Kanye West reportedly arrived at a New York federal courthouse on Friday to attend Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ongoing sex trafficking trial.
According to a report from The Daily Mail, Kanye West was welcomed by Christian, Combs’ son, and Xavier Donaldson, who is Combs’ defense lawyer. West confirmed with the media that his presence at the event was to show support for Combs.
According to NBC, West spent 40 minutes at the courthouse before leaving. He reportedly never reached the courtroom where Combs’ trial is being held.
A source revealed to CNN that West was in New York City and had the intention of attending to back Combs up. The source mentioned that West had been in communication with Combs’ son before his visit on Friday.
During the trial, three women testified, accusing Combs of either physical or sexual abuse. One of the accusers was Cassie Ventura, who was in a relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018. Ventura stated that Combs hindered her music career while pressuring her to participate in sexual activities with other men in his presence, which she referred to as “freak offs.” She shared that these drug-infused encounters would last for days, leaving her exhausted and dehydrated.
Another victim, who used the alias “Mia,” worked as Combs’ assistant for eight years. She accused Combs of forcing her to perform oral sex and sneaking into her bed to penetrate her without her consent. She also claimed Combs hurled objects at her and threw her against a wall.
A third woman, who used the pseudonym “Jane,” dated Combs from 2021 to 2024. She testified about “hotel nights,” which allegedly were sexual rendezvous arranged by Combs. Combs reportedly watched these encounters, which Jane said she had to be under the influence of drugs to participate.
Combs was arrested on September 16, 2024, outside a Manhattan hotel on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has been denied bail three times, as Judge Andrew L. Carter determined there was a “serious risk” of witness tampering in this case.
Federal authorities raided Combs’ homes in Holmby Hills, California, and Miami in March 2024. Reports indicated that the raids were connected to an ongoing sex trafficking investigation that resulted in his arrest months later.
The raids also occurred four months after Ventura accused him of sex trafficking and abuse. In a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, she alleged that Combs drugged her and forced her to have sex with other men. The pair settled the lawsuit a day after its filing.
However, in May 2024, CNN publicized hotel surveillance footage allegedly showing Combs assaulting Ventura. Two days later, Combs released a video expressing remorse for his behavior.
“I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry,” he said.
Two more accusers came forward a week after Ventura’s lawsuit. One of the women claimed Combs drugged and raped her at Syracuse University in New York in 1991. Combs denied those allegations before a third accuser, Liza Gardner, levied similar allegations against him.
Days after footage of the Ventura assault was publicized, two more women filed lawsuits against Combs. One of those women was April Lampros, a New York Fashion Institute of Technology student who reportedly met Combs in 1994. Lampros accused Combs of sexually assaulting her on four occasions between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s.
Combs has been accused of committing or facilitating sexual abuse in at least 30 other lawsuits — including one, filed in October, which alleges he and Jay-Z raped a 13-year-old girl in New York in 2000. The accuser in that case had her lawsuit dismissed in February.
Combs turned down a plea deal days before jury selection began. His trial is expected to last two months.
[Feature Photo: AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File]
