Summary

  • Rapper Kid Cudi testifies a Molotov cocktail was thrown in his Porsche and claims Sean "Diddy" Combs broke into his home after finding out about his relationship with Cassie Ventura

  • Warning: This page contains details some readers may find distressing

  • The testimony in Combs' sex-trafficking trial comes after Ventura told the court that Combs had threatened her and Kid Cudi

  • Combs' ex-girlfriend Ventura has also testified that she endured abuse at the hands of Combs, including during so-called "freak-offs" - encounters in which the R&B singer had sex with male escorts while Combs directed them

  • Combs faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution

  • The 55-year-old denies all charges. If found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison

Rapper Kid Cudi arrives at court ahead of testimony in Sean Comb's sex-trafficking trial

Live Reporting

Edited by Brandon Livesay in New York, with Nada Tawfik and Sakshi Venkatraman in court

  1. Combs arrives at court as proceedings get under way

    Sakshi Venkatraman
    Reporting from court

    Sean "Diddy" Combs has arrived in court, flanked by his legal team led by Marc Agnifilo.

    He is wearing the same off-white sweater we saw him in last week. He spoke with his lawyers briefly as the proceedings got started.

    As a reminder, the hip-hop mogul is facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution - allegations which he denies.

    Testimony from Homeland Security special agent Gerard Gannon has resumed.

  2. Homeland Security agent first up on the witness stand today

    A court sketch of Prosecutor Madison Smizer questioning Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Gerard Gannon as he holds an evidence bag of the upper receivers of AR-15 rifles recovered during a searchReuters

    Gannon holds an evidence bag of the upper receivers of AR-15 rifles recovered during a search on Sean Combs' mansion

    Court is set to start with Homeland Security special agent Gerard Gannon today, who led the raid of Sean "Diddy" Combs' Miami mansion in March 2024.

    We heard from Ganon on Tuesday, when he showed the jury some of the things he found on the property.

    This includes semiautomatic AR15 rifles, magazines loaded with bullets, lingerie, baby oil and platform high heels.

    The rifles, designed to fire at a high rate, were enhanced with things like "red dot optics", used for precision shooting - not a common feature in the rifles.

    Firearm serial numbers, used to track the weapon from the manufacturer to the owner, allegedly were cut out of two of the weapons.

    Gannon also mentioned that one of Combs' 30-bullet magazine only had 19 bullets inside when it was found.

  3. When could Kid Cudi take the stand?

    Sakshi Venkatraman
    Reporting from court

    I’m at the Lower Manhattan Court where Sean "Diddy" Combs faces his eighth day of listening to witnesses in his sex-trafficking trial.

    The crowd has thinned each day, with fewer people camping outside. The queue to enter court is much shorter than it was last week.

    But cameras line the street and everyone is on alert for the arrival of today’s potential celebrity witness, rapper Kid Cudi (whose real name is Scott Mescudi).

    We have a couple of other witnesses on the docket before Mescudi, but he could be on the stand later today.

    Inside the court, there is an overflow room for people to follow proceedings. Large TV screens show the witnesses and Combs. It’s been an interesting mix of people attending, from journalists to influencers to Diddy supporters.

  4. Exotic dancer 'The Punisher' tells court how he discovered Diddy's identity

    Brandon Livesay
    Reporting from New York

    A court sketch of Sharay HayesJane Rosenberg / Reuters

    On Tuesday, the court heard from an exotic dancer called The Punisher.

    He told the court that he discovered his client's identity when he turned on a hotel television before an encounter and the screen said, "Welcome Sean Combs".

    Sharay Hayes testified at the hip-hop mogul's sex-trafficking trial that he was hired to create "sexy, erotic scenes" with Combs' then-girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura while a naked man watched from the corner.

    But he did not realise at first that the man was Combs. That changed when Hayes was waiting for his clients in a luxury hotel suite and saw his name on the television's welcome screen.

    Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

    Catch up here for more on what happened in the Diddy sex-trafficking trial on Tuesday.

  5. Listen to the BBC's Diddy on Trial podcast

    Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty
    Podcast host, Diddy on Trial

    Diddy on Trial podcast promo image featuring a photo of Sean 'Diddy' Combs

    The BBC's Diddy on Trial podcast has followed every twist and turn in Diddy’s case since November 2024.

    From bombshell balcony dangling allegations, to featuring in a Kanye West track behind bars, and Diddy accusing the federal government of racism - there have been headline-making moments every week... and that's before the trial even started.

    Now we're bringing you all the updates straight from court in New York.

    You can listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds or watch on our YouTube channel.

  6. How long could Diddy spend in jail if he is found guilty?

    If convicted on the racketeering charge, Combs faces up to life in prison.

    He faces another statutory minimum sentence of 15 years if he is found guilty of sex trafficking.

    Transportation for purposes of prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

    Combs has denied all charges against him.

    Watch: Coercion or consent? The case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs

  7. Kid Cudi expected to testify

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the federal sex-trafficking trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

    Today we could hear from rapper Kid Cudi (whose real name is Scott Mescudi), who briefly dated R&B singer Cassie Ventura.

    Ventura, who dated Combs for more than a decade, testified last week.

    The court has heard her relationship with Kid Cudi angered Combs.

    Before Kid Cudi takes the stand, we expect to hear from forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes, who has testified in recent high profile sex abuse cases including at singer R. Kelly's sex-trafficking trial and the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation lawsuit.

    Stick with us as we bring you the latest from court.