the hip-hop mogul stands trial for sex trafficking and racketeering, charges that could lead to life in prison if he is convicted.
A former personal assistant to Combs, testifying under the pseudonym Mia, testified in Manhattan federal court that the Bad Boy Records founder raped her at least twice.
“I was just frozen. I didn’t do anything. I just let it happen,” Mia said, fighting back tears and staring into her lap as she described an incident in which Combs allegedly grabbed her head and put his penis in her mouth.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five counts including racketeering and sex trafficking.
Mia told jurors Combs climbed on top of her while she was sleeping and raped her while she lay frozen with fear. Combs’ lawyers have acknowledged he was at times abusive in domestic relationships but said any sex was consensual.
During the testimony, Combs occasionally passed notes to his lawyers but otherwise showed little outward reaction.
Testimony before a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates in Manhattan federal court is in its third week. Prosecutors say Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, coerced women over two decades to take part in days-long, drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers known as “Freak Offs.”
In emotional testimony during the first week of trial, Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura told jurors Combs physically and emotionally abused her throughout their tumultuous 11-year relationship and raped her shortly after they broke up for good.
Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known as Cassie, said she participated in the Freak Offs because she feared Combs would release sex tapes of her if she didn’t, but also because she loved him.
Friends and associates of Combs and Ventura have testified about Combs’ alleged abuse, describing Combs as a domineering figure who relied on bodyguards and associates to enable his alleged crimes and keep victims in line.
The trial has drawn intense media coverage due to Combs’ cultural influence and role in taking hip-hop mainstream through legendary artists like the Notorious B.I.G.
Combs was arrested in Manhattan last September and is being held at a federal prison in Brooklyn when not in court.
Dawn Richard, a former member of the pop group Danity Kane, testified last week that she felt threatened when Combs told her to keep quiet about what she saw.
Richard faced a sharp cross-examination by one of Combs’ lawyers, who sought to point to inconsistencies between her testimony and what she said during interviews with prosecutors.
Last week, Scott Mescudi – the rapper known as Kid Cudi – testified that his car was set on fire in 2012, shortly after Combs learned that Mescudi had a romantic relationship with Ventura.
Prosecutors say the alleged arson of Mescudi’s car was one of several violent or illegal acts that Combs or his associates undertook to prevent women from leaving his orbit and keep his abuse quiet.
(Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Howard Goller)
Comments