'Mr. Combs' kingdom': Diddy's former personal assistant testifies that he controlled his ex Cassie Ventura
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. Sign up to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial.
Federal prosecutors pressed forward in Diddy's sex trafficking trial today by calling three witnesses who testified to how the music mogul appeared to control his longtime girlfriend, R&B singer and model Casandra Ventura.
As the government's key witness, Ventura testified in unsparing detail last week about sexual encounters with paid male escorts that she said Diddy forced her to endure under physical and psychological abuse.
With today's witnesses, the government attempted to bolster its allegations. The last witness of the day, David James, a personal assistant who worked for Diddy from 2007 to 2009, sobbed on the stand as he recounted interviewing for his job: There was a picture of Diddy on the wall, and James said he was told, 'This is Mr. Combs' kingdom, and we are all here to serve in it.'
Dawn Richard, a singer who worked with Diddy as a member of his girl group, Danity Kane, and the trio Diddy — Dirty Money, returned to the stand today. 'He would punch her, choke her, drag her, slap her in the mouth,' Richard said of Diddy's alleged violence against Ventura. She said that Ventura would wear makeup and sunglasses to cover bruises on her face, and that she and another member of Diddy — Dirty Money wore sunglasses alongside Ventura during a Central Park appearance to support her.
Ventura's former best friend, Kerry Morgan, testified that she witnessed Diddy assault Ventura twice, once in Jamaica and once in Los Angeles. 'I heard Cassie screaming, so I ran into the hallway,' Morgan said on the stand about the Jamaica trip, adding that she saw him dragging her by the hair. She also testified that Diddy assaulted her in Ventura's home, which led to her and Ventura's friendship falling out.
James also testified to the first time he interacted with Ventura as Diddy's personal assistant. He said Ventura told him, 'This place is crazy,' and when he asked her why she didn't leave, she said Diddy 'controls my career, pays my allowance and pays my rent.' He also said he once heard Diddy call Ventura his 'queen' and 'very moldable.'
The view from inside
By Adam Reiss and Chloe Melas
Diddy's team brought the heat in today's line of questioning of Richard, appearing to poke holes in her testimony. It was the first time we've seen a very aggressive cross-examination from the defense.
Defense lawyer Nicole Westmoreland had multiple mic-drop moments when she used Richard's own words against her and suggested inconsistencies in what Richard recalled about an alleged 2009 incident when she said Diddy attacked Ventura with a skillet of eggs. On Friday, Richard testified that Diddy attempted to hit Ventura with the skillet, differing from a previous statement in which Richard said he did hit her and another time when she said Diddy threw eggs before setting the pan down. On redirect, Richard told prosecutor Mitzi Steiner that she tried 'to erase those things from my memory,' but 'every day, I remember certain things.'
In other news: Before the jury was brought in for Richard's testimony, Judge Arun Subramanian questioned the value of some of what may be shared on the stand. Testimony that relies on hearsay, he warned, 'strikes me as a case built on gossip.'
Marc Agnifilo, one of Diddy's lawyers, responded that he's worried that the testimony is being prejudicial to his client. 'I think this is becoming sort of a bad act free-for-all,' he said.
By Danny Cevallos
James testified today that he suggested to Ventura she leave the 'party life' with Diddy and that Ventura told him she depended on Diddy for her career, her home and her salary. That may sound like a 'coercive' environment. And, 'coercion' is a necessary element for the sex trafficking charge. But is this the kind of 'coercion' envisioned by the sex trafficking law?
Sex trafficking under the law with which Diddy is charged includes the use 'of force, threats of force, fraud, coercion ..., or any combination of such means' 'to cause [a] person to engage in a commercial sex act.' The act defines 'coercion' as 'threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person' or 'any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person.'
There's no question Diddy physically abused Ventura. We have seen as much in the infamous hotel beating video. Her testimony about being harmed and restrained would likely satisfy the 'coercion' element. But, would depending on Diddy for her career, her home and her salary be 'coercion' for sex trafficking purposes? Probably not.
The government will surely clarify this in its closing argument: that jurors should focus on the violent coercion, and not be thrown by the defense's likely argument that mere dependency isn't enough — because it isn't.
