Sean Combs and Jay-Z have been making headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months. The two hip-hop moguls, longtime business associates and industry powerhouses, are now co-defendants in a civil lawsuit filed by a woman who claims that both men raped her in the year 2000 when she was just 13 years old. We’ll discuss updates on that case later, but first, let’s focus on the latest developments in Sean Combs’ federal criminal case, including allegations surrounding his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Combs faces serious federal charges, including **racketeering, sex trafficking by coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution**. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence. One of the key pieces of evidence in the case relates to videos of Cassie Ventura engaging in sexual activities with male sex workers while Combs watched—what have been termed as “freak offs.”
Combs’ legal team recently stated that they have reviewed these videos and claim they prove his innocence. In a court filing, his lawyers argued that the tapes show **fully consensual acts between adults** in a private relationship, likening them to what many couples do in their bedrooms.
Cassie Ventura first revealed details about these “freak offs” in **November 2023** when she filed a civil lawsuit against Combs. She alleged that Combs forced her to arrange these encounters and hire male sex workers, with the sessions sometimes lasting for days while Combs watched and pleasured himself. Federal prosecutors support Ventura’s claim, arguing that Combs used these tapes as **blackmail material** to control her and prevent her from leaving the relationship.
However, Combs’ attorneys refute this, saying the tapes were never in his possession but rather kept by Ventura herself, which she voluntarily submitted to the government.
Federal prosecutors were furious that Combs’ legal team **publicly filed details** about these videos without redacting all sensitive information. Prosecutors reminded the court that such evidence is covered under a **protective order**, and its disclosure violates legal procedures.
Cassie Ventura’s legal representatives also expressed outrage, stating that **a crime victim has the right to privacy and dignity** and that publicizing these details is inappropriate.
While the sex trafficking allegations have drawn the most media attention, Combs is also **facing racketeering charges**, accused of running a criminal enterprise involving **arson, kidnapping, and robbery** under federal RICO laws. Legal experts suggest that Combs’ defense strategy is to dismantle the sex trafficking charges first, as those underpin the broader **racketeering** case.
In an unrelated legal matter, Combs’ name has surfaced in the ongoing case against **Duane “Keefe D” Davis**, the man accused of ordering the **1996 murder of rapper Tupac Shakur**. Recently, prosecutors submitted a transcript from a **2009 secretly recorded police interview**, in which Keefe D allegedly claimed that **Combs wanted both Tupac and Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight dead** and offered money to arrange the killings. However, Keefe D stated he never received the payment. Combs has long denied any involvement in Tupac’s murder.
Adding to his legal troubles, a **new civil lawsuit** was filed in New York by a woman who claims that **Combs sexually assaulted her in 2000 when she was a 16-year-old babysitter**. The lawsuit alleges that she worked in the same building as Combs’ then-girlfriend, widely believed to be **Jennifer Lopez**, although she is not named in the suit.
According to the woman’s account, Combs pressured her to enter his car, where two of his associates were present. She claims she was reluctant but eventually complied. Instead of taking her home, the vehicle drove elsewhere, where she was given a drink that made her groggy. She alleges that she was then **sexually assaulted** before being dropped off at her apartment lobby.
