1 MINUTE AGO: Usher Exposes Diddy’s Dark Secret Tape in Court

This is the verbatim federal courtroom testimony of the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial, as reported by Inner City Press.

When Usher Raymond stepped into the courtroom on day nine of Sean "Diddy" Combs’s trial, murmurs swept through the packed gallery. Many assumed he was there to offer background character testimony or clarify minor industry context, but what he had in store was something else entirely: a calculated, unexpected intervention that would dramatically change the trial’s trajectory. Though initially not listed as a key witness for the prosecution, a last-minute legal motion saw Usher subpoenaed after a sealed video recording he had been holding privately for years was quietly handed over to federal prosecutors. Court insiders reported that Usher had wrestled with the decision for weeks. For years, he had kept this disturbing piece of footage under lock and key, unsure whether releasing it would cause more harm than good. The man he once called a mentor had long since become someone he feared, someone he no longer recognized.

According to Usher, the contents of the video were so vile and disturbing that it took him two full days to even finish watching it in full. His first words on the stand were simple but chilling: “I was a kid. I thought I was learning about the business, but now I know I was being introduced to something else.” The courtroom fell silent. He didn’t speak with anger. Instead, it was a grim calmness, as if he’d finally lifted a burden he’d carried for decades. What followed was a harrowing account of his early years under Diddy’s care, how he was sent to stay at Diddy’s mansion at just 13 years old under the guidance of music industry elders who trusted Diddy to mentor him. He recalled the environment: the late-night parties, the strange visitors, the sense that the house had no boundaries. “It wasn’t just music,” he said. “It was a grooming ground.”

He testified about waking up in rooms he didn’t remember falling asleep in, about security guards who looked the other way, about being told to keep secrets if he wanted to survive in the industry. Still, none of that compared to what came next—the reason Usher was called. As reporters scribbled furiously and prosecutors leaned forward in their seats, Usher paused, glanced at the jury, and said, “I have something to show you. I didn’t want to, but I can’t keep this hidden anymore.”

Usher explained that his initial involvement with Diddy came during the early ’90s, when he was just beginning to break into the industry. His mother, desperate for a solid footing for her talented son, believed Diddy could guide Usher through the murky waters of showbiz. “Usher said she thought he could protect me, that he knew how to build stars. I don’t think she ever imagined what he was actually exposing me to,” he recounted. He described how he moved into Diddy’s home temporarily during the production of his debut album and the now-infamous “Flavor Camp” sessions. These were supposed to be artist development experiences, but Usher described them as late-night adult parties disguised as mentorship retreats. He told the court about sleepless nights and odd rules: young artists weren’t allowed to leave their rooms after certain hours, and they often heard noises they couldn’t explain—screams, laughter, or loud music followed by crying.

One evening, he was told to enter the “green room” where Diddy was entertaining guests. “There were girls in there. Girls I recognized from other music videos,” he said. “But they didn’t look like they were having fun. They looked scared.” Usher said he was instructed to sit down, watch, and learn. “He said to me, ‘You want to be great, right? Then learn how to control the room.’” The details Usher shared weren’t just shocking because of what he saw but because of who else was present. According to his testimony, several notable industry names frequented the mansion during those years, some of whom are now billionaires and household names. He declined to name them in open court but confirmed he disclosed their identities to federal investigators.

It was during this portion of the testimony that Usher revealed he had started quietly documenting his experiences. “It wasn’t safe to speak out, so I did the only thing I could do. I recorded things,” he said. He began cataloging certain events, dates, and behaviors. And at the center of it all, he claimed, was Diddy—a man who presented himself to the world as a businessman but who privately operated as something far darker.