Sean 'Diddy' Combs to testify at sex trafficking trial, lawyer says

Grammy award-winning artist Sean John Combs, 54 (b. November 4, 1969), also known by his stage name Diddy, has been eagerly anticipating his upcoming sex trafficking trial in New York, during which Combs intends to take the stand and testify, the singer's lawyer said Thursday. 

Combs has tapped Marc Agnifilo, a former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney, to defend him in court against federal charges that include racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and is being held in jail without bail pending trial.

Agnifilo spoke to TMZ about his client's purported plans at trial and said: "I don't know that I could keep him off the stand. I think he is very eager to tell his story. And I think he will tell every part of his story."

Under the Fifth Amendment, criminal defendants are entitled to decline to testify in order to prevent themselves from being further implicated. They also have the right to testify, even if it contradicts the advice of their attorney. The opposing team counsel has the opportunity to cross-examine any witness who takes the stand in a trial and attempts to undermine their statement. It appears that Diddy, however, is of the opinion that a jury should hear his account of the events, despite the risks, as based on Agnifilo's explanation.

"He has his story, and he has a story that I think only he can tell in the way he can tell it, in real-time," the lawyer said. "It's a human story. It's a story of love. It's a story of hurt. It's a story of heartbreak."

Agnifilo said Combs intends to address the infamous viral video that showed Diddy brutally assaulting his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. Ventura filed a lawsuit against Diddy last year allegedly rape and physical abuse over the course of 10 years. The suit was settled the following day over an unspecified amount.

"I expect it's going to be explained by the both of us," Agnifilo said. "When he describes that relationship, the word he uses more than other words is heartbreak. He was heartbroken. She was heartbroken."

Diddy is accused by prosecutors in the Southern District of New York of organizing elaborate, day-long sex performances that he referred to as "freak-offs." According to the allegations, the singer allegedly coerced his victims into engaging in sexual intercourse with male prostitutes. During these freak-offs, the indictment alleges that Diddy masturbated and made his victims comply with sex acts by administering narcotics and issuing threats of violence.