May 21, 2025: Sean “Diddy” Combs, facing multiple federal charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution, made a rare verbal statement during court proceedings in New York City on May 20. As the session adjourned for the day, the music mogul looked toward the gallery and said, “I love you all,” before quietly adding, “Yeah. Love,” according to E! News.
Combs then addressed a woman in the courtroom gallery, asking her to relay a message to his 31-year-old son: “Please let Justin know I’m thinking of him.”
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Though Combs has yet to take the stand in his defense, the trial has already featured emotional and detailed testimonies from individuals from his past—including ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Ventura testified that Combs orchestrated and encouraged her participation in “hundreds of sex parties”, known as freak offs, involving hired escorts. She said she ultimately left him in 2018 after a turbulent decade-long relationship.
“It was always in the back of my mind that I would somehow be hurt by him,” Ventura testified. “Sean is a really polarizing person. He was very charming—it was hard to decide in that moment when he was telling you what he wanted. I just didn’t know what would happen.”
Singer and former Danity Kane member Aubrey O’Day also weighed in on the ongoing trial. O’Day, who has publicly accused Combs of abuse of power for years, described the proceedings as “bittersweet.”
“This trial is bittersweet for me, as I’ve been speaking the truth about Diddy for 20 years now,” she said. O’Day revealed that she will soon launch a podcast titled Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present: Aubrey O’Day, Covering the Diddy Trial, which she views as a step toward healing after being abruptly removed from Danity Kane in 2008.
“My heart goes out to all the victims, especially those who could have been spared, had anyone taken these claims seriously prior,” O’Day said. “My sincere hope is that justice will prevail and that we see systemic changes within the music industry to prevent all forms of abuse from those in power.”
As the high-profile trial continues, it remains a pivotal moment for accountability in the entertainment industry, with the world watching closely.