Because the trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has been unfolding over the previous six weeks in a decrease Manhattan federal courtroom, testimony from his former workers members and girlfriends has revealed a fantastic deal in regards to the hip-hop icon and enterprise mogul, whose alleged darkish life behind closed doorways was not obvious amid the razzle-dazzle of his larger-than-life public persona. The bold and flashy popular culture fixture was a kingmaker within the rap recreation and pop world, and later expanded his profession into style, tv and spirits over the previous 30 years. At some extent, he turned so recognizable that he was requested to parody himself in a significant 2010 studio film — the Judd Apatow-produced comedy, Get Him to the Greek. As testimony is pouring out at his trial, some viewers with the benefits of hindsight are declaring that Combs’ largest position might have revealed extra of his private life than was understood 17 years in the past.
Combs is accused of overseeing a legal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in intercourse trafficking, pressured labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice amongst different crimes. He pleaded not responsible and has denied all prices towards him.
Get Him to the Greek is a music trade satire a couple of younger file label exec, performed by then-up-and-coming Jonah Hill, who’s tasked by his megalomaniac boss (Combs, in what has been his largest movie position) to gather a troubled rock star performed by then-relative newcomer Russell Model (this character first appeared within the Apatow-produced Forgetting Sarah Marshall). A broad comedy and field workplace semi-hit filmed within the pre- #MeToo period, its humor didn’t age properly. However it’s discovering a second life now as a scrutinized relic from one other period, with Combs’ self-parodying efficiency now wanting lots darker.
Right here’s a have a look at some parts in Get Him to the Greek which are mirrored or eerily much like accusations and proof in Combs’ ongoing federal trial.
Abuse of workers
All through Combs’ trial, a number of former private assistants have sat on the witness stand to debate abuse they are saying they suffered underneath the Unhealthy Boy Data founder. This has included David James, Diddy’s former private assistant from 2007 to 2009. On the witness stand, James testified that in his interview for the job he was instructed, “That is Mr. Combs’ kingdom” and “we’re all right here to serve him.” After a celebration the place James instructed the courtroom he’d taken a few of Combs’ medicine and danced just a little wildly, he was instructed by the mogul that footage of him from the occasion could be stored as a type of kompromat, in case Combs wanted to maintain him in verify. And that “Combs’ world” alleged worldview was put in context in testimony from longtime Combs staffer Capricorn Clark, who instructed the courtroom about being kidnapped by the mogul and brought to Child Cudi’s Hollywood Hills residence.
Hill’s character, Aaron, in Greek doesn’t change into an unwilling participant in a break-in. However all through the film, Aaron definitely takes his share of abuse from Combs’ Sergio Roma. In a workers assembly scene, Combs’ CEO debases an worker after his telephone rings, making him take the decision, then demanding he throw the telephone from his workplace. Discussing the powerful time for the music trade, the character doesn’t present a lick of empathy for his staff.
“I acquired villas in Brazil, Tahiti, East Hampton, West Hampton, Sergio gonna be positive. Fuck a recession. I personal 21 Koo Koo Roos. Y’all don’t personal one Koo Koo Roo, not one, not one. Y’all are fucked,” he tells them.
In a later scene, Combs’ pep discuss to Hill’s character earlier than he heads off to London devolves into an odd and darkish abusive monologue about “mind-fucking.”
“You’ve been mind-fucked earlier than?” Combs’ boss character asks Hill’s Aaron, “I’m mind-fucking you proper now. Can’t you’re feeling my dick fucking your thoughts? See? That’s it. That’s the artwork of it. I’m mind-fucking the shit out of you.”
Encouraging workers to mule medicine
Since his arrest in September, Combs has been accused of getting requested a number of workers members to accumulate and distribute medicine, together with his safety staff, who, in accordance with testimony, would at occasions drop Molly and different substances off at inns the place “freak-offs” have been going down. And George Kaplan, who labored as Diddy’s assistant from 2013 to 2015, additionally described being regularly threatened by Combs, and from the witness stand at his trial, detailed disturbing scenes he noticed, together with assaults and post-”freak-off” lodge room cleansing. Kaplan mentioned the mogul would generally ask him to ship a “drugs package” to his lodge room containing prescription tablets and over-the-counter ache meds and to burn narcotics, together with MDMA. He was granted immunity to testify after he instructed the courtroom he deliberate to invoke his Fifth Modification rights to keep away from self-incrimination.
Nicely, the script for Get Him to the Greek might have been prescient if Kaplan’s sworn testimony is true, as Combs’ character expresses a relaxed angle to drug smuggling as he encourages Hill’s file exec to do exactly that as he boards a airplane.
“It’s solely just a little little bit of heroin in your ass. No person’s gonna die. what you signed up for,” he says.
Wild and debaucherous events
In a significant scene within the comedy, Combs’ Sergio resides it up, visibly excessive on medicine, because the character is in a lot of the runtime, at a celebration that ends in flaming furnishings, gunfire from automated weapons and violent bodily assaults. This depiction is a far cry from what we’ve seen of Combs’ well-known White Celebration galas, which from the 90s till 2009 have been buttoned-up summertime soirees at varied posh international areas, with a visitor listing that blended outdated cash society sorts with the celebrities of the hip-hop world. However it appears, in some elements, a bit extra akin to the “freak-offs,” as described at his trial by Cassie Ventura and one other alleged sufferer utilizing the pseudonym Jane Doe.
As each ladies instructed the jury throughout Combs’ trial, the “freak-off” events have been drug-fueled intercourse marathons the place they’d take a number of substances with Combs and male intercourse employees. “Freak-offs” may final for as much as 4 days and occasionally, because the victims testified, flip violent. This was the case, in accordance with Ventura’s testimony, simply earlier than she fled a collection on the InterContinental lodge in Los Angeles and was violently assaulted by Combs; the safety footage of Combs attacking Ventura in 2016 was leaked to CNN years later and has change into a centerpiece of the trial, having already been performed for the jury eight occasions.
The get together scene in Get Him to the Greeok, unusually sufficient, concludes with Combs’ character enraged and chasing down the comedy’s two major characters in a lodge hallway.
Sexual assault of a workers member
“Mia,” one of many victims to testify towards Combs in New York, was his assistant for practically a decade. Her actual identify has been stored nameless as a result of on the trial she mentioned a number of situations the place she mentioned that she was sexually assaulted and raped by Combs. Earlier than the trial, producer Lil’ Rod had accused Combs in a civil criticism of undesirable touching whereas he labored and lived with him for a yr in 2018.
Within the script for Greek, a considerably nonsensical show of energy from Combs’ Sergio character has him demanding {that a} feminine groupie named Future “… go and have intercourse with Aaron (Hill) proper now.” That is pressured upon Hill’s character, who has a live-in associate and no need to have intercourse with this random lady. Later within the comedy that is confirmed, with Hill’s Aaron telling Model’s character, “I believe I’ve simply been raped.” Which was maybe funnier in 2010, we suppose.
You’ll be able to take a look at all of those scenes and extra that includes Combs in his largest film position on Netflix, the place Get Him to the Greek is available to stream now.