Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Sex Trafficking and RICO Trial Began With Sex Worker, Hotel Security Testimony
55-year-old hip-hop artist, business magnate, and fashion icon, whose meteoric rise from poverty to near-billionaire status through New York was abruptly halted last year by his arrest and a five-count indictment, stood in court on Monday morning as his lead attorney, Teny Geragos, described him. In her opening statement, the second defense attorney informed the jury that Combs, who is accused by federal prosecutors of two decades of abusing women, trafficking sex workers, and using his music and fashion empire for criminal purposes, is not a saint. However, they argued that he’s guilty of domestic abuse, which is true, but he’s not being charged with that. Instead, they urged the jury to find him innocent.