Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial continued after a short break for Memorial Day weekend, and several high-profile names have already taken the stand to testify against the rap icon.
However, there is one question many want to know the answer to: Will Diddy defend himself on the stand?
The music mogul is currently embroiled in a high-profile federal trial in Manhattan, facing the possibility of life in prison if convicted on federal charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and other offenses—all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.
So, after bombshell testimonies from Cassie Ventura, Kid Cudi, former Danity Kane member Dawn Richard, and his former executive assistant George Kaplan, among others, could Diddy be the next?
Will Diddy Testify in His Sex Trafficking Trial?
It looks like there are no plans for Diddy to testify in his own sex trafficking trial, as his defense strategy focuses on presenting evidence and witnesses to counter prosecution’s claims instead.
For starters, the Bad Boy founder is represented by a legal team that is ready to vigorously defend him in court.
With that being said, entertainment lawyer and legal expert Lissa Boner told Page Six that seeing him on the stand is “highly unlikely.”
“Once you take the stand, everything you’ve ever done—related to any of these alleged crimes—become fair game,” she said. “You are under oath and you can go to jail for… perjury, so you want to avoid taking the stand.”
Though the rapper can still take the stand anytime he wishes to, Daily Mail claims that his lawyers may advise him “not to do so.”
What Other Charges Might Diddy Have to Answer If He Takes the Stand?
In addition to the charges Diddy must answer to, he may also have to address the bombing of rapper Kid Cudi’s car with a Molotov Cocktail in 2012 if he takes the stand.
As of one of the alleged crimes that brought up during the trial, Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, testified that he believed the disgrace record producer “had something to do with it.”
“There is a lot of evidence that will be presented, even up until now, that I wouldn’t want to answer if I was Diddy,” Boner explained. “For example, ‘Did you drop the Molotov cocktail in the car or did you have any involvement in that?”
As someone who may have “skeletons in the closet,” Bonner will be surprised if Diddy ever decides to take the stand.
“There’s nothing to gain,” she added.
After Ventura and Cudi’s testimonies, more witnesses are taking the stand against Diddy as the trial enters its third week.
There is still much work for the prosecution to do, including arguing that all the sexual relationships involved were consensual—regardless of how unconventional or unhealthy they may have been.
With the trial expected to last eight weeks, more revelations about Diddy’s case may still emerge.
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