Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial completed its second week of testimony on Thursday, with the jury listening to a variety of proof as prosecutors attempt to show that, over twenty years, the rap and vogue mogul abused ladies, engaged within the trafficking of intercourse staff and turned his music and vogue empire right into a felony enterprise.
Combs’ protection countered these allegations this week with strategic cross-examinations of many of the witnesses introduced by federal prosecutors, aiming to discredit and decrease their allegations, testimony and skilled witness standing as Combs maintains that he’s harmless of all expenses within the case.
Sharp and difficult questioning has pervaded the trial, which is predicted to final for 5 extra weeks and, if it ends with a responsible verdict from the eight-man and four-woman jury, might end result within the onetime high-flying famous person of the rap world in jail for all times. Here’s a have a look at a number of the most compelling exchanges and moments from this week on the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in decrease Manhattan.
The Ex-Assistant and the Kompromat
On Tuesday, Combs’ former assistant David James testified about quite a lot of experiences he had throughout his time working for the mogul. One trade he had with Combs following an workplace occasion could again up the declare that he was vulnerable to holding onto compromising footage of individuals as a type of safety, threatening to launch it with a purpose to preserve them in line.
Cassie Ventura testified final week {that a} comparable menace hung over loads of their relationship, with Combs threatening to launch “freak-off” footage of her with male intercourse staff that she believed might destroy her profession. The apply can also be in keeping with what Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who labored as Combs’ videographer whereas dwelling with him and producing his music, said in his civil grievance towards Combs final yr. Right here’s a have a look at what James mentioned in courtroom this week.
James: Just a few days later, we made it again to New York Metropolis, we had been within the government workplace and he known as me into his workplace. He was reviewing footage from the occasion.
Prosecution: Are you able to clarify what you imply by footage from the occasion?
Yeah, so we’d have a videographer who principally recorded every part for his events, and Mr. Combs was reviewing the footage to see what individuals had been doing on the occasion, issues like that.
What, if something, did Mr. Combs say to you about this video?
He was type of like, I heard about it at first. And he says, “Yo, playboy, is that you just dancing across the occasion,” and I mentioned, “Yeah, that was me dancing across the occasion.” And he mentioned, “Have been you on ecstasy that evening?” And I mentioned, “Sure, sir, I used to be.” And he type of nodded his head and he mentioned, “Okay, I need to preserve this footage in case I ever want it.”
The Mogul and the $20,000 Demand
This week, the jury and public discovered, as Combs grew to become aware of Ventura’s affair with rapper Child Cudi, he demanded that her mom, Regina Ventura, who took the stand to testify this week, pay him $20,000 in compensation for the funding that he’d made in her as an artist signed to his Dangerous Boy Information label.
Regina Ventura testified that she paid the cash for the protection of her daughter following her dealings and relationship with Combs. Days after the $20,000 was paid to Combs, it was returned with no remark or rationalization from Combs to his on-off girlfriend’s mom.
Notably, Combs’ protection workforce declined to cross-examine Regina Ventura. Right here’s a have a look at her trade from the stand with the feds.
When did you meet Sean Combs?
2006. My daughter signed along with his Dangerous Boy Information. He was her boss. Then they began relationship. They moved to L.A.
Learn this message from December 2011.
Casandra wrote to me. She mentioned Sean Combs threatened to launch a intercourse tape and go after her and Mr. Mescudi.
How did you react?
It made me sick. Sean Combs demanded $20,000, he mentioned to recoup losses as a consequence of Mr. Mescudi, from my husband and myself
Why did you are taking a mortgage to pay Sean Combs?
For the protection of my daughter.
The Punisher and the Freezer Meat
Tuesday noticed colourful testimony from Sharay Dashawn Hayes, the intercourse employee often called “The Punisher,” who mentioned his work with Ventura and Combs at “freak-offs,” over a number of events. And for a person often called “The Punisher,” he was fairly candid a couple of matter which may embarrass some males and definitely runs counter to his moniker.
Hayes work at “freak-offs” ended when his points round erectile dysfunction in 2015 apparently annoyed Combs to the purpose that he was not employed, Hayes informed the courtroom this week. The mogul’s “assertive, aggressive” tone as he demanded that Hayes and Ventura have penetrative intercourse in entrance of him, which was delivered in shut proximity, threw him off and “startled” him, he mentioned.
