The fourth week of Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ sex-trafficking trial featured dramatic testimony in regards to the rap mogul dangling a lady from a Seventeenth-floor balcony and shopping for damning surveillance footage with $100,000 in money in a paper bag, whereas a former girlfriend utilizing the pseudonym “Jane” obtained emotional on the witness stand as she described being compelled to take part in marathon “freak-offs.”
Combs is accused of utilizing violence, cash and blackmail to power girls to take part in elaborate, drug-fueled intercourse reveals known as “freak-offs” — expenses that Combs denies, saying his intercourse events have been consensual. Federal prosecutors have been presenting the case to a jury in New York since early Might.
The trial’s fourth week started on Monday (June 2) with the cross-examination of Combs’ former assistant, who’s utilizing the pseudonym “Mia” within the trial. Mia testified that Combs sexually assaulted her quite a few instances throughout her employment, in keeping with reporting from the New York Times.
On Tuesday (June 3), a safety officer on the InterContinental Resort in Los Angeles advised the jury that Combs gave him a brown paper bag filled with $100,000 in money in change for now-infamous surveillance footage of the rapper violently beating his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. That video is a centerpiece of the prosecution’s case in opposition to Combs.
“He mentioned to not make any huge purchases,” testified the safety officer, Eddy Garcia, in keeping with the Times.
Prosecutors will doubtless level to Garcia’s testimony to again their declare that Combs used cash and the ability of his companies to impede justice, a central piece of their racketeering conspiracy cost, whereas Group Combs has mentioned he was merely attempting to forestall unhealthy publicity in shopping for the footage.
Wednesday (June 4) introduced extra dramatic testimony, this time from Ventura’s buddy Bryana Bongolan. Bongolan alleged that Combs dangled her from the Seventeenth-floor balcony of Ventura’s residence in 2016, an incident that Ventura beforehand chronicled in her civil lawsuit that sparked Combs’ downfall.
“I’ve night time terrors and paranoia and scream in my sleep at instances,” Bongolan testified in regards to the lasting psychological impression of that night time, in keeping with CNN.
Bongolan additionally advised the jury that she as soon as witnessed Combs throwing a knife at Ventura, who gave lengthy testimony at the start of the trial about years of alleged abuse. One other time, Bongolan mentioned, Combs threatened her life at a photoshoot.
“He got here up actually near my face and mentioned one thing across the strains of, ‘I’m the satan and I might kill you,’” Bongolan mentioned.
Jurors spent the majority of each Thursday and Friday (June 5 and June 6) listening to from an nameless former girlfriend of Combs utilizing the pseudonym “Jane,” the Washington Post reviews. In emotional and at instances tear-filled testimony, Jane mentioned she felt obligated to take part in Combs’ freak-offs as a result of he paid her hire and different payments.
The jury additionally watched movies of the freak-offs, by which Jane mentioned Combs compelled her to have intercourse with a number of male escorts over the course of greater than 24 hours at a time. She mentioned Combs rejected her requests to make use of condoms and wouldn’t let her take breaks when she was in ache.
Jane’s testimony typically mirrored that of Ventura; notably, each girls claimed that Combs coerced them into performing intercourse acts that the rapper’s protection attorneys insist have been consensual. This got here by in textual content messages between Jane and Combs that have been entered into proof.
“I don’t need to play this position in your life anymore. It’s darkish, sleazy and makes me really feel disgusted with myself,” wrote Jane in a single message. “I don’t need to really feel obligated to carry out these nights with you in worry of shedding the roof over my head.”
“Lady cease,” Combs replied.
Jane is ready to return to court docket on Monday (June 9) for extra testimony. The trial is scheduled to proceed for as much as one other month.