Sean 'Diddy' Combs' accuser may skip trial as judge issues warning to prosecutors

During Monday's trial proceedings and jury selection, prosecutors revealed that Victim-3, who is not based in New York City where the trial is taking place, might not attend. Although she cooperated in the original investigation and was listed as a victim in the case, she has informed prosecutors that she will not be showing up to the trial.

The individual was subpoenaed, meaning the court ordered her to testify under oath at the trial. However, prosecutors informed the judge that they had difficulty contacting both the woman and her attorney, and she "may not show up."

This could cause issues for the prosecution, as they had planned to use the woman's testimony in their case against Diddy, which includes charges of sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy.

Fortunately, the government stated they don't plan to present Victim-3's testimony until the second part of the trial and won't focus on her story in their opening statements on May 12. Instead, she will be mentioned only as one of many allegedly assaulted by the music mogul.

In response, Diddy's team requested that prosecutors inform the lawyers of their plans by the end of the week. Judge Arun Subramanian agreed, emphasizing to prosecutors the importance of ensuring her appearance in court.

Previously, Victim-3 had indicated she planned to testify and even waived her right to use a pseudonym, according to court documents obtained by The Mirror. While her name hasn't been revealed by the court, she was expected to share her story without hiding her identity.

So far, the identities of all victims in the indictment have been kept sealed. However, Victim-1 is widely believed to be Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who previously filed a civil complaint against him, leading to several other lawsuits. Her complaint was settled out of court within a day in 2023, with no admission of wrongdoing, and Diddy has denied all additional allegations made against him.

Cassie is expected to testify in court without hiding her identity. Previously, her attorney, Douglass Windsor, filed a motion to quash a subpoena from defense attorneys that sought access to her personal records. This included financial statements, as well as extensive notes, diaries, and manuscript drafts. The judge ruled that while Cassie could keep her financial documents, she would need to turn over the other written materials.

After settling her civil complaint, a video surfaced showing Cassie being beaten by Diddy in a hotel hallway. While Diddy took "responsibility" for his actions when the footage was released by CNN, his attorneys later argued that the video had been "altered, manipulated, sped-up, and edited out of sequence," claiming it should be inadmissible in court. CNN has denied that the footage was altered.

The judge ultimately allowed the video footage to be used in the trial, despite the defense's request to exclude it. Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all charges and strongly denies all allegations of wrongdoing, including those made in civil lawsuits.