Whereas this, Hayes says he believed, was what ended his skilled relationship with the couple, his story has a cheerful ending. He finally wrote a e book, known as In Search of Freezer Meat, which he described as “a males’s self-help e book that chronicles me growing and finally curing my erectile dysfunction by the use of a penis implant.”
Right here’s a have a look at Hayes’ trade with Assistant U.S. Lawyer Meredith C. Foster.
Why did you may have these efficiency points?
Simply, you already know, me personally, a sexual situation with a lady’s accomplice current, actively giving instructions and stuff, like that was not the norm for me. So it created some discomfort that would have an effect on me and my efficiency.
What would you are taking to handle these efficiency points throughout these encounters?
Oh, I attempted Cialis, Viagra, the nook retailer capsule, something that I assumed might presumably assist me carry out. It was loads of stress.
Roughly when was the final time you had a sexual encounter with Ventura and Combs?
March of 2015, someplace round that point.
Are you able to describe what occurred throughout that encounter?
Comparable situation the place we began out interacting on the sofa. That is particularly, I imagine I discussed earlier that there was a time that Mr. Combs got here, intervened, he put — threw condoms on the sofa, and he expressed he was prepared for us to start penetration. His interplay and him being in shut proximity was not the norm, so it type of threw me off and startled me, so I struggled with getting an erection and I couldn’t carry out.
What did he say?
He mentioned I’m prepared — as he introduced the condoms, he mentioned ‘I’m able to see you fuck her.”
And what did he do with the condoms?
He threw them on the sofa the place we had been interacting.
What was his tone when he mentioned I’m able to see you fuck her?
Assertive, aggressive.
How did she react?
She reacted type of startled, much like myself.
And did you and Ms. Ventura interact in penetrative intercourse after this?
We tried to, however like I mentioned, I struggled to realize an erection and preserve it, so it was a failure.
And what occurred on the finish of this encounter?
Finally, one other comparable situation, Mr. Combs left the room, Ms. Ventura adopted him, she may need returned a couple of minutes later, and I used to be nonetheless instructed to complete. So I imagine I masturbated to some extent of orgasm. Shortly after they each left the room and she or he returned with cash to pay me. We had a dialog the place she was thanking me for my — for being non-public and, you already know, respecting their privateness by way of our interactions.
Rapper Child Cudi (middle) leaves Manhattan federal courtroom after testifying within the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial on Thursday.
Photograph by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photograph by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
The Porsche and the DNA
As Scott “Child Cudi” Mescudi shared from the witness stand as he testified on Thursday, one element from protection legal professional Brian Metal took the rapper abruptly. Following the bombing of Mescudi’s Porsche outdoors his Hollywood Hills home in 2012, police launched an investigation. However in line with Mescudi, he by no means discovered something in regards to the incident from native police.
However Metal had some data to share with Mescudi as he cross-examined the witness. It seems that DNA from a feminine was found on the automobile in the course of the investigation. Given the character of DNA, it’s onerous to say if this might level to the gender of the offender who wrecked the automobile with a Molotov cocktail, it was compelling sufficient to be famous by police and talked about by Metal in courtroom. Nevertheless it actually offered a real second of shock this week and would possibly ship novice web sleuths down a rabbit gap over the weekend.
Right here’s how the trade went down on Thursday between the protection, the prosecution, Mescudi and the decide overseeing the proceedings.
Protection Lawyer Metal: You knew that DNA was collected, true?
Mescudi: Sure.
Metal: You understand that DNA comes again to a feminine, proper?
Mescudi: You mentioned what now?
Metal: The DNA comes again to a feminine.
U.S. Lawyer Johnson: Objection.
Choose Arun Subramanian: Grounds?
U.S. Lawyer Johnson: Rumour, hypothesis, basis.
Choose Subramanian: Mr. Metal, possibly you’ll be able to ask some extra questions.
Metal: Certain. And had been you conscious that the outcomes got here again from the DNA that it got here to a feminine? That’s my query.
Johnson: Similar objection.
Choose Subramanian: Sustained.
Metal: Are you aware that there have been outcomes from the DNA?
U.S. Lawyer Johnson: Objection.
Choose Subramanian: That’s overruled.
Mescudi: I attempted to succeed in out to the police. I didn’t hear any follow-up about any of the fingerprints or something.