What's next
James returns to the stand tomorrow. Other expected witnesses in the coming days include Sharay Hayes, an exotic dancer; Regina Ventura, the mother of Cassie Ventura; and Jourdan Atkinson, a former personal chef for Diddy.
PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed on the case. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here.
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Daily Mail
12 hours ago
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Sean ' Diddy ' Combs' lawyers cross-examined his ex-girlfriend 'Jane' on Tuesday in his sex-trafficking and racketeering trial in New York City - and she revealed the rapper's sexual preferences might be due to his bi-curiosity. Jane, who is testifying under a pseudonym, told the jury she still loves the rapper, who is still paying her rent after giving her about $150,000 throughout their three-year romance. As Jane spoke of the good times she shared with Diddy, he grinned and nodded as she reminisced about giving him foot massages and watching hours of his favorite show, Dateline. According to Jane, the word 'cuckold' was 'spot on' to describe what she and Diddy did in the bedroom. She explained that cucks get 'pleasure seeing his woman receive pleasure from the other man,' and also 'could also have a bi-curiosity that they're too ashamed to experience themselves so use the woman to venture out in this curiosity without doing the act itself.' Diddy, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering charges that could put him in prison for life. This live blog has now closed. Jane says Diddy was a cuck, might have been bi-curious Jane said she started researching Diddy's lifestyle in 2022 to try to understand why he liked to watch her have sex with other men. 'I came upon a word a cuckolder. Man in relationship with a woman and is turned on watching his woman have sex with another man,' Jane told the jury. Jane said she then read about the reasons why men like to watch their partners with others. 'There was a multiple list of reasons, one of them the cuck derives pleasure seeing his woman receive pleasure from the other man and a few other things, that cucks could also have a bi curiosity that they're too ashamed to experience themselves so use the woman to venture out in this curiosity without doing the act itself.' Diddy apparently referred to his sexual preference as 'voyeurism.' But Jane added: 'I would use the word cuck for him.' All the explosive testimony from inside Diddy courtroom on Daily Mail's podcast The Trial To hear all the explosive testimony from singer Cassie Ventura and the other witnesses in Sean ' Diddy ' Combs' trial, tune in to Daily Mail's hit podcast The Trial. From sworn testimony to video evidence and the rapper's every subtle move, our team of journalists take you inside the courtroom of the world's biggest celebrity case. Daily Mail has been following Diddy's downfall from the very beginning. Join us as we hear from experts involved in the case, and members of the rapper's inside circle. All the explosive testimony from inside Diddy courtroom From sworn testimony to video evidence and the rapper's every subtle move, our team of journalists take you inside the courtroom of the world's biggest celebrity case. 20:45 Court hears details of Diddy's apology video over Cassie assault video Jane said on Monday she was in Miami with Diddy when CNN released a video of the mogul assaulting Cassie at a hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. 'We were sleeping and one of his sons knocked on the door and said something happened,' Jane told the jury. 'I went downstairs and I could see everybody was speaking amongst each other. I sat down. I went on my phone and then I saw the video.... I saw Sean assaulting Cassie in a hotel.' Jane said she ws about to her breakfast but lost her appetite after seeing the footage. 'It was a very eerie day. I remember that Sean was huddled with his team and his family. I was primarily just alone during that day, giving everybody space,' she recalled. Jane said Diddy's team spent the day 'trying to come up some sort of sincere apology post or something regarding the video.' 'He said that that was the only time they had physical violence like that,' Jane said of what Diddy told her about the violent incident. 'He said [Cassie] was a hitter and she would hit.' 20:30 Jane's texts could help prosecution's case Jane, one of Diddy's former girlfriends, testified on Monday in the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial that she told him in text messages that she felt mistreated in their relationship and asked to stop taking part in sexual performances with other men. 'I'm not a porn star. I'm not an animal,' she wrote to Combs on October 16, 2023, according to a text message she read aloud in court. 