Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sex trafficking trial starts with opening statements in a high-profile case that will not be publicly broadcast. Here are the key players.

Opening arguments in the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation for prostitution begin on Monday, May 12 (US time) in New York’s District Court. The trial is expected to last at least eight weeks. These are the key personalities who will appear at the trial.

Jennifer Beidel, a former US attorney for the Southern District of New York, tells the BBC that because of the length of Casandra Ventura and Sean "Diddy" Combs' relationship - about a decade, on and off - Ventura's testimony in this case is crucial.