Content Warning: This article discusses instances of alleged violence
Sean “Diddy” Combs has now stood trial in the federal sex trafficking suit that has gripped the world since late 2023. Diddy has been found not guilty on racketeering conspiracy charges under the RICO Act but guilty of two other charges. He currently faces 20 years in prison.
Ahead of the trial which commenced on May 12 in New York City, prospective jurors were reportedly provided with a list of more than 100 names and places that may be referenced in the course of the trial. As expected, there were more than a few celebrity names included on the list, including Michael B. Jordan, Mike Myers, and Kanye “Ye” West.
Related: The Jury In Diddy’s Trial Has Reached A Verdict In All But One Charge — So What Now?
While there is no suggestion the celebrities named above and in the list provided aren’t implicated in Diddy’s alleged crimes or involved in any wrongdoing, it was still critical for jurors to state whether they were familiar with these names and whether hearing them during the trial would impact their ability to be impartial.
Related Post: The Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs Verdict Explained
Jordan, Myers, and Ye are not the first celebrities’ names to be mentioned in relation to the case against Diddy, and they certainly were not the last. Since the trial started, more names (like Usher, Britney Spears) were thrown into the mix. Here’s everything we know about the celebrities linked to the case.
Why Were So Many Celebrities Named In The P Diddy Trial?
During the course of the trial against Diddy, many celebrities were named in passing, though that doesn’t mean they were implicated in his crimes. As the list presented during jury selection proved, people can be named due to being witnesses at his parties or “freak offs”, slight social associations, or associations with people who have brought the lawsuit against Diddy. Many celebrities have been named simply for being at a party or movie premiere where an altercation was alleged to have occurred.
Diddy was an influential music mogul for decades and he regularly hosted parties — for example, his famous White Parties — which were attended by celebrities and influencers alike. Everyone from Paris Hilton to Kim Kardashian, Jay Z, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin, and Leonardo DiCaprio all attended the famous Labour Day party.
Even Donald and Melania Trump, Princes Harry and William, Jennifer Lopez, and Mariah Carey have socialised with Diddy on occasion. The list of people who have, at one point, attended events hosted by Diddy or where he was in attendance is long. (Note: ELLE is not implying any of these celebrities were involved in criminal activity.)
Cassie Ventura
Cassie Ventura filed lawsuits against her ex, Diddy, in November 2023, alleging rape and physical abuse that started in 2005, when she was 19 years old. and the case was settled out of course.
She filed the civil suit in New York Superior Court under the state’s Adult Survivor’s Act, which permitted victims of of sexual abuse one year to file civil actions even if the statute of limitations had expired. Diddy vehemently denied the claims and the suit was promptly settled outside court.
In a statement, Cassie said: “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control”. The settlement amount was never revealed.
In May the following year, video surveillance footage that allegedly showed Combs assaulting Cassie in a hallway at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles was released, dated March 2016. In a move that surprised everyone, Diddy released a now-deleted video apologising. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” Diddy said. “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Cassie testified during the first week of Diddy’s federal trial.
Brad Pitt
A former assistant of Diddy’s, referred to as “Mia” in the trial, testified that in 2012, Diddy and Cassie’s conversation escalated at the premiere of Brad Pitt’s film, Killing Them Softly, during the Cannes Film Festival. According to Mia, Diddy grabbed Cassie by the arm during the conversation and then insisted that she leave the event, which she did.
Jennifer Lopez
Though Jennifer Lopez and Diddy have dated in the past, she was only mentioned very briefly in relation to sharing the same makeup artist, Mylah Morales, with Cassie Ventura. Mia also noted that on one occasion, Lopez refused to stay out with them.
Chelsea Handler
According to Mia, Diddy was once so high at a Chelsea Handler show that Mia told him “you look a little crazy right now”.
Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan previously dated Diddy’s ex-girlfriend Cassie, which was referenced in Cassie’s lawsuit against Diddy in 2023.
Usher
Usher and Diddy’s relationship has been very well documented; there are countless photos of them together over the years. Until now, though, Usher’s name has not been mentioned in the criminal trial.
When Dawn Richard, who was a member of Danity Kane, took to the witness stand on May 16, they detailed an incident at a restaurant where Diddy allegedly punched and beat his then-girlfriend Cassie, stating that Usher (and other celebrities) witnessed the assault. According to Richard, “She immediately bent over, he [Combs] told her to leave… No one intervened.”