'It's loveless for me and nothing satisfies you and you always push me to do more and more.' The messages could bolster prosecutors' contention that Combs, 55, for two decades coerced women to take part in the sexual performances, sometimes known as 'Freak Offs,' against their will. Combs is charged with using physical force and threatening to cut off financial support to get women to take part in the drug-fueled, sometimes days-long performances in hotel rooms while he watched. Read the full list of charges against Sean 'Diddy' Combs Rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces a slew of charges related to his alleged sexual and physical abuse of women. 20:15 Jane reconnected with Diddy after Cassie's lawsuit... and had another freak off Jane said on Monday that she reconnected with Diddy in February of 2024 after the mogul texted her that he had a dream about her. 'I missed him dearly,' she replied when asked why she agreed to see Diddy again after the freak off claims became public. After Diddy agreed to a 'wholesome, beautiful celebration,' Jane agreed to see him for her birthday in Miami. Jane said when she arrived at Diddy's Miami mansion, he greeted her with the 'proper birthday dinner she always wanted.' But the next morning, after they had done ecstasy, Diddy asked her if she wanted to see one of the male escorts. 'I was just high and I was like OK,' she told the court of her response. She added: 'At this point I'm so used to this being the outcome of whatever we're doing I just accept it.' 20:00 Alleged victim Jane told court she carried drugs for Diddy twice Jane told the court on Friday how she nervously smuggled pills in her checked luggage on commercial flights from Los Angeles to Miami for Diddy. Jane said both times the mogul asked her to 'pick up a package' at his Los Angeles mansion and bring it with her when she visited him at his Miami estate. Jane testified that she wasn't comfortable with the request, but Diddy's chief of staff Kristina 'K.K.' Khorram told her: 'It's fine, I do it all the time.' Sean Diddy Combs 'gatekeeper' exec who is his 'manipulator in chief' Kristina Khorram has not been charged with any crime but insiders say she might hold the key to the investigation into the disgraced music mogul. 19:40 Jane says she was 'fascinated' by Diddy It was just something unique and different. I'd never met anyone with such a big personality and very big energy. Very motivating, just larger than life. He wasn't afraid to have his voice heard. It was attractive. He wanted you to believe in yourself. He was a really good motivator and had really good motivational speeches, he pushed you to be the best. When he first met me, [I was] a lot shier than I am now and he told me I was... the good in me, and I appreciated that. 19:30 Jane tells the court she met with both prosecutors and Diddy's lawyers before trial Jane testified Monday she began therapy about three months ago. She previously met with lawyers on Combs' defense team but cut off those meetings in April, days before the trial began. On Tuesday it was revealed that Diddy paid for her lawyers as she navigated her association with the mogul after he was arrested. 19:13 Diddy's sons in the courtroom as Jane's explicit texts are read Diddy's sons Justin and Christian were in the room on Tuesday as the jury heard explicit text messages between Diddy and Jane. The mogul's son have been in the courtroom for most of the trial, alongside his mother Janice, 85. Diddy's daughters only attended the trial for the first week before returning to Los Angeles. 18:58 Jane's reaction to Cassie's lawsuit revealed in court on Monday Jane told the court about her reaction when she learned that Cassie Ventura had filed a lawsuit against Diddy in 2023. 'I almost fainted. In fact I think I did,' she said on Monday. 'Because there were three specific pages that was just what I was experiencing. 'I remember these pages resembled my own experience... I was bewildered, I was in shock.' She said she could not sleep for days after reading the lawsuit. 'I was reading these pages and they felt like a nightmare. I felt so bad. I just had a lot of sympathy for this because I could feel.... 'I just reacted like I can't believe I'm reading my own story.' Diddy claims Cassie is trying to extort him with rape lawsuit The musician, whose real name is Sean Combs, denies all of her allegations and has vowed to fight them in court. 18:45 Diddy's attorney grills her on gifts she received from mogul in testy exchange When asked if Diddy gave her a Chanel bag during their relationship, Jane repied: 'No, I only got trauma.' 'What is a Bottega bag?' Geragos insisted. 'I'm sure you have one,' Jane fired back. 'How much do Bottega bags [cost]? Geragos pressed. 