Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty
Podcast host, Diddy on Trial

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, external.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

Warning: Readers may find some details distressing

Cassie Ventura is on the witness stand again, answering questions from the defence team carefully and softly.

We are back on the subject of the so-called "freak-offs", and the defence is pulling up several messages in which Ventura seemed to say yes to them.

As a reminder, "freak-offs" is the term they used when referring to sex acts between Ventura and male escorts, which she alleges Diddy directed and recorded.

"I love our FOs when we both want it," she says in an old text to Combs.

Ventura tells the court that the texts are "just words at that point".

These messages will be part of the defence's argument that Ventura was not coerced into the sexual encounters.

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

We’re back now after a short lunch break.

Court resumed with an argument over how long it could take for the defence to finish its cross-examination of Cassie Ventura, who is in her third trimester of pregnancy.

Judge Subramanian wants Ventura to be finished by the end of the week, and he grows frustrated when Combs’ lawyer suggests Ventura could be back on Monday.

"In what universe did you not understand this was important," he says when talking about the need to have Ventura finish testifying this week.

In the end the judge says if Combs’ team can be efficient with their questioning, but still need more time, he may allow it.

Warning: Readers may find some details distressing

This morning, Sean "Diddy" Combs' defence team began their cross-examination of the prosecution's key witness, Casandra Ventura, his off-and-on ex-girlfriend of more than a decade.

Here's what's happened in cross so far:

• Lawyer Anna Estevao asked Ventura about the more loving side of the pair's time together, after Ventura testified over the last two days about alleged violence and abuse
• Prosecutors frequently interrupted the defence's line of questioning, especially early in the day, when Diddy's lawyer tried to establish a narrative that Ventura's participation in so-called "freak-offs" may have been consensual
• Ventura said she didn't want the "freak-offs" - sexual encounters in she would have sex with male escorts while Combs watched - recorded, though she said they often were
• Lawyers also asked Ventura about her previous relationships before Combs, including with music producer Ryan Leslie
• The defence spent a long time going through texts and emails sent between Combs and Ventura throughout the course of their relationship, including messages in which it appears Cassie is enthusiastic about "freak-off" plans

Judge Arun Subramanian is back in the courtroom and has asked for the legal teams to be finished with Cassie Ventura's testimony by the end of Friday.

Verntura is about eight months pregnant, and the judge has made it clear there cannot be extensive delays to her testimony.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

Before court broke for lunch, the defence went into a long line of questioning about Combs' and Ventura's drug use during their decade-long relationship.

Ventura told the court that Diddy, like her, needed time to recover from the "freak-offs", and that he was addicted to opioids.

After that, Estevao asked several follow-ups about how Diddy's drug withdrawals could change his mood and affect how he treated Ventura.

While Ventura confirmed that withdrawal would make him more irritated, she said she couldn't specify whether his mood was worse or not.

It seems the defence may want to paint picture that the toughest parts of their relationship, in its later years, were due to his drug use.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Court is breaking for lunch and is scheduled to resume at 13:00 EDT (18:00 BST).

Cassie Ventura will be back on the witness stand when we return.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

Continuing with more "freak-off"-related questions, the defence is also trying to chip away at the racketeering charge against Combs - which asserts there was a team who aided in putting together the sexual acts.

Defence lawyer Anna Estevao asks Ventura if she ever saw an assistant walk in when she was in the middle of a so-called "freak-off".

"I was high," she answers, adding that she isn't sure but doesn't recall any staff directly seeing what was happening in the hotel rooms.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

The prosecution spent the last two days trying to establish a narrative that the so-called "freak-offs" were humiliating, scary experiences for Ventura.

The defence is now trying to paint them in a different light.

Defence lawyer Anna Estevao is introducing sexually explicit text chains where Ventura said she was excited before a "freak off" - the term they used to describe sex acts where Combs directed her and male escorts to perform while he watched.

One text from Ventura said that she had an "aggressive sexual side".

The defence is also trying to disprove Ventura’s claims that she was embarrassed and wanted to hide the sex acts to stop any harm to her career.

We have a new sketch to share with you from court artist Jane Rosenberg.

As a reminder, photography and videography is not allowed in the US federal court in New York, but we can get a glimpse inside via court sketches.

It shows Diddy taking notes as his lawyers stand to ask questions. Cassie Ventura is not seen in this sketch.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

For the past half hour, defence attorney Anna Estevao has been taking Ventura back through the early stages of her relationship with Combs.

She has been trying to undercut the narrative from Ventura’s testimony yesterday, that she was naïve and young when she started to date Combs at age 21, him 17 years her senior.

Estevao notes that at that time Ventura was a successful musician with her own Manhattan apartment.