Kanye “Ye” West
It’s impossible to know why Ye was named in the course of jury selection, though his friendship with Diddy is well documented. Back in February, Ye referenced his friendship with Combs repeatedly on X, defending him as well. Then, in March, he released a song titled “Lonely Roads Still Go to Sunshine”, which features both Diddy and Ye’s 11-year-old daughter, North.
Britney Spears
During Cassie’s testimony at Diddy’s trial on May 15, she mentioned that Diddy brought Britney Spears to her 21st birthday. Per The Independent, Cassie said: “Sean was there and he brought Dallas Austin, Britney Spears… I think those were the two people that stand out to me.”
Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi dated Cassie during a break in her relationship with Diddy, and he was mentioned in Cassie’s lawsuit. According to the filing, Diddy was “so angry” when he found out about their relationship, and “around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway”.
Cudi later confirmed this story to The New York Times. Diddy has denied the claims, calling them “offensive and outrageous”.
On May 22, Kid Cudi (whose legal name is Scott Mescudi) testified in the trial, where he was asked about his relationship with Cassie and to detail his allegations of firebombing. He explained that in December 2011, Cassie called him to let him know Diddy had found out about their relationship and asked to be picked up. He did, and took them to a hotel in West Hollywood. She also allegedly warned him that she had given Diddy his address in the Hollywood Hills.
According to Kid Cudi, while at the hotel, he received a call from Diddy’s assistant to tell him that Diddy was in his house and when Kid Cudi called Diddy, he was told, “I want to talk to you”. By the time he got home, Diddy was gone and his dog was locked in a bathroom (plus, Christmas presents had been opened), so he called the police. A few weeks later, Kid Cudi’s car was torched with a Molotov cocktail, and when Kid Cudi confronted Diddy about it the next day to smooth things over, Diddy denied he had any involvement.
Cassie also testified in court that Diddy had previously threatened to blow up Kid Cudi’s car when he found out about their relationship. According to Kid Cudi, Diddy did say, “We were homies, you knew that was my girl.”
Drake
Drake was mentioned by Cassie in the context of a music festival Diddy and Cassie were due to appear at. According to Variety, Cassie claimed that she was assaulted by Diddy in 2013 prior to travelling to OVO Fest, a music festival in Canada hosted by Drake. She said she required stitches to her eye area, and was forced to style her hair over her eye when performing at the festival the next day.
50 Cent
One of Diddy’s former assistants, Capricon Clark, testified about the long time feud between 50 Cent and Diddy on May 27. In her testimony, she said she once overheard Diddy speaking to an “entertainment manager” while doing press alongside 50 Cent at MTV and overheard him saying, “I don’t like all the back and forth … I like guns”.
It’s no secret that 50 Cent doesn’t like Diddy, and he’s been extremely vocal about his dislike, posting on Instagram during the trial. On May 28, just one day after Clark mentioned his name in court, he posted a photo to Instagram with the caption, “Oh my goodness itty bitty Diddy wants me Dead, I have to lay low, ☹️I think I’m gonna hide out at the playoff game tonight. LOL”. The rapper is also currently working on a Netflix docuseries about Diddy called, Diddy Do It.
President Barack Obama
One of the more obscure name drops in the Diddy trial so far, President Barack Obama was mentioned by Diddy’s former assistant, David Jones. There has been no suggestion that Obama was present or aware of Diddy’s alleged crimes. On May 20, he testified that Diddy carried around “25 to 30” bottles of undisclosed pills, including one set that had Obamas face printed on them.
Madonna
When Mia was questioned over whether she’d worked in the “same industry” before or after being fired by Diddy, she explained that she was hired by Madonna, who she did “a myriad of things” for. Those included leading her film division and “restructuring her internal executive team, then it morphed into multiple roles”.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Text messages were a key piece of evidence used by Diddy’s defense team throughout the trial, and that is how Leonardo DiCaprio’s name was brought in. During her cross-examination, text messages Mia sent after leaving her job following alleged physical and sexual abuse by Diddy were pored over, and she admits that they all appeared positive.
In one, she referenced that “Leo [DiCaprio] grabbed my pink bedazzled BlackBerry’,” followed by what appeared to be talk of gambling.