'How much does my body cost?' Jane replied. The judge then asked Jane to answer the question and she said '$1,500 to $5,000.' Jane then asked to take a break. Diddy's mom is seen arriving to court The 85-year-old has been present for most of the mogul's trial. REVEALED: The wildest Diddy conspiracy theories to emerge from his trial Internet trolls have tried to connect some of America's biggest names - from Barack Obama and Kamala Harris to Beyoncé and Jay-Z - to Diddy's alleged misconduct. Prince and Kim Porter were brought into the discourse posthumously with theorists alleging both detailed Diddy's alleged exploits before their deaths. Others even went as far as baselessly claiming Los Angeles ' deadly Palisades Fire was set in an attempt to burn evidence that would be essential to Diddy's trial. 18:09 Jane says she, Diddy and a male escort were like an NBA 'trifecta' - and she was Kobe Jane told the jury that she liked one of the escorts, Paul. When asked about a nickname that Diddy, Paul and Jane had for each other, she replied: 'Trifecta, because it's three.' She then said that was the Kobe Bryant in the 'trifecta,' while Paul was Shaquille O'Neal and Diddy was Michael Jordan. 17:54 Diddy's mother's new power move revealed Since he went on trial in New York on May 12, Combs' mother, who has claimed he is the victim of a 'public lynching', has been a frequent presence in the courtroom, one that has been hard to miss given her revolving wardrobe of flamboyant wigs and outfits. She appears to be taking the proceedings in her stride - courtroom artist Christine Cornell revealed last week that Ms. Combs, who has been sitting behind her, once tapped her on the shoulder and gave her the thumbs-up. Diddy's 'sexual' mom's power move After his father died, Combs mother became 'his world', said Combs's ex-publicist. 'He idolized her, she was like a godlike figure for him… her approval was something he was desperate for.' Jane is back on the stand after a lunch break Teny Geragos is back questioning Jane on her claims about Diddy. Before the break, Jane said she took part in sex acts with male sex workers at the music mogul's request because it made her feel loved by him, but now regrets what she came to recognize as the 'cuckold' lifestyle. Geragos cross-examined Jane on Tuesday by leading her into discussing the drug-fueled sexual marathons choreographed by Combs — which Jane said sometimes happened weekly — by reminding her that she mentioned regrets in earlier testimony. 'I resent him for leading me into the lifestyle he led me to,' Jane said. 'I resented the way he went about introducing me to this lifestyle.' 17:22 Diddy claimed he was 'polyamorous' Jane told the court that early in their relationship Diddy told him he lived a 'polyamorous' lifestyle. At first Jane 'didn't mind it' but then later on as 'emotions grew deeper and feelings grew deeper' it was harder to deal with it. Jane said: 'What was hard was the imbalance treatment….it was difficult when there became a (other) relationship that just publicly looked like a monogamous committed relationship, that I didn't sign up for'. After their first holiday to Turks and Caicos Diddy flew in some other girls to see him. Jane said: 'It was new to see, it was shocking'. Diddy's political ties revealed as photos show mogul mingling with Washington DC elite In the case of a guilty verdict, Diddy may have to use his ties with Washington, DC elite for help obtaining a pardon - which his 'good friend' Donald Trump has said he would consider. Although Diddy has often endorsed Democrats throughout the years, including Joe Biden in 2020, he has been photographed with members across the political spectrum. Here takes a look at all of the politicians this music mogul has mingled with over the years. Jane told Diddy: 'I'm not a porn star. I'm not an animal' on Monday On Monday the court saw multiple messages where Jane pleaded with Diddy, saying she was tired of having sex with male escorts to entertain the mogul. 'I dont' feel like performing loveless cold sex,' Jane wrote in October 2023. 'I'm not a porn star. I'm not an animal. I need a break…I've hit a wall.' She added: 'It's been three years of me having to f**k strangers. I'm tired.' Diddy replied: 'So we're breaking up?' Jane told the jury she did not want to break up and just wanted to stop having sex with male escorts. 'My spirit and my soul is tired. I need a break spiritually and mentally,' Jane wrote to Diddy. 'Sex is sacred to me and I can't be used like this anymore….I wanted to make you happy but it's creating a war inside me….hotel rooms…exhausting sex for days….brain fog and can't concentrate.' 