The federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs took a harrowing turn on May 21, 2025, as R&B singer Al B. Sure, the ex-partner of Diddy’s late girlfriend Kim Porter, delivered shocking testimony in a Manhattan courtroom. Sure’s allegations, which include claims that Porter was screaming for help during her final days, have added a chilling layer to an already explosive case. Coupled with Sure’s accusations that Diddy may have been involved in both Porter’s 2018 death and his own near-fatal health scare in 2022, the testimony has reignited public scrutiny of Diddy’s past relationships and the dark underbelly of the music industry. As the trial, now in its second week, continues to unravel a web of abuse, coercion, and violence, Sure’s revelations have painted a haunting picture of a mogul whose influence may have deadly consequences.

A Troubled History Resurfaces

Al B. Sure, born Albert Joseph Brown III, is a prominent figure in R&B, known for his 1980s hits like “Nite and Day.” His connection to Diddy stems from his relationship with Kim Porter, a model and actress who shared three children with Diddy—twin daughters Jessie and D’Lila, and son Christian Combs—along with a son, Quincy Brown, whom Diddy adopted from Sure. Porter and Sure were briefly married in the late 1980s, and though their romantic relationship ended, they remained connected through their son. Porter’s on-again, off-again relationship with Diddy spanned from the 1990s until 2007, but the two continued to co-parent until her sudden death in 2018 at the age of 47, officially attributed to lobar pneumonia.

Sure has long questioned the official narrative surrounding Porter’s death, and his testimony on May 21, 2025, brought those doubts into the courtroom. According to posts on X, Sure has claimed since at least September 2024 that Porter was in good health prior to her passing and that her death may not have been natural. He has suggested that Diddy, or individuals associated with him, could be responsible—a claim that has gained traction amid Diddy’s current legal troubles. Sure’s allegations are detailed in his upcoming book, Do You Believe Me Now?, set to be released on September 9, 2025, though he asserts that critical evidence related to Porter’s death is currently locked up as part of the federal case against Diddy.

The Testimony: Screams for Help and a Near-Death Experience

Sure’s testimony came during a pivotal moment in Diddy’s trial, which began on May 12, 2025, and is expected to last several more weeks. Diddy faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution, stemming from allegations that he operated a criminal enterprise involving coerced sexual acts known as “freak-offs.” The prosecution’s star witness, Cassie Ventura, Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, had just concluded four days of emotional testimony, detailing a decade of alleged abuse, including physical violence and sexual coercion. Sure’s appearance on the stand followed a series of witnesses, including Cassie’s mother, Regina Ventura, and former employees, who painted a damning picture of Diddy’s behavior.

Sure’s testimony focused on two major claims. First, he alleged that Kim Porter was “screaming for help” in the days leading up to her death, a detail that sent shockwaves through the courtroom. While specific details of this claim remain unclear due to the ongoing nature of the trial, Sure suggested that Porter was in distress and that her cries for help were ignored or suppressed. This aligns with his long-standing assertion that Porter’s death from pneumonia was suspicious, especially given her relatively young age and lack of known chronic health issues. Sure has previously claimed that a book Porter was working on before her death—detailing her life with Diddy—may contain evidence relevant to the case, though he believes this material is currently in the possession of federal authorities.

Second, Sure accused Diddy of being responsible for his own near-death health scare in 2022, when he suffered multi-organ failure and fell into a coma. In an interview with Fox 5 New York on May 9, 2025, Sure revealed that Porter had warned him to “watch his back” shortly before his health crisis, implying that Diddy or his associates may have targeted him. Sure’s testimony in court echoed this narrative, claiming that his coma was not a random medical event but a deliberate act linked to Diddy. While these allegations are explosive, they remain unsubstantiated in the legal sense, as Sure has not provided concrete evidence to support his claims. Diddy has denied any involvement in either Porter’s death or Sure’s health issues, with his legal team dismissing the accusations as baseless and motivated by personal animosity.

The Context: A Trial of Revelations

Sure’s testimony came amid a flood of disturbing revelations in Diddy’s trial. Cassie Ventura’s four-day testimony, which concluded on May 16, 2025, described a relationship marked by violence, coercion, and emotional manipulation. She recounted being forced into “freak-offs,” drug-fueled sexual encounters involving male escorts, which Diddy allegedly recorded and used as blackmail. Cassie also testified about physical abuse, including a 2016 incident at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, where Diddy was caught on surveillance video beating and dragging her in a hallway—a video that went viral in 2023 and played a key role in her 2023 lawsuit against him.

