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Highlights 主題摘要：
- Sean "Diddy" Combs' empire began crumbling when his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura filed abuse allegations, leading to multiple women coming forward with similar claims.
- Video evidence showing Combs assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway forced him to publicly apologize and significantly damaged his defense position.
- Prosecutors allege Combs created a criminal enterprise spanning decades, involving exploitation of women through drug-fueled events called "Freak Offs."
Sean "Diddy" Combs, once an entertainment industry powerhouse with three Grammy wins and numerous successful business ventures, now faces a stunning reversal of fortune in a Manhattan federal courtroom. The 55-year-old founder of Bad Boy Records, who transformed from music mogul into a cultural and business icon, stands accused of serious crimes that could result in a life sentence. Despite his emphatic not guilty pleas to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution, the evidence mounting against him has shaken the entertainment world.
曾經是娛樂產業強人的肖恩・康姆斯，藝名「迪迪」（舊名吹牛老爹），擁有三座葛萊美獎和眾多成功的商業投資，如今在曼哈頓聯邦法庭面臨命運的巨變。這位 55 歲的壞小子唱片公司創辦人，從音樂大亨轉變為文化和商業偶像，現在被控嚴重罪行，可能面臨終身監禁。儘管他強烈否認勒索共謀、性販賣和仲介賣淫等指控，但對他不利的證據已經震撼了整個娛樂圈。
The collapse of Combs' carefully constructed empire began unraveling in November 2023 when his former girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, filed a lawsuit alleging years of physical and emotional abuse. Though settled within 24 hours, this action sparked a wave of similar accusations from multiple women claiming sexual assault and misconduct. Combs initially responded with forceful denials on social media, but his defensive position weakened significantly in March 2024 when teams of federal agents conducted extensive searches of his luxury homes in Los Angeles and Miami as part of an expanding sex trafficking investigation. His legal team decried these searches as excessive, but worse developments were yet to come.
康姆斯精心打造的帝國於 2023 年 11 月開始瓦解，當時他的前女友凱西・溫德拉提出訴訟，指控他多年來的肢體和精神虐待。雖然訴訟在 24 小時內達成和解，但此舉引發了一連串類似指控，多名女性聲稱遭受性侵害和不當對待。康姆斯起初在社群媒體上強力否認，但他的辯護立場在 2024 年 3 月顯著削弱，當時聯邦特勤人員大規模搜查了他位於洛杉磯和邁阿密的豪宅，作為持續擴大的性販賣調查的一部分。他的法律團隊譴責這些搜查過度，但更糟的發展還在後頭。
The situation deteriorated dramatically in May 2024 when CNN published damning surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura in a hotel hallway – kicking, dragging, and throwing objects at her. This visual evidence forced Combs to issue a public apology acknowledging his "inexcusable" behavior while claiming he had subsequently sought therapy and rehabilitation. By late May, federal investigators were assembling accusers before a grand jury, with many plaintiffs providing evidence from their civil cases to strengthen the criminal investigation. In an additional blow to his public image, New York City Mayor Eric Adams requested the return of the ceremonial key to the city that had been awarded to Combs just before the scandal erupted.
情況在 2024 年 5 月急遽惡化，當時 CNN 公布了 2016 年的監視錄影，顯示康姆斯在飯店走廊毆打溫德拉——踢她、拖拽她並向她丟擲物品。這個影像證據迫使康姆斯公開道歉，承認他「不可原諒」的行為，同時聲稱他後來接受了心理治療和復健。到 5 月底，聯邦調查人員開始召集指控者出席大陪審團，許多原告提供他們民事案件的證據來強化刑事調查。對他公眾形象的另一個打擊是，紐約市市長艾瑞克・亞當斯要求歸還在醜聞爆發不久前授予康姆斯的象徵性城市鑰匙。
The final descent came in September 2024 when Combs was arrested and indicted for allegedly creating a "criminal enterprise" engaged in numerous illegal activities spanning decades. Prosecutors painted a disturbing picture of systematic abuse, coercion, and drug-fueled exploitation of women through orchestrated events called "Freak Offs." Despite his legal team's efforts, Combs has remained in detention since his arrest, with additional charges filed in early 2025 extending allegations back to 2004. As jury selection began on May 5, 2025, Ventura is positioned as a key prosecution witness in a trial that represents the complete collapse of what was once considered an untouchable entertainment empire.
最後的一擊發生在 2024 年 9 月，康姆斯被逮捕並被控建立一個涉及多項非法活動長達數十年的「犯罪企業」。檢察官描繪了一幅令人不安的畫面：透過精心策劃被稱為「Freak Offs」的活動，對女性進行有系統的虐待、脅迫和毒品剝削。儘管他的法律團隊努力辯護，康姆斯自被捕以來就一直被羈押，2025 年初增加的指控將指控時間追溯至 2004 年。隨著 2025 年 5 月 5 日開始選任陪審團，溫德拉成為審判中關鍵的控方證人，而這場審判象徵著一個曾被視為堅不可摧娛樂帝國的徹底崩塌。
Keyword Drills 關鍵字：
- Racketeering [noun, a serious organized crime involving illegal business activities]: Combs faces serious charges of racketeering conspiracy in the federal court.
- Misconduct [noun, bad or wrong behavior that breaks rules or laws]: Several women have accused the music mogul of sexual misconduct over many years.
- Accusations [noun, statements saying someone did something wrong or illegal]: The accusations against Diddy began with his former girlfriend's lawsuit in 2023.
- Deteriorated [verb, became worse over time]: His public image deteriorated quickly after the hotel video was published by CNN.
- Arrest [noun, when police take someone and keep them because they may have done something illegal]: Combs' arrest in September 2024 shocked many fans who had followed his career.
Reference article: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/10/entertainment/sean-diddy-combs-timeline-trial