P Diddy’s trial continues this week, the rapper facing allegations of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering. He denies all allegations and has plead not guilty.

As reports from the court room come each day, there are many that pertain to how Diddy’s children are reacting to testimony. Diddy has seven children, who appeared with him last year on the Paramount+ show Family Legacy, with four boys and three girls. Six of his children are supporting him in court (one is a baby), however his twin daughters made the news last week after they left on the first day of trial.

D’Lila and Jessie had to excuse themselves during testimony of alleged sexual encounters between Diddy and male escort Daniel Phillip, reports say his sons were present while the witnesses recounted their stories.

When a video of Diddy assaulting Cassie – who filed a civil suit against him in 2023, accusing him of sex trafficking and sexual assault, allegations he denies – in the hallway of a hotel in LA was played in court, his daughters and mother Janice Combs remained in the room but did not look at the video. His sons watched the footage.

How it must feel to go through this ordeal with your father standing accused of such things – not to mention the graphic testimony being displayed in court – is unimaginable. His daughters seem mortified, moved to such emotional distress that they need to leave the room or avert their eyes from footage, while his sons remain stoic.

His defence lawyer Tony Gargos has stated that Diddy is guilty of domestic violence, but not the other federal crimes he is accused of. ‘These women were strong, capable, and they were in love with him,’ Geragos said. ‘The evidence is going to show you a very flawed individual, but it will not show you a racketeer, a sex trafficker or somebody transporting for prostitution.’

In particular, Diddy’s son Justin Combs has given public support for his father. ‘The past month has devastated our family,’ he wrote in a post on Instagram. ‘Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media.

We stand united, supporting you every step of the way. We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family. WE MISS YOU & LOVE YOU DAD.’

 Justin was joined by his mother (and Diddy’s ex-girlfriend) Misa Hylton for the opening of the trial in New York on Monday 12 May.

She posted to Instagram explaining her reasoning behind attending – essentially her priority is being there for and supporting her son. ‘When my son said “Mommy I need you” I was right there for him walker and all,’ she wrote, referencing a recent leg injury. ‘I’m a MOTHER FIRST, FOR REAL and I am my son’s strength and thats just what it is. Plain and Simple. Whoever doesn’t understand that just simply isn’t in alignment with me or anything that I’m about in life. I’m cool with that…

She had some choice words for her critics ‘I’m not concerned with insecure people attempting to project their insecurities on to me. EVER.’

Misa did, though, speak out in support of Cassie last year when a video of Diddy abusing her first resurfaced. ‘I am heartbroken that Cassie must relive the horror of her abuse, and my heart goes out to her,’ she wrote on Instagram, adding that Diddy ‘needs help.’

Singer and former Diddy mentee Aubrey O’Day has spoken out in criticism of the decision to have his children sit in on the court case in the first place. ‘I don’t know any father that would want their children to sit through [that kind of] testimony,’ she said, calling Diddy ‘selfish’ for having them in court, suggesting cynically that it’s all been done to skew the discourse to make Diddy look better in the public court of opinion. ‘In my opinion it feels like “Daddy needs you in court because Daddy needs all the optics to look in his favour”.’

While she averted her eyes during certain moments, Diddy’s mother Janice has sat behind her son throughout the case. In a statement shared in 2024  she referred to the accusations against her son as ‘lies and misconceptions’.

‘Sometimes, the truth and a lie become so closely intertwined that it becomes terrifying to admit one part of the story, especially when that truth is outside the norm or is too complicated to be believed,’ she said. ‘It is truly agonising to watch the world turn against my son so quickly and easily over lies and misconceptions.’

It’s hard to know what to take from the stoicism we see from certain members of the family in the courtroom right now – does it mean P Diddy’s sons feel less than their sisters when it comes to these accusations and testimonies? Or is it a prime example of how difficult it is to express, even in the most harrowing of times?