Britney Spears has been named in Diddy's trial. The back story is even worse.

As Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial enters another week in New York, familiar celebrity names are being dragged into the courtroom.

Combs is facing serious charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, stemming from multiple allegations of abuse and misconduct spanning decades. The music mogul, 55, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He also has more than 60 civil lawsuits pending against him.

Recently, Britney Spears' name surfaced during the trial, but not as a witness or accused — rather, as a celebrity attendee at a pivotal party in 2007.

The mention of Spears came from the testimony of Cassie Ventura, Diddy's ex-girlfriend, who recounted her 21st birthday celebrations in Las Vegas in September 2007. She told the court that Diddy organised the party at Pure nightclub.

On the stand, Cassie testified: "Sean was there, and he brought Dallas Austin, Britney Spears. I think those were the two people that stand out to me."

According to court testimony and resurfaced photographs, Spears and Diddy were seen partying together at Jet nightclub in Las Vegas on the night of September 7, 2007. The festivities continued at a second bash hosted by 50 Cent at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, stretching into the early hours of September 8.

This was a photo taken from the night in question.

Britney Spears and Sean Combs at a party at The Hard Rock on September 8, 2007. Image: Getty.

This night has become infamous because — mere hours later — Spears delivered her widely panned performance of 'Gimme More' at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.

In her memoir, Spears wrote that the night before her 2007 VMAs performance was marked by exhaustion and anxiety. She specifically said that she "hadn't slept the night before," which left her feeling "dizzy" and unprepared for the show.

Spears described feeling overwhelmed before taking the stage at the VMAs, and that "nothing was going right" for her that night. "There was a problem with my costume and with my hair extensions. I hadn't slept the night before. I was dizzy," she wrote.

The performance was intended as her professional comeback but was instead met with harsh backlash for Spears' confused appearance, lack of energy and poor lip-syncing.

Britney has since admitted that she did not want to perform at the VMAs, and claimed that her team pressured her to go on stage to show the world she was "fine".

But as the pop star wrote, "The only problem with this plan: I was not fine.

"I was having a panic attack. I hadn't rehearsed enough. I hated the way I looked. I knew it was going to be bad."

Britney Spears performs during the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Image: Getty.

Spears didn't mention Combs by name in the memoir, but made it known that partying the night before the VMAs had hindered the performance.

The fallout from the VMAs performance — and more broadly, this chapter of Spears' life — had huge consequences for Spears in both her personal and professional life. Several months after her 2007 performance, she was put on an involuntary psychiatric hold, and her conservatorship was established.

But Spears is far from the first celeb to be brought up in Combs' trial.

In the week preceding Diddy's trial, during jury selection, prospective jurors were read a list of famous names that might be referenced in the case. Panellists were questioned about their knowledge of the individuals named and whether familiarity might compromise their impartiality during proceedings.

The names included controversial rapper Kanye West, actor Michael B. Jordan, who most recently starred in Sinners, and Mike Myers, of Austin Powers fame.

Their inclusion doesn't indicate any direct involvement or relevance to the allegations.

Other names are now popping up in court.

Cassie Ventura, Combs' former girlfriend and the prosecution's star witness, her former best friend Kerry Morgan, former Danity Kane member and Bad Boy Records artist Dawn Richard have been key witnesses for the prosecution so far.

Morgan corroborated Cassie's claims, recounting incidents where Combs allegedly assaulted both women and attempted to break into Ventura's apartment with a hammer.

Cassie Ventura pictured in 2007 with Kerry Morgan. Image: Flickr.

Richard testified about witnessing multiple instances of Combs' abuse towards Ventura and described a threatening environment where Combs "owned" Ventura.

She said she feared for her life after Combs allegedly said she could "go missing" if she reported seeing him beat Ventura at his LA home in 2009, telling the jury she thought she and her band mates "could die" if they spoke up, per ABC.

On another occasion, Richard told the jury she witnessed Combs allegedly punch Ventura in the stomach at a dinner in 2010.

Dawn Richard. Image: Getty.

"She immediately bent over, he (Combs) told her to leave. No one intervened," she testified, according to People.

Richard claimed Usher, musician Ne-Yo, Jimmy Iovine and "other celebrities" that she couldn't recall on the stand were also present at the dinner.

Rapper Kid Cudi was also mentioned in court during Ventura's testimony. Ventura detailed a brief relationship with Kid Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi) around 2011, during a tumultuous period in her relationship with Combs.

She testified that upon discovering this relationship, Combs became violently jealous.

Ventura also alleged that Combs threatened both her and Kid Cudi, stating that he would blow up Cudi's car. She testified that Combs made this threat while she was out of the country and that shortly thereafter, in January 2012, Kid Cudi's Porsche was set on fire in his driveway by an incendiary device.

Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial is expected to last up to two months. Image: Getty/Paras Griffin.

The trial is ongoing, and more names may emerge as proceedings continue.

It's important to note that all individuals mentioned are not accused of any wrongdoing unless specified.

Other names that could be mentioned in the trial include former Destiny's Child member Michelle Williams, music producer Dallas Austin and rapper Yung Miami, who dated Combs, defence and prosecutors said when selecting the jury.

Some of Combs' family members could be mentioned as well.

When the initial names arose during jury selection, no context was given as to how the the names would come up as the trial progressed.

Listen to The Quicky discuss the celebrities named in Diddy's trial. Post continues below.

The prospective jurors acknowledged being familiar with the allegations against Combs, of seeing a video of him allegedly assaulting a woman and hearing a comedian joke about baby oil that prosecutors said was found in his residence.

Following the case in the media did not exclude pannelists from potentially serving on the jury for the trial, which is expected to last up to two months.

From left to right: Kanye West, Michael B. Jordan, and Mike Myers. Image: Getty.

US District Judge Arun Subramanian questioned a grand total of 32 prospective jurors in a Manhattan courtroom, with the goal of choosing 45 potential jurors qualified to serve.

From there, lawyers for both sides had the opportunity to dismiss jurors without stating a reason. The process, known as a voir dire, was a bid to seat a panel of 12 jurors and six alternates who can be fair and impartial to both sides — despite heavy media coverage of the case.

Ultimately, Subramanian deemed 19 qualified to serve, including two who said they were fans of 1990s hip-hop. The rest were dismissed.

Combs looked on wearing dark glasses and sporting a goatee, as one juror said they had seen a video on the news that showed Combs allegedly assaulting someone in a hotel.

Subramanian decided that one juror, referred to as Juror No.5, was qualified for the panel after they assured the judge they would be a "blank slate entering this courtroom."

A prospective juror was dismissed after writing in a screening questionnaire that a still image they had seen below a news headline of a woman on the floor in a hotel hallway and Combs standing near her "could be damning evidence."

The jury will be anonymous, which is frequently the case in high-profile trials in which jurors could face threats or harassment if their identities are known.

This article was first published on May 7, 2025 and has been updated.

If you have experienced sexual assault and are in need of support, please call 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732. Help is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Lifeline for 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention, or, if you're the partner of a person who has experienced sexual assault, you can contact PartnerSPEAK on (03) 9018 7872 for peer support for non-offending partners.

- With AAP.