Introduction to the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sex Trafficking Trial
Testimony is set to continue in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking trial Wednesday after another day of gripping accounts from another former assistant.
The testimony on Wednesday will start with LAPD Officer Christopher Ignacio, then turn to LAFD Arson Investigator Lance Jiminez. The final witnesses are expected to be Deonte Nash and an alleged victim named Mia.
Capricorn Clark was on the stand Tuesday. Here’s a recap of what went down.
Who testified in the Combs trial on Tuesday?
Capricorn Clark, another one of Combs’ former top employees, took the witness stand, one of the many employees who helped Combs run his empire.
Prosecutors called Clark, the former global brand director for Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment, to support a charge that he led a two-decade racketeering conspiracy that relied on beefy bodyguards, death threats and the silence of frightened staff to ensure he got what he wanted.
Clark sobbed as she said Combs demanded excellence and the threats of violence started her first day on the job.
"He told me he didn’t know I had anything to do with Suge Knight and if anything was to happen he would have to kill me," Clark testified.
As Clark testified, Combs watched from the defense table he had been leaning on.
She also broke down emotionally while discussing taking lie detector tests after someone stole diamonds that had belonged to Combs. Clark, who had been on the job for just a few weeks at that point, said she endured five days of grueling testing. The examiner, a man who seemed five times larger than her, allegedly told her "if you fail this test, they are going to throw you in the East River."
Through more tears, Clark also addressed the day she said Combs forced her to get out of bed at gunpoint after he had learned about the relationship between Cassie and Kid Cudi.
"He said, ‘Get dressed, we’re going to go kill this [expletive]," she testified.
Her voice shaky, Clark recounted how they rode in a black Cadillac Escalade to Cudi’s Los Angeles home, where Combs and his bodyguard entered the residence while Clark sat in the SUV and called Cassie.
Clark testified she told Cassie that Combs “got me with a gun and brought me to Cudi’s house to kill him.”
Clark said she heard Cudi in the background asking, “He’s in my house?” She said she told Cassie, “Stop him, he’s going to get himself killed.” Cassie told her she couldn’t stop Cudi, she recalled.
Combs returned to the Escalade and asked Clark who she was talking to, she said, then grabbed the phone and called Cassie back.
They next heard Cudi driving up the road, Clark said. Combs and his bodyguard got back in the SUV and chased after Cudi, finally giving up when they passed police cars that were heading to Cudi’s house.
After the break-in, Clark said, Combs told her she had to convince Cudi “it wasn’t me.”
“If you don’t convince him of that I’ll kill all you,” he said, punctuating his threat with an expletive, Clark said.
Clark said she and Cassie then went to Cudi’s home, telling jurors: “We needed to talk to him. We needed to make sure he wasn’t going to make a police report about Puff."
After that, she said, she watched in shock as Combs viciously assaulted Cassie over her relationship with Cudi. Combs kicked Cassie with “100% full force” to the legs and back as she curled on the ground outside his home in a fetal position and wept silently, Clark said.
Clark said her “heart was breaking from seeing her get hit like that” and that neither she nor Combs’ bodyguard intervened. The answer prompted an objection from Combs’ lawyers, and Judge Arun Subramanian told jurors to disregard it.
Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo questioned Clark’s recollection, leading her to reconsider certain details. She admitted some haziness about events that happened "such a long time ago.”
Last year, after federal agents raided Combs’ homes, she suggested returning to his employment as his chief of staff. Combs rejected the offer, Agnifilo said.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to an indictment alleging he abused his longtime girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, and others. If convicted, he could face 15 years to life in prison.
Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister of the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Conclusion
The trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs continues with more witnesses set to testify. The prosecution’s case relies on the testimony of former employees and alleged victims, who describe a pattern of abuse and intimidation. Combs’ defense team has questioned the credibility of these witnesses, but the prosecution’s evidence may be enough to secure a conviction.
FAQs
Q: What is Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs charged with?
A: Combs is charged with sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Q: Who testified in the trial on Tuesday?
A: Capricorn Clark, a former employee of Combs, testified on Tuesday.
Q: What did Clark testify about?
A: Clark testified about the threats and abuse she suffered while working for Combs, including being forced to take lie detector tests and being present during an incident where Combs allegedly assaulted his girlfriend Cassie.
Q: What is the potential sentence for Combs if he is convicted?
A: Combs could face 15 years to life in prison if he is convicted.
Q: Who are the remaining witnesses in the trial?
A: The remaining witnesses include LAPD Officer Christopher Ignacio, LAFD Arson Investigator Lance Jiminez, Deonte Nash, and an alleged victim named Mia.
