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Celebrity attorney John Philips and media personality Zack Peter discussed Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing federal trial in an appearance on Court TV on June 5, 2025. Host Julie Grant led the discussion, and the trio conversed about the various testimonies that have been presented in court.
John Phillips is an American attorney practicing in the areas of civil rights, wrongful death, and high-profile litigation. He has represented clients in nationally publicized cases, including Congresswoman Lucy McBath in the fatal shooting of Jordan Davis, Omarosa Manigault Newman in her legal fight with Donald Trump's campaign, and Joe Exotic from Tiger King.
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During the Court TV conversation, when Grant asked Philips whether he would hypothetically be able to confidently represent Diddy, he replied in the negative, stating he knew too much.
"I couldn't take it because I regularly get calls from whistleblowers that had issues in Hollywood, and there's a whole bunch of names that people have never said, that there are tapes of and all sorts of things that are circulating that one day we'll probably find out but, you know, I guess I kind of know too much in some instances to really want this case in particular, and the higher the profile the bigger target you are as well," he said.
More about Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial
According to NPR, music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and his trial began on May 12, 2025.
As reported by CNN, the ongoing trial is centered on allegations that Diddy conducted "Freak Offs," drug-fueled sex parties where women were allegedly coerced to perform sexual acts with male escorts as Combs watched and filmed them. Prosecutors claim that these were not consensual trysts but part of a larger pattern of control, intimidation, and trafficking.
As per the outlet, the jury has heard testimonies from various witnesses, including Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who had filed a civil lawsuit against him in November 2023. Ventura took the stand over four days and described years of physical abuse, blackmail, and being made to take part in "Freak Offs."
Jurors were also shown footage of Combs assaulting Ventura in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in 2016, a video that was released by CNN last year. Other witnesses, including former associates and employees, have presented Combs as a domineering and violent figure, according to the outlet. Singer Dawn Richard, a former Bad Boy Records artist, claimed she witnessed Combs physically assault Ventura "frequently," CNN reported.
The outlet also reported that during his testimony, rapper Kid Cudi recalled that Combs had once broken into his home and set his Porsche ablaze after finding out he had an affair with Ventura. Hotel staff and security guards also took the stand to list the several requests Combs had made during his stays.
As per CNN, another one of Diddy's ex-girlfriends, testifying under the pseudonym "Jane," described being financially dependent on Diddy while enduring hours-long sexual encounters with multiple men at the rapper's behest. His former assistant, "Mia,” stated that Combs had sexually assaulted her multiple times and that she felt stuck in her job.
Diddy's legal team has not denied his violent past, but claims that his actions do not point to sex trafficking under the law, as per the outlet.
During cross-examination, the defense sought to highlight inconsistencies in the testimony, CNN reported. This included differing dates for when accusers claimed certain events occurred, and the fact that some accusers had continued to praise Combs publicly and maintain contact with him long after the alleged abuse was said to have occurred.
Diddy's former PA, "Mia," admitted to sending the music mogul friendly text messages as recently as 2023, years after she alleged he assaulted her. However, she stated that she did that for her survival, according to the outlet.
"In an abusive relationship there's a cycle of violence. I was young and manipulated and eager to survive," Mia said.
The trial is scheduled to resume on June 9, 2025, with "Jane" returning to the stand.
