The Unhealthy Boy Data’ longtime workers movie star stylist who labored with and befriended Cassie Ventura Wonderful through the decade the R&B singer was in a tumultuous relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs delivered stark testimony on Wednesday on the rap mogul’s federal trial, detailing to the jury the years of alleged abuse and blackmailing that he mentioned he watched her endure.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not responsible to an indictment alleging he abused Ventura Wonderful, his longtime girlfriend, and others. If convicted, he may face 15 years to life in jail.
Deonte Nash introduced some levity to very severe testimony as he advised the courtroom of a fancy relationship with Combs over a decade of employment, which he started as an intern in 2008 at Combs’ Unhealthy Boy label and from there, instantly moved into a star stylist function. Particularly, Nash labored for Ventura Wonderful, aka Cassie, who he mentioned he launched himself to early on and befriended as she was launching a seemingly promising 10-album deal on the label. However as Nash advised the jury over a number of hours of testimony, Combs would threaten her profession prospects, dangle intercourse tapes of her with different males that he mentioned he’d launch as a type of blackmail, and on two events he described from the witness stand, violently assault her—and at instances, him.
One in all these cases occurred in 2013 or 2014, Nash mentioned, and concerned Combs storming into Ventura Wonderful’s L.A. condominium whereas Nash and an assistant, being known as “Mia” through the trial, had been there serving to the singer pack for a visit. Ventura Wonderful was asleep when Combs arrived, shouting about her not selecting up her cellphone, Nash advised the courtroom. Combs then started hitting and kicking Ventura Wonderful, he mentioned; through the assault, he testified, Nash and “Mia” jumped on Combs’ again to cease him however he threw them off and continued beating her; ultimately, she hit her head on a mattress body and commenced bleeding.
“When he observed the blood, he simply panicked,” Nash mentioned, telling the jury that Combs then mentioned to “Mia” and him, “Look what y’all made me do.”
Nash testified that at that time, he referred to as 911 however was advised by somebody within the room to hold up, which he did. Combs then mentioned that Ventura Wonderful could be despatched to a plastic surgeon with a member of his safety crew. At a video shoot the next day, Nash mentioned, he noticed that his pal and consumer had a stitched-up gash on her brow, close to her eyebrow. Earlier within the day-long testimony and cross-examination by Combs’ protection lawyer, Nash described how this impacted Ventura Wonderful.
“She would cry, typically she would simply keep in the home for days and go in a cocoon,” he mentioned.
Nash advised the courtroom how Combs would use his huge empire and workers to manage Ventura Wonderful — a key aspect that the prosecution should show to the trial’s jury for a racketeering conspiracy cost to stay. Combs regularly would inform Ventura Wonderful he wouldn’t launch the music she made and he managed, Nash mentioned, and threatened to see her mother and father fired from their jobs. From the witness stand, Nash additionally confirmed Ventura Wonderful’s testimony from the start of the trial that Combs would threaten to launch sexually express movies of Ventura; this is able to occur “anytime she did one thing he didn’t like,” Nash testified. From the stand, he recalled the second that he discovered the character of the “freak-off” movies that Combs is accused of dangling to take care of management of Ventura Wonderful.
It was following an occasion of violence he mentioned he witnessed, additionally round 2013 or 2014, at Ventura Wonderful’s condominium. After arriving indignant and talking with Ventura Wonderful within the condominium’s bed room, Nash advised the courtroom Combs “grabbed her by her hair and the again of her shirt and began pushing her out.” He then, as Nash has a bald head, was “popping me behind the top” and grabbed him by his shirt to get him out of the room as properly, he testified. The 2 left the condominium however had been held again by Combs’ safety males, then ultimately drove away. A name from Combs was obtained, he mentioned, telling them to drag over. At that time, Combs got here as much as the automotive and advised Ventura Wonderful he’d add movies of her to the web, Nash advised the courtroom, saying he’d “launch them on schedule” beginning along with her mother and father’ employers. Earlier than strolling off, Nash mentioned Combs advised her he’s “the one one which protected her.”
Nash then advised the courtroom that she was sobbing as they continued driving off, and he advised her that she ought to go forward and let him launch the tapes, since he’s in them too.
“She mentioned that he wasn’t on the movies, that it was him taping her with different guys,” he testified, saying she advised him that she by no means needed to have intercourse with different males on the “freak offs” however participated in them “as a result of Puff needed her to.”
That day, Nash mentioned he dropped off Ventura Wonderful on Sundown Boulevard to get a yellow cab to a lodge. Later, he was knowledgeable by his boss, stylist Derek Roche, that he’d handed Combs’ safety Nash’s deal with. Combs, Roche and the mogul’s safety arrived to search for Ventura Wonderful, he testified, telling the courtroom he seemed in all places for her (garnering laughs from the galley when recalling, “he seemed within the oven — I don’t know why he seemed within the oven.”). When Nash’s cellphone rang with a name from a close-by lodge, Combs, he mentioned, knew the place to seek out her and made Nash wheedle his means as much as her room with lodge workers. When Combs’ safety guard and chief of workers, Toni Fletcher, entered Ventura Wonderful’s lodge room, she mentioned she’d “go over the balcony” when advised to go down and see Combs.
In detailing his personal relationship with the defendant, Nash testified about a number of instances Combs grew to become bodily aggressive towards him. Along with the occasion the stylist mentioned that he was “popping me behind the top,” in 2013 whereas they had been on a music video shoot, Combs threw him on a parked automotive, Nash testified, saying, “I assumed I advised y’all about going out y’all wildin’”; this referred to an occasion when Nash advised the courtroom he didn’t exit as a result of Ventura Wonderful would need to be a part of him and that may anger Combs.
Regardless of all the testimony implicating Combs, Nash mentioned he doesn’t hate the fallen mogul. This was advised to protection lawyer Xavier R. Donaldson, who spent loads of time Wednesday questioning Nash’s profession trajectory and implying Combs deserves credit score for all that Nash has accomplished professionally, then suggesting that the movie star stylist who labored for Combs for a decade plans to sue him in civil courtroom, becoming a member of dozens of others who’ve filed complaints.
“This man’s sanity was my security. … It was simply what I used to be used to,” Nash advised Donaldson of working with Combs amid alleged harrowing abuse. “I don’t hate him. It’s simply not in me.”