She noted that Ventura was already dating a music producer at the time, Ryan Leslie.

"It wasn’t the first time you’d been dating an older man, right?" Estevao asks her.

The lawyer also notes Ventura had a tattoo of Leslie’s initials.

The defence is now starting to get into the so-called "freak-offs" more directly - where Ventura says Combs directed her and male escorts to perform sex acts.

We will bring you more updates soon.

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from court

The defence is still going through Ventura's and Combs' communications from early on in their relationship to try to portray her as a willing participant.

In one set of messages, Cassie tells Diddy she just deleted "a little vid" off of her camera, describing it as "dope".

When asked by defence lawyer Estevao if she insisted on recording the so-called "freak-offs" on her devices, Ventura responds firmly that she didn't want them recorded at all.

During questioning, Estevao also establishes that Diddy appeared in the videos as well.

The defence is clearly going to pinpoint every instance they can, no matter how small, to support their theory that Ventura had a choice about whether to participate in the sessions, and was a willing participant in them.

It will fall on the prosecution on redirect to try to remove any doubt in jurors' minds over their argument - that Ventura did not want to go along with the encounters - where Combs allegedly directed her and male escorts to perform sex acts.

Casandra "Cassie" Ventura is being questioned today by Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team.

Anna Estevao, a law partner at the Manhattan-based Harris Trzaskoma firm, is leading the cross examination. She is a former federal public defender.

Combs' legal team is led by Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer who has experience with high-profile cases. Agnifilo is also representing Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare's chief executive Brian Thompson.

Image source, Reuters

Also on the legal team is Teny Geragos, the daughter of celebrity attorney Mark Geragos.

Others include Brian Steel, who recently represented rapper Young Thug in Georgia.

Cassie Ventura, who is about eight months pregnant, is back on the witness stand after court paused for a short break.

The judge has regularly given Ventura pauses in her testimony throughout the trial.

The defence team will resume their questioning.

Sakshi Venkatraman
Reporting from court

The defence's cross-examination of Ventura has been a bit stop and start so far.

Prosecutors are objecting to nearly every piece of evidence they try to submit, mostly messages between Ventura and Combs. Lawyer Anna Estevao is often pausing in the middle of her questions to rephrase.

Estevao is using her questioning to try to establish that the so-called "freak-offs" - sexual encounters in which Ventura would have sex with male escorts while Combs watched - may have been consensual. She displays explicit text messages between the two in which Ventura expresses excitement or willingness to participate.

Ventura talked about her willingness to engage in the "freak-offs" in her direct questioning. She told prosecutors she participated because she loved Combs and wanted him to be happy, and that she was afraid of violence or blackmail if she didn't.

Court has taken a 10 minute recess but Ventura will be back for more cross questioning shortly.

In the New York court today there are several members of Sean "Diddy" Combs' family. His mother has been here every day this week. And many of his children have attended court on multiple days.

Cassie's husband Alex Fine has also been at court every day, and is here again.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Madeline Halpert
Reporting from court

After about 45 minutes of debate between lawyers over evidence issues, Cassie Ventura is back on the stand - wearing a black blazer and white shirt, and her hair is in a ponytail.

Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyer Anna Estevao is questioning her.

So far, her line of questioning is what we expected.

Estevao asks Ventura about the more loving sides of their relationship.

"You were in love with him for 11 years, right?" she asks.

Ventura pushes back where she can, disputing the framing that she "kept coming back" to Combs over and over.

We are also seeing hints of the defence’s argument that infidelity and jealousy fueled their fights.

Estevao reads back Ventura’s testimony from yesterday in which she said she was "insanely jealous" in their relationship.

The defence is moving quickly with their yes or no questions, so we could get through a lot this morning, though prosecutors are lodging many objections.

Image source, Jane Rosenberg / Reuters

While we wait for the first details of Cassie's testimony today, let's look at the charges Sean "Diddy" Combs faces in this federal criminal case being heard in New York

Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy, two charges of sex trafficking and two charges of transportation to engage in prostitution.

Many of the most severe allegations relate to the racketeering conspiracy charge.

This includes accusations of kidnapping, drugging, and coercing women into sexual activities, sometimes using firearms or threats of violence.

Combs has denied all charges against him.

Both legal teams started the morning with a lengthy debate about evidence. But we're moving on now, with the jury and Cassie Ventura arriving in the courtroom.

Ventura will face questions from the defence, after spending the past two todays on the witness stand answering questions from the prosecution.

Judge Arun Subramanian is in the courtroom and is listening to the legal teams as they work through some issues regarding evidence that could be brought up today.

The jury is not in the room yet.

We're expecting Cassie Ventura to be on the witness stand shortly.