Other witnesses have corroborated Cassie’s claims. Regina Ventura testified on May 20, 2025, about seeing bruises on her daughter’s body and wiring $20,000 to Diddy out of fear for Cassie’s safety after he demanded payment over her relationship with rapper Kid Cudi. Former employees, including personal assistant David James and an exotic dancer known as “The Punisher,” have detailed Diddy’s controlling behavior, including setting up hotel rooms for “freak-offs” with supplies like baby oil and liquor, and even procuring drugs like MDMA at Diddy’s request. The prosecution has used these testimonies to argue that Diddy ran a criminal enterprise, leveraging his business empire to facilitate his alleged crimes.

Sure’s claims about Kim Porter add a new dimension to the case, suggesting that Diddy’s pattern of abusive behavior may extend beyond his romantic relationships to those who posed a threat to his reputation. Porter’s death, while officially ruled as natural, has been a source of speculation for years, particularly among those close to her. Sure’s testimony, combined with his earlier statements on Fox 5 New York, has fueled theories that Porter may have been a victim of foul play, possibly linked to her knowledge of Diddy’s activities or her alleged book project.

Public Reaction: A Mix of Shock and Skepticism

The public reaction to Sure’s testimony has been a mix of shock, intrigue, and skepticism. On social media platforms like X, many users expressed horror at the idea that Kim Porter was screaming for help before her death, with some calling for a renewed investigation into her passing. “If Kim Porter was screaming for help, why didn’t anyone do anything? This is heartbreaking,” one user wrote. Others, however, questioned Sure’s credibility, pointing to his own troubled history and suggesting that his allegations might be driven by a desire for attention or revenge. “Al B. Sure has been saying stuff like this for years—where’s the proof?” another user commented.

Sure’s claims about his 2022 health scare have also divided opinion. While some see his accusations as a credible addition to the mounting evidence against Diddy, others view them as speculative and lacking substance. The lack of concrete evidence tying Diddy to either Porter’s death or Sure’s coma has led some to dismiss the testimony as hearsay, though it has undeniably added to the narrative of Diddy as a potentially dangerous figure whose influence reaches far beyond the music industry.

A Broader Reckoning: Power and Accountability in Hip-Hop

Sure’s testimony has broader implications for the music industry, particularly within the hip-hop community, which has long grappled with issues of power, abuse, and accountability. The trial has already shed light on the culture of the 1990s and early 2000s, a period marked by rivalries like the East Coast-West Coast feud that pitted Diddy’s Bad Boy Entertainment against Suge Knight’s Death Row Records. Knight himself has made statements supporting Cassie Ventura, alleging that Diddy has a history of violence—a claim that resonates with Sure’s testimony about Porter.

The allegations surrounding Porter’s death also echo broader concerns about the treatment of women in the entertainment industry. Porter, a successful model and actress in her own right, was often overshadowed by her relationship with Diddy, and her sudden death left many questions unanswered. Sure’s testimony has reignited calls for justice, with some advocating for a deeper investigation into her passing, especially given the timing of Diddy’s current legal troubles.

What Lies Ahead: The Trial’s Next Steps

As Diddy’s trial continues, with an expected duration of at least seven more weeks, the focus will likely shift to additional witnesses, including rapper Kid Cudi, who is expected to testify about threats he allegedly received from Diddy over his brief relationship with Cassie. The prosecution will continue to build its case, using physical evidence—like the baby oil, lingerie, and gun parts found during a raid on Diddy’s Miami home—and testimony to argue that Diddy operated a criminal enterprise. Diddy’s defense team, led by attorney Marc Agnifilo, will seek to undermine the credibility of witnesses like Sure and Cassie, framing their allegations as exaggerated or motivated by personal grudges.

Sure’s testimony, while not directly tied to the sex trafficking and racketeering charges, has added a layer of emotional weight to the trial, painting Diddy as a figure whose actions may have had deadly consequences. Whether his claims about Porter’s screams for help and his own health scare will hold up under scrutiny remains to be seen, but they have already left an indelible mark on the case. For now, the world watches as the trial unfolds, grappling with the haunting possibility that Kim Porter’s cries for help may have gone unanswered—and that the truth about her death may finally come to light.