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The remarkable admission came as jury selection winds down in the mogul’s sex trafficking trial<\/p>\n
Attorneys for\u00a0Sean \u201cDiddy\u201d Combs<\/a>\u00a0admitted in court Friday that their client had been violent towards his ex,\u00a0Cassie Ventura<\/a>, but claimed violence in their relationship was mutual.<\/p>\n Under questioning from Judge Arun Subramanian, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said the defense plans to “take the position there was mutual violence in their relationship,” including “hitting.”<\/p>\n “We are absolutely going to admit to domestic violence,” Agnifilo said. “But at what point does it become coercive?”<\/p>\n Combs’ attorneys alleged Ventura is a “strong” person with “a nature of violence,” and “capable of starting physical confrontations” \u2014 but Judge Subramanian shot back “strong people can be coerced just like weak people.”<\/p>\n Combs faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and denies all the accusations against him. His criminal trial began with jury selection on Monday, May 5, and opening statements are expected to begin May 12.<\/p>\n Ventura is expected to be the prosecution’s star witness. Accusations of violence against Combs burst into public view in 2023, when CNN published a video appearing to show him beat Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel.<\/p>\n Ventura filed a civil suit against Combs in New York in 2023, accusing him of sexual assault, rape and physical violence. It was settled the following day. Ventura’s suit was followed by a wave of dozens of civil suits similarly accusing Combs of sexual violence, as well as the Sept. 2024 criminal indictment filed by the Justice Department.<\/p>\n The 2024\u00a0indictment against Combs accuses him<\/a>\u00a0of using his music empire to manipulate and lure women with promises of romance and then force them, using threats and coercion, to participate in highly orchestrated sex-acts at so-called \u201cFreak Off<\/a>\u201d parties, which sometimes lasted several days.<\/p>\n During the \u201cFreak Off\u201d parties, the indictment alleges that Combs used a variety of controlled substances to keep his victims obedient and compliant, sometimes unknown to the victims. The indictment named Combs the ringleader of the alleged violent enterprise which is tied to several accusations of suspected kidnapping, arson, drug crimes and widespread sexual abuse.<\/p>\n Final jury selections are expected to be made in Combs\u2019 criminal trial as opening statements begin next week. The jury pool was narrowed down to 45 candidates over the course of three days of intense questioning from the prosecution, defense and Judge Arun Subramanian.<\/p>\n On May 7, six women and five men were given the green light after the attorneys and judge interviewed 22 candidates.<\/p>\n Prospective jurors were asked if they were familiar with celebrities like,\u00a0Kanye West<\/a>,\u00a0Michael B. Jordan<\/a>,\u00a0Mike Myers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Kid Cudi<\/a>, though they are not set to be called to testify.<\/p>\n Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter<\/a>\u00a0for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Combs, who previously operated an iconic global music empire, now sits in custody at the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn\u2019s Metropolitan Detention Center with greying hair. Combs could face up to life in prison if convicted.<\/p>\n