Sean “Diddy” Combs is approaching a pivotal moment in his federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial, as a judge is expected to rule on Tuesday, June 10, whether to declare a mistrial. The decision follows new allegations from Combs’ legal team that key prosecution testimony may have been misleading.
Now in its 19th day, the trial took a dramatic turn over the weekend when Combs’ attorneys filed a motion for mistrial. The motion centers on text messages they claim undermine the credibility of earlier testimony by singer Cassie Ventura. Ventura previously told the court she witnessed Combs holding Bryana Bongolan over a balcony. However, text messages Ventura allegedly sent to Kristina Khorram—a former Combs employee—appear to contradict that account. In one message, Ventura wrote, “I just found out some crazy sheet,” suggesting she learned about the incident after it occurred, not by witnessing it herself.
The defense has also challenged the prosecution’s timeline. Photographs of Bongolan’s injuries, introduced as evidence, include metadata indicating they were taken on September 26, 2016. Combs’ attorneys argue he was on the East Coast that day, not in Los Angeles where the alleged incident reportedly occurred.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who presided over court proceedings on Monday, June 9, confirmed he would not make a ruling on the mistrial motion until the following day. Prosecutors were expected to respond to the defense’s claims by the end of the day Monday.
Testimony continued as the court heard for a third day from a witness identified only as “Jane,” a former girlfriend of Combs testifying under a pseudonym. Her earlier testimony included allegations of drug use and medical complications from so-called “freak-off” sexual encounters involving Combs and others.
This is the second mistrial request from Combs’ legal team. A previous motion last month contested fingerprint evidence linked to a separate investigation involving rapper Kid Cudi.
The upcoming ruling could significantly alter the trajectory of this high-profile trial, which has drawn national scrutiny and intensified the legal challenges facing the music mogul.