Sean "Diddy" Combs Faces Second Rape Accusation

In a packed Manhattan federal courtroom, the trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs took a dramatic turn on Thursday as a second woman accused him of rape. The testimony, delivered in the third week of a high-stakes trial, added to the mounting allegations against the Bad Boy Records founder, who faces charges of sex trafficking and racketeering that could lead to life in prison if convicted.

Reuters reports the accuser, testifying under the pseudonym Mia, was Combs’ former personal assistant. Her voice trembled as she recounted two alleged assaults. “I was just frozen. I didn’t do anything. I just let it happen,” Mia said, tears welling as she described an incident where Combs allegedly grabbed her head and forced himself on her. 

In another, she said Combs climbed on top of her while she slept, raping her as she lay paralyzed with fear. Combs, 55, sat stoically, occasionally passing notes to his lawyers but showing little outward reaction.

Combs has pleaded not guilty to five counts, including racketeering and sex trafficking. His defense acknowledges past abusive behavior in relationships but insists any sexual encounters were consensual. Prosecutors, however, paint a darker picture, alleging Combs coerced women over two decades into drug-fueled, days-long sexual performances called "Freak Offs" with male sex workers, using fear and manipulation to control them.

The trial, now gripping the public’s attention due to Combs’ outsized influence in hip-hop, has already heard emotional testimony from his ex-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, known as Cassie. In the trial’s opening week, the R&B singer described an 11-year relationship marked by physical and emotional abuse, including a rape after their final breakup. Ventura said she participated in the Freak Offs out of fear that Combs would leak compromising sex tapes, even as she grappled with her love for him.

Friends and associates have bolstered the prosecution’s case, portraying Combs as a domineering figure who relied on bodyguards and allies to enable his alleged crimes and silence victims. Dawn Richard, a former member of Danity Kane, testified last week that Combs threatened her to stay quiet about what she witnessed. Under cross-examination, Combs’ lawyers pressed Richard on inconsistencies between her testimony and prior statements to prosecutors.

Arrested in Manhattan in September 2024, Combs is being held at a Brooklyn federal prison when not in court. The trial, before a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates, has drawn intense media scrutiny, reflecting Combs’ legacy as a cultural titan who propelled hip-hop to the mainstream alongside icons like The Notorious B.I.G. As the case unfolds, the world watches, waiting to see if the music mogul’s empire will crumble under the weight of these accusations.