Additional Coverage:
- Diddy told a male dancer who had sex with Cassie he worked in ‘importing and exporting,’ witness testifies (businessinsider.com)
A former erotic dancer testified Monday in the sex-trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, offering a glimpse into the hip-hop mogul’s private life.
Daniel Phillip, the dancer, told jurors he met Combs in 2012 at Manhattan’s Gramercy Park Hotel, initially believing he was hired for a bachelorette party. Instead, he encountered R&B singer Cassie Ventura, who was at the time in a relationship with Combs. Ventura, dressed in red lingerie, allegedly told Phillip that Combs wanted to “do something special” for her.
Phillip testified that Ventura asked him to rub baby oil on her and engage in further sexual acts. He claimed Combs watched from a corner of the room, wearing a bathrobe and a bandana covering the lower half of his face.
According to Phillip, Ventura assured him that Combs wouldn’t touch him. The room, Phillip recalled, was furnished with velvet couches and a table laden with candles, baby oil, and lubricant.
Phillip testified he had sex with Ventura while Combs masturbated. He said he was paid thousands of dollars and that similar encounters continued at various locations, including hotels, Combs’ Midtown residence, and Ventura’s home. Payments ranged from $700 to $6,000, and the encounters lasted from 30 minutes to over 10 hours, sometimes with breaks during which Phillip waited while Combs and Ventura went into another room.
Phillip’s testimony also included allegations of Combs’ temper. He described an incident where Combs allegedly threw a bottle at Ventura and then slapped her.
Phillip also admitted to occasionally accepting drugs from Combs, including what he believed to be “Molly,” which led him to euphorically hand out money in Times Square. Combs is facing charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy and could face life in prison if convicted. Combs’ defense maintains the encounters were consensual.