16:00 How Diddy counted out $100k from a brown paper bag to buy Cassie beating video A security guard told how Sean ' Diddy ' Combs counted out $100,000 from a brown paper bag to buy the only copy of a video showing him beating up his ex-girlfriend on Tuesday. Eddy Garcia, who worked at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, told in vivid detail how the hip hop mogul used a counting machine to add up the money for the bribe in 2016. Garcia said that Diddy called him 'Eddy, my angel' for deleting it from the servers and giving it to him on a USB stick. How Diddy paid of guards for video of him beating Cassie Ventura The security guard who dealt with Diddy when he allegedly went to the InterContinental Hotel in LA for the video of him beating Cassie Ventura says he counted $100,000 from a brown paper bag. 15:38 Jane admits being upset over Diddy's public romance with Yung Miami When asked whether she called Diddy's other girlfriend names, Jane replied: 'Unfortunately yes. I feel really badly about this and I do love women. 'I was very colorful with my words. I called them a ho, that was the term.' Diddy's attorney Teny Geragos then asked: 'Later he had a public relationship that looked from the outside to be monogamous? That was with Yung Miami or Carisha?' 'Yes,' Jane replied. Diddy's ex Yung Miami breaks silence over their relationship The 30-year-old City Girls alum split from the 54-year-old rap mogul in April 2023 - many months before he faced a barrage of abuse lawsuits and Homeland Security's sex-trafficking investigation Jane describes Diddy's symptoms from drug and alcohol use 'On our way to Turks, I was facing him and could see his eyes and I could see his hands and his teeth and could tell he wasn't taking very good care of himself,' Jane said on Tuesday. She added: 'I felt he was developing jaundice, his gums were gray probably from drug use, his hand were shaky from over consuming alcohol.' When asked if she felt Diddy was a drug addict, she replied: 'I didn't know how to label it. I encountered somebody that was overdoing the partying.' Jane also said Diddy was taking anti-depressants. 15:15 Lawyer asks judge to crack down on people trying to reveal Jane's identity on Friday Jane's lawyer Lindsay Lewis spoke up during a break in testimony on Friday while the jury was out of the courtroom. She said some media outlets and social media accounts have or are attempting to reveal Jane's identity. Judge Arun Subramanian didn't immediately act on Lewis' request. He asked her to send him any examples of concerning posts. Subramanian noted that there's little he can do about members of the public doing their own sleuthing to figure out Jane's identity based on what she's said on the witness stand. The judge previously warned reporters and members of the public observing the trial not to describe Jane in detail. He's also told sketch artists not to draw her face. 14:55 My brother was an early Diddy 'victim'... the warning signs were there from the start Dirk Swain was on his first night out after escaping what should have been certain death. The 20-year-old had just recovered from being shot in the head after a college football game - and finally felt ready to embrace his second chance at life. But as he stood on the stairs of a New York gymnasium waiting to enter a celebrity charity event thrown by a relatively unknown 22-year-old music producer called Sean 'Diddy' Combs, the expectant atmosphere began to change. Minutes later, Dirk took his final breaths. My brother was an early Diddy 'victim'. The signs were always there 'If those claims are true, it would be deeply disturbing,' his brother said. 14:41 Diddy called Jane his 'crack pipe' In a voice note from played to the court on Tuesday, Diddy told Jane: 'Baby [I] had a great time. 'You are the crack pipe. That's my new name for you, or shall I call you CP.' When asked about the comment, Jane said it referenced addiction 'to her ex.' In a voice note from Jane to Diddy played to the court, she is heard telling him: 'Crack pipe is so real for both of us….definitely stay in the light, have a good celebration for you. 'I had so, so, so much fun with you. Turks was incredible, being close with you. I'm so happy. I'm definitely going to rest up...' 14:25 Exotic dancer describes the moment he realized his burqa-wearing employer was Diddy On the latest episode of the Mail's 'The Trial of Diddy' podcast, reporter Marjorie Hernandez interviews Sharay Hayes, a male exotic dancer who testified in court that he was paid to give sexual massages to Cassie Ventura while being watched by a masked Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Dancer on the 'pinch yourself' moment he realised employer was Diddy Hayes told reporter Marjorie Hernandez about his 'embarrassment' at not being able to figure out who his employers were for around a year. 14:18 Jane received about $150k from Diddy in 3 years Jane told the court that throughout her three and a half year relationship with Diddy, she received about $150,000 from him. 