Chris Brown
Chris Brown’s name was raised when Cassie Ventura was questioned over an alleged encounter with him. “Do you remember the incident where he suspected you of dancing with Chris Brown?” defense attorney Anna Estevao asked Ventura. Though she read the text messages and noted that was what they implied, she said she didn’t really remember the incident.
Ne-Yo
Dawn Richard testified that Ne-Yo was present on the occasion when Diddy allegedly punched Cassie in the face while at a restaurant in 2010.
R. Kelly
A text message from 2019 between Mia and Diddy showed her telling him that she had a nightmare after he rescued her from being trapped in an elevator with convicted sex offender, R. Kelly.
Nicky Minaj
Ventura testified that she had once recorded a song with Minaj after she was given access to contacts in the music industry while dating Diddy.
Lil Wayne
Similarly, Ventura stated that she had recorded a song with Lil Wayne while dating Diddy as well.
Mike Myers
No one really knows why Mike Myers’ name would be on the list, though USA Today noted that there was a gag about Myers in an Austin Powers movie.
Michelle Williams
Michelle Williams’ name was reportedly included in the document provided to prospective jurors.
Dawn Richard
Dawn Richard was in the girl group Danity Kane, which was formed on Diddy’s talent show, Making the Band, which aired on MTV in Australia. In September 2024, Richard sued Diddy for sexual assault and battery. Diddy denied the claims, and according to a statement from his lawyer Erica Wolff, he was “shocked and disappointed” by the lawsuit.
Yung Miami
Yung Miami, a rapper whose real name is Caresha Brownlee, dated Diddy between 2021 and 2023. When asked about the allegations against Diddy, she said: “I can’t speak on something that I don’t know. I can’t speak on these allegations because I wasn’t around at the time. I don’t know that person, and that wasn’t my experience.”
Laurieann Gibson
You may recognise Laurieann Gibson as one of the choreographers in Honey and she actually is a choreographer in real life. She has been connected to Diddy professionally, thanks to her work on his reality TV series, Making the Band.
Harve Pierre
Harve Pierre is a record producer who is best known for his work on Diddy’s label, Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records.
Kim Porter
Kim Porter is the mother to Diddy’s two daughters, and she died in 2018 from lobar pneumonia. Kim Porter was mentioned during Cassie’s testimony as she said her relationship with him started before his relationship with Porter had ended.
Dallas Austin
Dallas Austin is a Grammy-winning songwriter who has produced songs like ‘The Boy Is Mine’ by Brandy. It has been reported that he dated Diddy’s late ex-wife, Kim Porter, who died in 2018.
Wiz Khalifa
During the trial, the jury was shown photos from the 2011 ‘Black and Yellow’ music video, which is one of Wiz Khalifa’s songs that features Cassie. Diddy’s defence attempted to use the video as proof that Diddy has not hindered Cassie’s career.
Suge Knight
According to reporting by ABC News, Suge Knight has been mentioned at least 50 times in the course of the Diddy trial, to date. He is West Coast label Death Row Records and is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence after pleading no-contest to voluntary manslaughter charges in 2018.
Knight is a long-time rival of Diddy and one event that has been raised repeatedly in court is an alleged confrontation that occurred after Diddy spotted Knight at a Los Angeles diner. Knight has also been vocal about how he thinks Diddy should approach his trial, urging him to take the stand in the hopes that others will also be held to account for their involvement. “I think it’d be a great thing to let Puffy tell his truth,” Knight told ABC. “Tell the real truth, and bring everybody accountable.”
Rita Ora
When one of Cassie and Diddy’s former stylists, Deonte Nash, testified, they claimed that on one occasion, Diddy got angry with Cassie for going clubbing without him. She was apparently out partying with Rita Ora, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton, and Nash.
Rihanna
Rihanna also shared the same makeup artist as Cassie Ventura and Jennifer Lopez, Mylah Morales. During cross examination, Morales, who appeared in court, was shown a photo from one occasion when she had done Cassie’s makeup, and Rihanna is also shown in the photo standing with Cassie.
Mick Jagger
When Mia was questioned about the celebrities she encountered while employed by Diddy, she mentioned an instance when she was out with Mick Jagger and Paris Hilton.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
