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Ahead of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ upcoming trial, a key ruling has been made by a Manhattan federal judge. The judge has decided that Cassie Ventura, referred to in court documents as Victim-1, must provide all draft versions of her memoir to Diddy’s defense team. Despite Cassie’s objections, the judge sided with Diddy’s legal team during a hearing on Friday. Diddy, who appeared in court wearing a tan jumpsuit, faces serious charges including sex trafficking and racketeering.
While the ruling was a win for Diddy’s legal team, they did not succeed in obtaining Cassie’s bank statements from a ten-month period in 2023. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian rejected the request, calling it a “fishing expedition.” Additionally, the judge ruled that three other alleged victims—Victim-2, Victim-3, and Victim-4—will be allowed to testify anonymously. While Diddy’s legal team agreed to Victim-2’s anonymity, they objected to the anonymity of Victims-3 and -4, who have had long-standing professional relationships with Combs. Despite the defense’s objections, the judge sided with the government, allowing all three victims to testify anonymously.
Earlier in the week, Diddy had requested a two-month delay for his trial, but the judge denied that request. The trial will proceed as scheduled, with jury selection set to begin on May 5 and opening statements slated for May 12.
The judge also ruled that Warner Bros. Discovery must turn over outtakes from its docuseries The Death of Diddy, despite objections from both the media company and the government. These outtakes contain interviews with two people involved in the series.
During Friday’s hearing, expert testimony was also a focus. The prosecution plans to call Dr. Dawn Hughes to testify about coercive control and why victims may stay in abusive relationships. However, Judge Subramanian expressed concerns that the term “coercive control” could be confusing to jurors. He indicated he was likely to allow Dr. Hughes to testify but would limit the scope of her testimony and prohibit her from using the phrase “coercive control.”
Diddy’s defense team plans to call Dr. Alexander Sasha Bardley, who is expected to argue that there is no typical response to sexual abuse. Diddy’s attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, emphasized that it’s impossible to reach conclusions about abuse without talking to the individuals involved.