It's been three days since the trial Sean 'Diddy' Combs, otherwise known as Puffy or P. Diddy, commenced in New York City. He is on trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He was arrested last September following a federal investigation and has been denied bail three times. As well as his criminal charges, Combs faces dozens of sexual assault, abuse and drugging civil allegations that range from the ‘90s to the past year. He denies all allegations and has pleaded not guilty in court.
There is a list of famous names that could potentially be called to testify, which was described as 'mammoth' by the judge. One key player in the trial is Daniel Phillip, who took to the stand this week. Daniel was allegedly hired as an escort by Combs to have sex with his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, aka Cassie. Cassie took the stand as the prosecution's key witness in the trial. Her husband, Alex Fine, came to court to support her.
Another major player in the Diddy trial will be Kerry Morgan, who is a former close friend of Cassie's. She was named in court on May 13, after the model was mentioned in her 2023 civil lawsuit involving Combs.
Who is Kerry Morgan?
Kerry Morgan is a model and a former close friend of Cassie's when she and Diddy started dating in 2007. The jury in Diddy's trial was shown a 2004 photo of Cassie Ventura hugging model Kerry Morgan while they sat on a lounge chair.
How is Kerry Morgan involved in the Diddy trial?
Kerry Morgan is mentioned in Cassie's 2023 civil lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, Diddy threw a wooden hanger at Morgan once, which resulted in a concussion. Cassie alleged that Diddy paid Morgan £50,000 to keep quiet about the incident. The alleged assault was reportedly a key factor in the end of Cassie and Morgan's friendship.
Morgan is also mentioned in Cassie's lawsuit, where she spoke about a trip to Miami with Morgan, Diddy and Dallas Austin, a music producer. She recounts that Diddy gave her 'Blue Dolphin' ecstasy on a boat.
Morgan has not testified in Diddy’s trial.
What happened to Cassie Ventura?
Cassie filed a civil lawsuit against Diddy in 2023, alleging that he subjected her to a pattern of controlling behaviour and abuse for over a decade. At the time, Diddy vehemently denied all allegations, but then last May CCTV footage from 2016 was leaked online and showed Combs violently kicking and beating Ventura outside their hotel room. The following day he shared an apology on social media and the case was reportedly settled for an eight-figure sum outside of court. In November last year, Diddy’s defence lawyers claimed the video was 'edited. An attorney for Cassie called Diddy’s apology “disingenuous.’