'I never counted but I'd assume, yeah,' she replied when asked about the sum. Diddy's lawyers then pressed, asking her whether she has 'always gravitated towards providers?' Jane replied: 'I do find men who are successful attractive as a woman. My ideal partner is a protector and provider.' Jane says she still loves Diddy as mogul lights up in court during her testimony Jane admitted during cross-examination Tuesday that she still loves her ex and alleged victimizer Diddy, who smiled as she recalled the good times they shared. When asked if she wanted to 'cuddle with Diddy' during their relationship, she replied: 'And give him foot rubs.' Diddy was nodding as Jane spoke and described him as her 'baby.' 'You used to hug him and cuddle him?' attorney Teny Geragos asked her. 'And bathe him,' Jane answered before adding that she would also put on Diddy's favorite show - Dateline. 'We'd watch it for hours,' she said with a smile. The court then heard voice notes where Diddy called Jane his 'crack pipe' because he was 'addicted' to having sex with her. In her own voice note, Jane said she felt the same. 14:00 Prosecutors asked judge for privacy measures for alleged Diddy victim 'Jane' Prosecutors asked the judge to turn the livestream in the overflow room when alleged victim Jane is on the stand. They said they want to avoid a situation where nonredacted information is shown to those in the overflow and press rooms. 13:44 Jane is grilled about her time with Diddy by his lawyers Diddy lawyer Tony Geragos asked Jane on Tuesday if she 'regretted' many of the choices she made while in a relationship with Diddy. 'I resent him for leading me into the lifestyle he led me into,' she replied. 'My choices were made under a lot of emotional pressure,' Jane added. Geragos then asked if Jane felt 'resentful that you had sex with other men for a long time.' Jane answered: 'Yes I resented the way he went about introducing me to this lifestyle ... it was built under a lot of emotional manipulation and pressure, yes I do resent that very much.' 13:39 Defense attorney Teny Geragos questions Jane Geragos began her cross-examination of Jane on Tuesday asking about her meetings with prosecutors and her relationship with Diddy. Jane said Friday was the first time she had seen Diddy since his September arrest. She also revealed the government gave her immunity to testify. Prosecutors want a juror axed from the jury Before the jury came in on Tuesday, prosecutors asked the judge to strike juror #6 from the jury. The judge said an unspecified 'issue' had come up for the government. The motion related to the juror in question is sealed, so no further details were mentioned in court. The defense objected to juror #6 being dismissed. 'We'd like the opportunity to be heard,' they told the judge. 13:02 WATCH: Diddy's ex Jane 'felt like a sex worker' 12:54 Judge denies Diddy's mistrial demand On Saturday, Diddy's legal team filed a letter requesting the trial be dismissed following testimony from Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie' s friend and fashion designer, Bryana Bongolan. Bongolan claimed the rap mogul had held her over the edge of a balcony, 17 stories high. Combs' lawyers have argued that the prosecution knowingly allowed the false testimony to be given because they had seen receipts showing the mogul was in the east coast at the time. But on Tuesday judge Subramanian denied the request, saying: 'This is not fodder for a mistrial, it's the adversarial process at work.' 12:45 Sean 'Diddy' Combs tells courtroom artist he looks like a 'koala' in sketches On Thursday, the gray-bearded hip-hop mogul turned to face courtroom sketch artist Jane Rosenberg in the first row to make an unusual request. 'Soften me up a bit, you're making me look like a koala bear,' Combs said, according to Rosenberg. Rosenberg, a well-known sketch artist, has been documenting the proceedings for Reuters in Manhattan federal court, where photography and video recording are prohibited. Diddy is not the first high-profile defendant to remark on Rosenberg's depictions of them. Earlier this year, Rudy Giuliani told Rosenberg she had made him look like his dog. And in 2023, Donald Trump Jr. had a blunt request for Rosenberg during a civil fraud trial over his family's real estate business: 'Make me look sexy.' 12:40 ALL of the horrifying allegations of Diddy's troubled 11-year relationship with Cassie In her lawsuit, Cassie accused Diddy of luring her into his circle and using his fame, wealth and connections to control her during their troubled 11-year relationship. She claimed Diddy groomed her, paying for everything with 'wads of cash' and telling her 'don't worry about money, I have money'. She accused him of 'perversely insisting' she called him 'Pop Pop', a family name she used for her grandfather. Cassie alleged she was even tasked by Diddy to secure the services of male sex workers for his regular 'Freak Offs' – debauched orgies fuelled by drugs and alcohol. By making the complaint, Cassie's actions opened the floodgates for dozens of alleged victims to come forward. ALL the horrifying allegations of P Diddy's relationship with Cassie DEEP DIVE delves into Diddy's 30-year reign of