The mirror-ceiling photo of Rihanna was sent to Diddy by Cassie and has resurfaced as key evidence in his explosive trafficking trial.

A provocative image of pop superstar Rihanna has resurfaced as evidence in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ high-profile sex trafficking trial, intensifying the already explosive courtroom drama.

The photo, reportedly taken in 2012, shows Rihanna lying on a bed in a bikini and sunglasses beneath a mirrored ceiling, flanked by two other women also dressed in swimwear. The striking shot – now being described as a “shock snap” by observers – was sent to Diddy by then-girlfriend Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura as part of a long and intimate message thread, presented in court by the defence.

The picture was accompanied by a slew of additional messages and images, including snaps of Cassie kissing Diddy aboard a private jet and effusive texts about her burgeoning fame. Together, the defence argues, these communications paint a very different picture of Cassie’s relationship with the rap mogul – one of eagerness, not coercion.

It’s a crucial element in a trial that hinges on a single, disturbing question: was Cassie a consenting participant in Diddy’s notorious “freak-off” sex parties, or was she manipulated and forced into them under threat and control?

The defence team is adamant – the messages prove that Cassie was not only willing but enthusiastic about their unconventional lifestyle. One lawyer claimed Cassie would “beg” Diddy for the parties, and that her tone in the messages revealed affection, not fear.

But the prosecution has painted a starkly different portrait. In explosive testimony earlier this week, Cassie’s close friend described chilling threats made by Diddy during the relationship – including a claim that he would send sex tapes of her to her family’s workplaces. The same friend claimed Cassie had expressed fear and humiliation about the nature of their encounters and described feeling “trapped” in a highly controlled environment.

While the resurfacing of the Rihanna photo has caused a media frenzy, the woman herself has not commented on the image or the trial. One of the other women in the snap is believed to be Capricorn Clark, Diddy’s former assistant. Clark testified in court that she was abruptly “fired” during a trip with Rihanna and others, adding further intrigue to the image’s origins.

The defence is using the picture and messages to try and dismantle the narrative that Cassie was coerced, suggesting instead that she was a central figure in Diddy’s social world and fully invested in the glamour and excess that surrounded it.

Cassie, who dated Diddy for over a decade, filed the lawsuit late last year. While she has since given birth to a third child, the court case continues to draw intense public scrutiny, not least because of the celebrity names being dragged into the fray – Rihanna among them.

Though no wrongdoing has been suggested on Rihanna’s part, her image being entered into evidence has reignited conversations about privacy, power, and the blurred lines in celebrity circles.

As proceedings continue, the case remains a clash of narratives – one rooted in luxury, stardom and seemingly consensual decadence, the other in trauma, manipulation and abuse. Whichever truth the court ultimately accepts, the trial has laid bare the chaotic and controversial underbelly of one of hip-hop’s most powerful men.