Sean Combs’ names through the years: Puffy, P. Diddy, Love and more
Music mogul Sean Combs, who’s on trial for heading an alleged criminal enterprise, has gone by various names since he rose to fame in the 1990s.
After hearing closing arguments, 12 jurors head back to the Manhattan court on June 30 to deliberate on a verdict for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ criminal trial.
The defense took about five hours for closing arguments on June 27, with Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo claiming prosecutors distorted the music mogul’s consensual sexual “lifestyle” into criminal acts. He also focused on testimony from the prosecution’s star witness, former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine, calling their relationship “one of the great modern love stories.”
“If you had to give their sex life a label, I guess you can call it swingers,” Agnifilo said.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
The rapper’s legal team first offered a window into his defense during a court hearing on April 25, arguing that Combs isn’t guilty of federal sex crimes because, in his mind, he was engaging in sexual “swinging.”
But Combs’ alleged actions have “nothing to do” with the swinger lifestyle, said Brett Chamberlin, executive director of OPEN, a nonprofit working to expand acceptance for families in non-monogamous relationships.
“Using non-monogamy or swinging as a legal defense to explain away alleged harmful behavior mischaracterizes what these relationship structures are about, and potentially harms our community by reinforcing harmful stereotypes,” he said.
What is swinging?
“Swinging” is a consensual, non-monogamous sexual behavior that takes place when singles or partners in committed relationships engage in intimate acts.
It’s unclear how many partake in swinging today – some estimates have said 2% of couples or less – though one study from the North American Swing Club Alliance said 15% of U.S. couples have tried it at least once in their married lives.
At the center of this lifestyle is informed, revokable consent, said Susan Wright, spokesperson for the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, an advocacy organization for consensual non-monogamy communities. This requires lengthy conversations to set safe boundaries and ensure all parties “enthusiastically” agree.
“Non-monogamous people joke that they spend more time talking about sex than having it,” she said. “These relationships prioritize communication, mutual agreement and respect for everyone involved.”
These conversations happen often before and throughout activities, Chamberlin said. Non-monogamous advocacy organizations like OPEN educate communities on what consent should look like: Freely given without pressure or coercion, revokable at any point in time, informed about sexually transmitted infections and substances, enthusiastic and specific.
“The key distinction of ethical non-monogamy is that these conversations happen proactively and deliberately, rather than assuming everyone shares the same expectation,” he said. “Anything other than ‘heck yes’ is a no.”
Diddy’s ‘freak off’ parties
Kiley George, 34, was “infuriated” to learn that Diddy’s defense claims he was a part of the swinging community.
“It’s really irresponsible and damaging to the community,” said George, who is a sex and relationship coach in Cleveland, Ohio, specializing in non-monogamy.
After details of the music mogul’s “freak off” parties came to light, swingers say they don’t align with most non-monogamous events, which revolve around safety, respect and consent.
Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura Fine, known as the pop singer Cassie, testified on May 13 about the rapper’s alleged “freak offs,” describing them as drug-fueled sex sessions that lasted 36 to 72 hours. Cassie said she felt pressured into demeaning sexual performances and that the sessions would leave her recovering for hours from the drugs, dehydration and sleep deprivation.
Drugs are not typically a part of swinger events and many attendees prefer not to drink alcohol, George said. Body language plays a part in consent and substances can cloud certain cues that would indicate someone is uncomfortable.
In larger events, it’s also common to have assigned monitors that don’t partake in any activities but ensure that attendees or members are comfortable and following rules, Wright said. They also act as a point person to report any misconduct.
While consent is always the goal, a recent sex club scandal suggests it’s not always achieved. A New York Times investigation found former members of a Brooklyn sex club reported instances of abuse, assault and rape while living there.
Celebrity and power dynamics
Constantly securing consent during non-monogamous events is especially important when there is a power imbalance, said Sheila Addison, a couples and sex therapist in Seattle, Washington. As a celebrity and record executive, Combs held a lot of power.
“If you’re going to ask people to do something and invite people to do something, that burden is on you to be really clear that this is an invitation – not an order or command,” she said.
George, who has a podcast and social media following, always keeps this in mind when attending events. She “extra communicates” with partners, explaining the power dynamic so they can make an informed decision.
“These principles apply to all relationships, but non-monogamy places them at the center of relationship practice rather than treating them as implicit,” Chamberlin said.
He emphasizes the abuse, coercion and exploitation allegations made against Combs’ represent “the opposite of what ethical non-monogamy stands for.”
“Ethical non-monogamy is about creating more honest, communicative relationships − never about excusing harmful behavior,” Chamberlin said.
Contributing: Patrick Ryan, Aysha Bagchi and Edward Segarra, USA TODAY.
Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at adrodriguez@usatoday.com.
