The Diddy trial details are worse than anyone expected. Will it matter? [View all]
As Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial continues with its second week of witness testimony, the details of his alleged abuse and violence are disturbing and horrific – and photos and video evidence also back them up. This week, the jury saw videos of the alleged “freak off” parties at the center of the case; and on May 14, prosecutors released the full-length version of a hotel surveillance video that shows Combs’ physically assaulting then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura Fine.
But cases of sexual abuse or domestic violence rarely have a portfolio of photo or video evidence. Abuse can look different in each relationship, and is not always visible, like with emotional abuse and manipulation.
And while people believe Cassie – the reactions aren’t all supportive. There’s been an outpouring of sympathy, but also a slew of victim-blaming. So, what does how we respond to Diddy’s trial mean for victims of sexual violence when the evidence isn’t so plentiful?
The way we respond as a community and society to trials like Diddy’s impacts the decisions that survivors make in terms of getting help, leaving abusive situations and speaking out, says Elizabeth L. Jeglic, a clinical psychologist specializing in sexual violence and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. Sociologist Nicole Bedera also cautions that requiring graphic details to believe a victim’s recount of abuse can also set a dangerous bar for what people consider violent or believable enough to extend sympathy to survivors.
In most cases, there are no videos to prove an abuser’s violence. The hard evidence – from photos and videos to numerous witness testimonies – supporting Cassie’s testimony is the “exception, not the rule,” Jelgic says.
Oftentimes, it takes numerous allegations for the public to change their opinion of an alleged abuser. But Jelgic says it shouldn’t have to get to that point, and that graphic details can also be detrimental to some viewers.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/05/22/diddy-trial-cassie-impact-survivors/83753671007/
Why should victims have to produce picture after picture or video after video? Especially underage victims?
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