AUSA Comey: He also called the police as*holes, we struck him. And 281, she said "victims can catch a case and jump on a bandwagon," we think she has an agenda. These easily clear Batson's bar.

Judge Subramanian: I deny the defense's Batson challenge, these were not based on purposeful discrimination. Mr. Agnifilo, anything more?
Agnifilo: Nothing from us.

Judge: We'll bring in the jury in a few minutes

10:17 am
Jurors are seated.
Judge Arun Subramanian: Welcome back. This is US v. Sean Combs. We will be providing lunch for you in the jury room. We will not release your names to the public.
Clerk swears in jurors.

Trial officially starts now

Judge: Questions are not evidence. Only the answers given by the witnesses and the documents are evidence. You can consider circumstantial evidence, like someone walking in with a dripping umbrella - you can surmise it's raining outside, even if you don't see it

Judge: That a witness uses a pseudonym does not mean that their testimony is worthy of less weight.

During the trial do not read or view or listen anything about this case, and don't post anything.

Once the US rests, the defense can present - should he choose to

Prosecutor's (the State) opening statement

AUSA Johnson: This is Sean Combs. To the public, he was a cultural icon, a businessman, larger that life.

But there was another side to him.

You will hear about 20 years of the defendant's crimes.

He had a team to help him: kidnapping, arson, d****, s***crimes

AUSA Johnson: Let's start with one might. He was on the hunt for his girlfriend, Cassie.

He forced her to have s***with male escorts while he watched and recorded it.

He found out Cassie was seeing another man.

Furious, he set out to find Cassie and another man.

AUSA: He woke an employee to drive to the house - but no one was there.

The defendant didn't give up.

He kept looking for Cassie.

When he found her, he beat her brutally, kicking her in the back and flinging her around like a rag doll.

But it wasn't enough

AUSA: He told Cassie he could release video of her having s***with male escorts.

He broke into a man's house and he beat and blackmailed his girlfriend.

These are not his only crimes.

Cassie is not the only woman he beat and sexually exploited.

20 years of crimes

AUSA: He had a business, Bad Boy Records, that made him right.

He relied on his bodyguards, chiefs of staff, who ran all aspects of his life.

The group promoted his power.

His bodyguards kidnapped an employee, and set a car on fire, dangled a person.

AUSA: They delivered d**** whenever he said, including to woman he forced to have s***with escort.

He transported them across state lines and even out of the country.

Let me be very clear: this case is not about a celebrity's private sexual preferences

AUSA: This was criminal.

He coerced and even used violence.

Along of this trial will focus on two woman. Cassie and Jane.

We will show that the defendant used lied, d****, threats and violence to force them to have s***with him in front of male escorts.

AUSA: He called them freak-offs, wild king nights, or hotel nights.

His staff organized flights, cars and hotels.

At his direction, his staff set up the room with lubricant and lighting.

Staff came in with cash to pay the escorts, and d****.

AUSA: He made them take MDMA or Molly, and Ecstasy.

It made them sick but also sexually aroused.

He directed every step - he expected the women to appear to enjoy themselves.

He masturbated and recorded the events. Cassie was 19 with a hit song.

AUSA: Cassie tried to work on her music but the defendant made her turn down many opportunities.

She recorded, but he had the final say over the music she released.

There was never another album. He sit Cassie in the head and dragged her by the hair

AUSA: He stomped on Cassie's face in an SUV, then made her stay in a hotel for a week to hide her injuries.

He set up freak offs as often as once a week.

She spent have of her time.

The defendant made an escort urinate in her mouth.

AUSA: As you will see in this trial, he beat her in the hallway of a hotel to drag her back into the freak off.

Initially she wanted to make him happy.

But then she didn't want to - but the defendant made her.

The consequences were severe.

AUSA: He beat her when he thought she took too long in the bathroom.

Defying him would end in violence.

She fled, but he found her, with the help of his inner circle.

Cassie's career was in her hands.

He told her he could destroy her career by releasing video.

AUSA: When he said to have a freak off she knew she had no choice.

She called the escort and put on the performances he wanted.

Her safety depended on keeping him happy.

The relationship was complicated.

Both were unfaithful. But only one of them had power.

AUSA: He made Cassie do his biding in those dark hotel room.

Cassie was not the only one.

This was a pattern.

Let me tell you about Jane.

She was a single mom that started spending time with him in 2020.

She fell in love with him.

He was seeing other women.

AUSA: One night he told Jane about freak offs- and made it happen immediately.

He took her to a hotel where an escort was on the way.

He directed her step by step.

Jane thought it was a one time wild night.

She was wrong. He continued, offering a real relationship.

AUSA: Jane wanted the escort to wear condoms, but the defendant did not let them.

Jane tried to make it through these nights without d****.

The first time, she broke down and took Ecstasy to finish.

Another time she vomited but he said, go do it again.

AUSA: Jane found two men and invited them to join the freak offs, so she could choose the man she'd be intimate with.

The defendant discouraged her from working.

He had the power to coerce her back into the hotel rooms.

He threatened her with the videos.

AUSA: Not even a year ago, he went to her house.

She was angry. She hit him. He became enraged.

She tried to hide. She locked herself in her bedroom.

He kicked it open.

Then the bathroom, the closet, the guest bedroom.

He kicked her to the ground.