The View's Sunny Hostin Says Diddy Recognized Her in Court As She Watched Trial: 'I know Him. He Was Staring at Me'

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin was back in the courtroom for Diddy's federal sex trafficking trial , and spilled some piping hot tea on the latest episode of the Behind the Table podcast.

via: EW

The 56-year-old former federal prosecutor, who has sat in on Combs' proceedings since the rapper's high-profile sex trafficking trial began on May 5 in New York City, recalled a jarring moment she shared with Combs as the day unfolded.

"He’s very engaged," Hostin observed of Combs' behavior in the room, after he was accused of interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, and more (the entertainer has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him following his September arrest in Manhattan).

"I know him," Hostin added. "He was staring at me one day, and I’m thinking, oh my goodness. I spoke to his mother very briefly in the bathroom. I’m watching the jurors because they’re taking this in."

Hostin, also a lawyer who worked her way through the legal circuit after first serving as a law clerk in Maryland, admitted that she feels "there are dream teams on both sides" of the case, including Combs' legal team fronted by "crackerjack defense attorneys" like Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos.

"Teny is Mark Geragos' daughter, my friend and famed attorney. Marc Agnifilo is not as well known as Mark Geragos, but his wife, Karen, is representing Luigi [Mangione]," Hostin said. "You’ve got powerhouse folks in there. It’s some of the best lawyering I’ve seen."

Hostin admitted that, as a result of that legal prowess, she thinks "it could go either way, because it’s such an odd case for people to get their minds around."

She also remembered seeing a "lot of men on the jury," which gave her pause. Hostin said that some of those men might feel confused by some of the participants' testimony.

“There are going to be guys thinking, 'How do I know someone is consenting, then?'"

The trial also included testimony from singer Cassie Ventura, Combs' former partner, whom he was captured on camera physically assaulting inside a hotel hallway in 2016 (Combs later called his actions in the video "inexcusable").

Hostin said that, given his past, Combs' legal team might attempt to paint him as a "complicated, flawed man with an unconventional sex life" and "a domestic violence abuser, but he’s not a sex trafficker, he’s not a racketeer, and he didn’t transport women or men for prostitution."

She called that "a pretty decent argument," and summarized it as, "This guy’s a bad guy, but he’s not that guy."

Entertainment Weekly has reached out to Combs' representatives for comment.

During her tenure on The View, Hostin has reported on major celebrity criminal cases in the past, including her admission that she gained access to the courtroom to watch Donald Trump's hush-money trial throughout 2024.

The View airs weekdays at 11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. PT on ABC.