Nancy Grace reveals the ‘chilling’ way Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs could walk free from sex trafficking charges

Ahead of the upcoming trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, broadcaster and former prosecutor Nancy Grace has exclusively told the Mail’s ‘The Trial of Diddy’ podcast how she thinks the defence could convince a jury to find the rap mogul not guilty.

Mr Combs, whose trial begins on the 5th of May, is facing a federal indictment that accuses the artist of kidnapping, as well as coercing and drugging women into sexual activities: sometimes using firearms or threats of violence.

The charges date back as far as 1991, with numerous women coming out against him since singer Cassie Ventura successfully sued the rapper in a civil lawsuit back in 2023.

With multiple victims prepared to testify against Mr Combs and an abundance of physical evidence, veteran crime broadcaster Nancy Grace was asked by the Mail’s Kayla Brantley whether the defence had any chance of salvaging a not guilty verdict.

‘There is a way’, the former prosecutor told the Mail’s ‘The Trial of Diddy‘ podcast.

‘If the victim’s credibility was so destroyed that the jury chose not to believe them.

‘The women will be attacked on cross-examination. Their characters will be impugned. The defence will bring forward possible pecuniary or monetary interests that the witnesses may have had.

‘They will attack the victims for not coming forward until Cassie Ventura did. There’s going to be a lot of avenues of attack. They’ll walk out in tatters, they’ll be shredded.’

Grace stressed however that this tactic will not likely have much sway on a jury, given the sheer number of victims willing to take the stand against Mr Combes.

She argued: ‘It will be very difficult, if not impossible, for a jury to disbelieve all those women and believe one defendant.

‘The sheer number of victims will be overwhelming. You’ll have to choose to believe Sean Combes over all those ladies.

‘That’s going to be very hard to do – even if a few witnesses are destroyed on cross-examination.’

Grace is an American legal expert that specialises in celebrity trials. A household name, she was the host of the titular ‘Nancy Grace’ news program for over a decade.

She added that if the defence went on the warpath against witnesses in Combs’ high-profile trial, it could have ‘chilling’ implications for future victims of sex crimes in Hollywood.

‘The overwhelming majority of sex victims are women. I think now more than ever, women are more likely to come forward’, Grace explained.

‘But after the Diddy trial, women are going to see the way these victims are shredded on cross-examination.

‘They’ll be destroyed, humiliated, embarrassed and impeached. Lawyers love to create this chilling effect – I don’t know what effect that may have on future victims.’

The acclaimed broadcaster then appealed for coverage of the trial to focus on the victims, despite the defendant’s fame.

‘We hear about Combes every day. It’s all about Combes. You know what? It’s not about him – it’s about his victims.

‘I want this to be about the victims. That’s what I want. That’s how I perceive it.’

Search for The Trial of Diddy now to listen to the full interview with Nancy Grace. Follow to never miss an update on this explosive case.