Diddy case gives R. Kelly victim ‘déjà vu’

Alleged drug-fueled orgies, force and coercion, prostitution and a cover-up are at the core of a searing three-count federal indictment against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The music mogul faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and interstate transportation for prostitution. These charges threaten to end his entertainment empire and his freedom.
Combs is depicted as the leader of an alleged criminal enterprise, subjecting women and others to a pattern of physical and sexual abuse, according to federal prosecutors.
Investigators allege that, over a span of years, Combs would ply victims with narcotics and even resort to violence and intimidation during days-long sex sessions.
He did not act alone, according to federal prosecutors, although no one else has yet been charged in the case. Combs allegedly had assistants, managers and security staff who made sure that women and male prostitutes were present at these “freak off” events and that the hotel rooms where they were staged were stocked with supplies like baby oil and lubricant.
During bi-coastal raids on his Los Angeles and Miami homes, authorities say they seized various “freak off” supplies that included drugs and more than a thousand bottles of baby oil.
Combs was taken into custody last week and confined at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal correctional facility. He is being housed in a section designated for detainees needing special protection.
It’s a stark change that happened instantly — from living large in his almost $49 million Florida mansion to a cramped jail cell. His legal team vowed to keep trying to get him out of jail.
“It’s violent, you know, someone like Mr. Combs might be a target for certain things and we can’t let that happen,” Combs attorney Marc Agnifilo said.
His accusers say that’s where he belongs — a once-powerful man who they say was able to buy silence and compliance for decades. Lizzette Martinez, a survivor and one of the first victims of R&B singer R.Kelly to come forward, said there are similarities in the case. Kelly was charged with sex trafficking, kidnapping, forced labor, racketeering, and obstruction of justice.
“I’m extremely proud of the women,” Martinez said. “I’m not gonna sit here and say that it’s, you know, the trial’s gonna be easy. It’s not. However, we did it. And you have a whole survivor army behind you. No matter how powerful these people portray themselves to be, so are you.”
Martinez was involved in the groundbreaking sex trafficking case against the disgraced Kelly. He was found guilty of racketeering, sex trafficking and later child pornography. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Kelly was convicted of being a leader of a “criminal enterprise,” an allegation Diddy now faces. Federal prosecutors say they are not finished with their work.
“I can’t take anything off the table,” Damian Williams, attorney for the Southern District of New York, said. “Anything is possible. Our investigation is very active and ongoing.”
In court, Combs pleaded “not guilty” and was denied bail twice.
In a statement to IMPACT, an attorney for Diddy said: “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs…Sean “Diddy” Combs is a music icon…loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire…and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. He looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Prosecutors alleged that the 54-year-old mogul hid a dark secret behind his lavish lifestyle.One disturbing and shocking “freak off” that prosecutors allege in the Combs indictment occurred around an incident captured in a shocking hotel surveillance video first published on CNN involving Combs, seen on camera beating his ex-partner Cassandra Ventura, also known as “Cassie”.
Prosecutors allege that there was a male prostitute still in their hotel room at the time of the surveillance video recording. Prosecutors in court also quoted messages from Cassie talking about the bruises and “fat lip” she allegedly received after the apparent beating shown in the surveillance video.
Ventura’s lawsuit provided the blueprint for the Southern District of New York to investigate Combs. The subsequent lawsuits provided the foundation to build the case against him,” ABC News contributor Brian Buckmire said.
“Before Cassie’s lawsuit, Diddy was looking at actually having a pretty good record year, you know, career-wise,” ABC News Entertainment Contributor Kelley Carter said. “And then her lawsuit drops in November, and everything came to a crashing halt.”
Initially, Combs denied all wrongdoing, but after the surveillance video surfaced of him allegedly abusing Ventura in a hotel hallway, he backtracked on social media.
“I hit rock bottom. I make no excuses,” Combs said in an Instagram video. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”
When Martinez watched the violent video, she said she felt a sense of déjà vu.
“I can’t unsee that Cassie video,” Martinez said. “You could tell me whatever you wanna tell me about him. I cannot unsee the video. She helped others to feel that they could come forward, and that’s huge, ’cause you put yourself on the line.”
As more details of Ventura’s relationship with Combs emerged, at least 11 others came forward with their own civil lawsuits.
Another woman, Thalia Graves, filed a lawsuit alleging that in 2001, she was “bound and restrained” while Combs “mercilessly raped her”. She claimed that Combs “video-recorded” the encounter and showed the video to multiple men.
Attorneys for Combs did not respond to a request for comment on this case.
As Combs awaits his day in front of a jury, survivors like Martinez, who is not one of Diddy’s accusers, say the culture is closing its door on men like him who’ve abused their power for too long, saying “You can’t look away anymore. I hope that powerful men understand that time’s up.”
The latest IMPACT x Nightline episode on “Diddy: Drugs, Lies & Freak Offs” is now streaming on Hulu.
Paulina Tam, Karin Weinberg, and Patricia Guerra contributed to this report.