Kayla Brantley

And by this morning, there was a huge crowd, around 150 members of the public, waiting outside for a chance to get a front row seat at the most important show of Diddy's career. Our reporter Marjorie Hernandez has been there all day for us. So let's hear for her on the vibe down at the courthouse.

And by this morning, there was a huge crowd, around 150 members of the public, waiting outside for a chance to get a front row seat at the most important show of Diddy's career. Our reporter Marjorie Hernandez has been there all day for us. So let's hear for her on the vibe down at the courthouse.

And I just want to remind all of our listeners that Diddy is charged with five serious federal charges. It's two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution, and one count of racketeering, all of which he denies. If Diddy is found guilty, he will go to prison for the rest of his life.

And I just want to remind all of our listeners that Diddy is charged with five serious federal charges. It's two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transporting individuals for prostitution, and one count of racketeering, all of which he denies. If Diddy is found guilty, he will go to prison for the rest of his life.

And we should also say here that cameras and microphones are not allowed in federal court. This is not a televised trial. So we'll be bringing you everything from the courtroom on the podcast.

And we should also say here that cameras and microphones are not allowed in federal court. This is not a televised trial. So we'll be bringing you everything from the courtroom on the podcast.

Then finally, once jury selection was over, it was over to the main prosecutor, Emily Ann Johnson, to open the case. We're going to be bringing you a lot of the detail about what she said in our full episode tomorrow. But for now, we're just going to give you a bit of an overview. So Emily Ann Johnson, she told the court that to the public, Sean Combs is known as Puff Daddy or Diddy.

Then finally, once jury selection was over, it was over to the main prosecutor, Emily Ann Johnson, to open the case. We're going to be bringing you a lot of the detail about what she said in our full episode tomorrow. But for now, we're just going to give you a bit of an overview. So Emily Ann Johnson, she told the court that to the public, Sean Combs is known as Puff Daddy or Diddy.

She called him a cultural icon and a businessman who's larger than life. But she said there's also another side to him, a side that the public is unaware of. She said that side involved him using his vast wealth and power to run a criminal enterprise for more than two decades.

She called him a cultural icon and a businessman who's larger than life. But she said there's also another side to him, a side that the public is unaware of. She said that side involved him using his vast wealth and power to run a criminal enterprise for more than two decades.

The main prosecutor said that much of the evidence will involve two particular women and would be difficult to hear. The first, of course, is Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. We know her as the R&B singer who first met him as a teenager in 2006 and was with him for 12 years. The reason we can name her now is because she has waived her right to anonymity.

The main prosecutor said that much of the evidence will involve two particular women and would be difficult to hear. The first, of course, is Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. We know her as the R&B singer who first met him as a teenager in 2006 and was with him for 12 years. The reason we can name her now is because she has waived her right to anonymity.

Now, the other woman who can't be named for legal reasons, but the court is calling her Jane. She was a single mom when she met and quickly fell in love with Diddy in 2020 and was his girlfriend for three years.

Now, the other woman who can't be named for legal reasons, but the court is calling her Jane. She was a single mom when she met and quickly fell in love with Diddy in 2020 and was his girlfriend for three years.

Ms. Johnson said the jury would see that now infamous video from an L.A. hotel hallway, which has been talked about so much already and which I know everyone already knows about. It's the video of Cassie back in March 2016. And she claimed that Diddy was attacking and kicking her because he wanted to force her back into the hotel room where they'd been with a male prostitute.

Ms. Johnson said the jury would see that now infamous video from an L.A. hotel hallway, which has been talked about so much already and which I know everyone already knows about. It's the video of Cassie back in March 2016. And she claimed that Diddy was attacking and kicking her because he wanted to force her back into the hotel room where they'd been with a male prostitute.

She said Diddy's staff handed over $100,000 in cash in a brown paper bag to a hotel security guard for what they thought was the only copy of the footage. But obviously another copy existed and was given to CNN and aired last year.

She said Diddy's staff handed over $100,000 in cash in a brown paper bag to a hotel security guard for what they thought was the only copy of the footage. But obviously another copy existed and was given to CNN and aired last year.

She also accepted that that hotel footage was indefensible and showed, quote, horrible dehumanizing violence. But she insisted the full film, which has never been made public, would show that he and Cassie were actually fighting over alleged infidelity. She said he was an extremely jealous man and they had a toxic relationship.

She also accepted that that hotel footage was indefensible and showed, quote, horrible dehumanizing violence. But she insisted the full film, which has never been made public, would show that he and Cassie were actually fighting over alleged infidelity. She said he was an extremely jealous man and they had a toxic relationship.