excess and debauchery in unprecedented detail, starting with his 'crazy' fits of rage as a student in the 1980s. 12:35 Dr Phil reveals stunning prosecution error and hidden 'poison' that everyone has missed Just four weeks into the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and I want to prepare you for the possibility that these proceedings could come to a sudden, screeching halt. I spent most of my professional career around courtrooms as a consultant for trial attorneys, instructing them, not on the legal aspects of cases, but on the human elements, specifically how jurors responded to their arguments. At this moment in the Combs trial – with the prosecution expected to wrap up its arguments in the coming days – I question whether the jury has been presented with enough evidence to reasonably expect them to find a legal basis to convict. And for that reason, I predict the judge may be tempted to essentially throw the case out of court. Stunning Diddy trial prosecution error that everyone has missed America is just four weeks into the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and I predict that these proceedings may come to a sudden, screeching halt. 12:25 Judge to rule on Diddy's second mistrial motion On Saturday, Diddy's legal team filed a letter requesting the trial be dismissed following a testimony from Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie' s friend and fashion designer, Bryana Bongolan. Bongolan claimed the rap mogul had held her over the edge of a balcony, 17 stories high. Combs' lawyers have argued that the prosecution knowingly allowed the false testimony to be given because they had seen receipts showing the mogul was in the east coast at the time. On Monday, judge Subramanian said he will wait for the prosecution to answer to the defense's motion, and he will have an answer on Tuesday. Diddy moves to toss case over claims he dangled designer from balcony Diddy has made a desperate move to have his case tossed out again, as his defense argued against claims that the rap mogul dangled a fashion designer off a balcony. 12:17 LISTEN: Diddy berates ex after she declines 'freak off,' tells her to 'get on her job' Prosecutors played an audio note from 2023 where Diddy tells Jane to 'get on her job' after she said she was not available for a freak off. 'I'm about to really disappear on you, you feel me?' the annoyed mogul said on the voice note, adding that Jane had a 'rude awakening' coming to her. 'You better get on your job, that's all it is,' he said. 'Because you got me on my job.' Jane said she understood her job to be keeping Diddy happy, which included having sex with male escorts as the mogul watched. Diddy's 'job,' meanwhile was providing financial support for Jane by providing her $10,000 a month. 11:55 Diddy gets huge win in court as judge says psychologist can't get back on the stand A ruling by judge Arun Subramanian delivered a blow to the prosecution's case, as they will not be able to recall an expert witness to explain victim behavior. A significant part of the prosecution's case against Diddy relies on whether the jury believes his alleged victims were coerced into the so-called freak-offs or that they were willing participants. To prove that victims were coerced, prosecutors brought in expert testimony from clinical psychologist Dawn Hughes, who also testified for Amber Heard during her case against Johnny Depp. Hughes told the court last month that victims may say things they don't mean - like wanting to participate in certain sexual acts - as a means of survival. She said victims who are subject to violence also disassociate which can affect their memory. Her testimony was meant to explain why Diddy's alleged victims stayed with him and continued sending loving messages appearing to consent to what they now say was sex trafficking. However, Judge Arun Subramanian ruled that Hughes could not speak to the jury about coercive control, which can make victims become reliant on their abusers and keeping the abuse a secret, as reported by USA Today. Prosecutors wanted Hughes to come back on the stand to explain to jurors why victims stay in relationships with abusers. They wrote Hughes is needed to explain 'how different forms of abuse combine, the "environment of fear and obedience' that impacts a victim's decision-making and emotions, and how abuse is 'interspersed with rewards, positivity, affection, and normalcy" to create attachment and dependency.' Diddy's lawyers, on their part, asked the court to not allow more expert testimony, arguing that 'Hughes's use of broad generalizations about typical behaviors, divorced from any examination of the alleged victims in this case, is contrary to guidelines regulating Hughes's profession.' On Tuesday, the judge sided with the defence and ruled that Hugues will not get back on the stand. Dawn Hughes arrives at Diddy's trial on May 21.
