It's day one of the celebrity trial gripping much of the nation. Shawn Diddy Combmes was once one of entertainment's most powerful mogul. Accused of crime so heinous he faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars. He's denied all charges. And just a warning, this story contains accounts, descriptions, and visual content of actual or alleged events that some may find disturbing. Mom, how are you feeling? How are you feeling today? Can't talk about the case at all. All eyes are on this New York City courthouse as the federal trial for disgrace mogul Shawn Diddy Combmes begin. Music mogul Shawn Diddy Combmes goes on trial today. Combmes is inside the courtroom along with those prospective jurors. He faces multiple charges including racketeering and sex trafficking. The musician famous for hits like Bad Boy for Life. Y'all got drama. The saga continues and can't nobody hold me down. Charged with sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution and raketeering conspiracy. The 55year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Today was a monumental day when we're talking about Shawn Combmes, P. Diddy, Puff Daddy. At one point, he also had the actual key to New York City. So to see him today facing trial on federal criminal charges is completely a downfall of who Puff Daddy, who Shawn Combmes was. Prosecutors alleged he used his power to force women into prolong drugfueled orgies he called freakoffs and then threatened them into silence. The freakoffs, according to prosecutors, were these sex marathons. Some of them lasted days and they were fueled by ecstasy or other party drugs and women were not allowed to leave. Highly anticipated at the trial, the testimony of Cassandra Ventura, the singer better known as Cassie, who was at the center of this now infamous video. The disturbing scene appears to show Combmes chasing her down a hotel hallway in 2016, knocking her down and kicking her. The first evidence shown to jurors today, videos and photos from that violent encounter. Everyone was leaning in and focusing and watching this video. Literally, you can hear a pin drop in that courtroom. A security guard who came onto the scene in the aftermath of that attack testified that Diddy had a devilish stare and Cassie had a purple eye. Another witness alleging he was paid to have sex with Cassie while Diddy watched and told to urinate on Cassie. You heard so much about sex doing the prosecution's opening, the defense opening. You heard about oral sex. You heard about missionary sound. You heard about baby oil being put on people's body. You heard so much. This is not a case for the prud. Cassie and Diddy were in a romantic relationship for almost a decade, releasing hits like me and you. I can see you. Her graphic and disturbing 2023 civil lawsuit against Diddy changed everything, helping spur the federal criminal investigation into the mogul. Diddy has denied these allegations and settled that suit without admission of wrongdoing. Mom, how are you? Diddy's mother and children arriving to court this morning to support him along with Comb's spokesperson. Obviously, this is like a horrific time for the family. So, they're just trying to hold steady in their faith and and make sure that um they take care of each other. How is Mr. Combmes feeling? Um upbeat. I I think um you know, obviously this is a huge deal and so he's just ready to have his side told. Inside the courtroom today, Diddy's smiling and blowing kisses to his family. He's very observant um as to what's going on in the courtroom and he's taken part in his defense. Both sides delivered their opening statements making their case. The all female prosecution team saying that Combmes used a trusted inner circle to commit crime after crime, including kidnapping, arson, and sex crimes. Prosecutor Emily Johnson saying this is Shawn Combmes. To the public, he was Puff Daddy or Diddy, a cultural icon, a businessman larger than life. But there was another side to him, a side that ran a criminal enterprise. The prosecution is alleging that it was his inner circle that enabled him to be able to engage in these acts, but also hide these acts from the public and for it to go on for so long. At least three alleged victims of Diddy are expected to testify, including Cassie and a woman prosecutors are referring to as Jane. During opening arguments, prosecutors alleged that Diddy forced the women to participate in so-called freakoffs, and instructed Cassie and Jane how to look, to dress in lingerie, wear tall platform high heels, and have manicured white nails. Diddy's defense arguing the sexual relationships were consensual and not coerced, saying the rapper lived a swinger lifestyle. The defense wants to say that these women are all adults. They're all consenting and willing participants in these freakoffs. Defense attorney Tenny Gergo saying in her opening statement, "That may not be what you like to do in your bedroom, but you're not here to judge him for his sexual preferences." She later added, "Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking." That disturbing video was also part of the defense's opening arguments, plainly saying it was an instance of domestic violence. Gargo saying, "Domestic violence is not sex trafficking. Had he been charged with domestic violence, had he been charged with assault, we would not be here right now." The defense said that Shawn Combmes may be a lot of things. He may have committed domestic violence, but those aren't the crimes the defense said that he's charged with. So, in effect, the argument is he's a criminal, just not the kind of criminal they say he is. The first testimony in the trial taking jurors to Los Angeles March 2016 in the hotel where that surveillance video was taken. The first witness, an LAPD officer who worked security at the hotel. He says he responded to a call for a woman in distress on the sixth floor. When he got to the floor, he noticed that there was glass on the floor, that the vase and the flowers were broken. The security guard described going back to Diddy's hotel room and standing in the doorway while Vento grabbed her things. Inside, another man sitting at the corner of the bed. So from the very start, the first witness brings the jury into that hallway where he said Shawn Combmes looked at him with a devilish stare and Cassie Ventura had a purple eye. Shawn Combmes tried to offer him money to give him money to make this go away and he said he wouldn't accept the money. The second witness to take the stand, Daniel Phillip, a man who said he was paid to have sex with Cassie on multiple occasions at several high-end New York City hotels while Diddy watched. The witness said he was paid between $700 and $6,000 each time. So, Mr. Phillip agreed to go to the Grammy Hotel to do a performance for a bachelorette party. At least that's what he thought. But when he got to the hotel to the room that Cassie opened up the door, he did not know that was Cassie and that she told him, "Well, it's my birthday and and my husband wants to do something special, so can you give me a massage with this uh body oil and then we can just take it from there and see where it leads." Diddy allegedly in the corner masturbating, wearing a bandana over his face. During these meetups, he says Diddy would often give directions and at times tell him to step off and back up because he was going to get some. Shawn Colmes's children, his mother came to court to support him. But when the testimony became graphic, his daughters stood up and walked out. When they came back in at one point, the testimony got more graphic about ejaculation, about urination. That was too much. They turned and walked out again. Philip also described witnessing Diddy drag and hit Cassie. When asked by prosecutors why he didn't intervene, he testified. My thoughts was that this was someone with unlimited power and chances that even if I did go to the police, that I might still end up losing my life. Cassie, who's now 8 months pregnant, is expected to take the stand tomorrow. Cassie's the case. Cassie Ventura, who has not spoken about this publicly except in a civil lawsuit, is taking the witness stand as a star witness. Her husband and father of her children spotted in court today. If convicted, Combmes could face life in prison.