Usher, Obama name-dropped in Diddy's trial as sex trafficking case heats up
As week 3 of Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial begins, multiple celebrities have already been name-dropped during testimony.
Usher, former President Barack Obama, Biggie Smalls and Jennifer Lopez are a few A-list names that came up during testimony as Diddy's jury heard from his former assistants, ex-associates and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Diddy's trial began May 5 with jury selection. Opening statements were presented on May 12, and the disgraced music mogul appeared in court to sit through testimony from Cassie, her mother, former Homeland Security Investigations agents, plus singers Dawn Richard and Kid Cudi.
Here's a look at all the celebrities mentioned so far.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant, David James, testified on May 20 that the rapper typically carried "25 to 30" undisclosed pill bottles. According to James, some of the pills were ecstasy.
"Can you describe the ecstasy that you saw him taking?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik asked.
"There were various pills, but there was one that was in the shape of a former president's face," James explained.
"Which former president?" the prosecutor questioned.
"President Obama," James answered.
Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard testified that Usher was at a dinner where Sean "Diddy" Combs allegedly punched Cassie Ventura in the stomach.
"We were having a private conversation, and we were all sitting, eating at the tables together," Richard recalled during her testimony. "When I say we, I mean some Bad Boy, some of our other label, and even some celebrities were in the room. And they were secretly arguing, and he punched her in the stomach. Sean Combs punched her in the stomach."
"She immediately bent over and then was – he was – he told her to leave because I could see him point out, and she went out and left the room," she added.
Richard claimed music executive Harve Pierre, two of Diddy's assistants, the rapper's security and Kaleena Harper were present for the West Hollywood dinner. During cross-examination, it was revealed that Richard hadn't mentioned all of the celebrities at the dinner.
"Usher was there, Jimmy Iovine was there, Ne-Yo came through," Richard eventually added. "There were a few others, too. I don't recall those people, but those are the ones I remember talking to."
Kid Cudi was first mentioned in Cassie Ventura's testimony on May 14, when she said Sean "Diddy" Combs had allegedly gone through her phone at a "freak off" and found an email correspondence between her and the rapper.
Cassie and Cudi, whose full name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, dated in 2011 when she was on a break in her relationship with Diddy.
Cudi took the stand May 22 and testified about an alleged break-in that occurred at his home the day Diddy found out the "Pursuit of Happiness" singer was dating Cassie Ventura. According to Cudi, his car was set on fire a month later.
"I reached out to Sean Combs after my car had caught fire and … finally told him that we needed to meet up to talk," Cudi testified. "He had been wanting to talk to me. So, after the fire, I was like, 'This is getting out of hand/ I need to talk to him.'"
"Why was it Mr. Combs you reached out to after the fire?" Cudi was asked in court.
"Because I knew he had something to do with it," Cudi claimed before Judge Arun Subramanian sustained an objection from Diddy's defense. The jury was then instructed to disregard the musician's last answer.
Diddy was never charged in the investigation into the alleged break-in or car fire.
Biggie Smalls, or Christopher George Latore Wallace, has been mentioned a few times in Diddy's sex trafficking trial. Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting at age 24 in 1997.
During the testimony of Diddy's former assistant, George Kaplan, it was revealed that the music mogul used the name "Frank Black" when booking his hotel reservations.
James also revealed that Diddy used the name "Frank Black" when booking his hotel reservations.
"I think it was a reference to Biggie," Kaplan told the jury before adding, "I think that [Biggie's] nickname was Frank White."
Kaplan also testified that May 21 was a paid holiday for employees at Combs Enterprises because it was Biggie's birthday.
Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard testified in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial.
Richard told the jury Diddy threatened her to remain quiet about the alleged abuse of his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Richard told the court that one day after an alleged altercation in which she "observed Cassie being attacked," the "Missing You" rapper told her it was par for the course in a normal relationship.
Diddy and Richard were in the recording studio when he allegedly said that what was witnessed the day before was "passion" and what people in relationships do. He claimed Cassie was OK and that it was best if they didn't say anything.
The rapper allegedly said that where he's from, people go missing. She testified that she heard his words to mean that people end up dead.
Cassie Ventura's former makeup artist testified she also worked for Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. Mylah Morales claimed she worked for Sean "Diddy" Combs from 2000 until 2005.
"After you stopped working for Mr. Combs, who is the next artist that you worked with?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked in court Thursday.
According to Morales, she worked with Rihanna for 13 years along with Jennifer Lopez.
"Are there others that you're not remembering right now?" Comey asked.
"Yeah, there's so many," Morales responded. "It's like a long list of names."
At one point, Sean "Diddy" Combs suspected Cassie was in a relationship with actor Michael B. Jordan.
Cassie testified that she broke up with Diddy in 2015 while in South Africa for a movie. She told Diddy's defense lawyer during cross-examination that someone had reached out to her about being at an event, but Cassie wasn't actually there. She testified that she eventually learned Combs was at the event with Gina, another woman he had been seeing. Cassie admitted to being angry because she thought Gina was no longer in the picture.
Cassie explained she cut off contact with Combs, blocked him and focused on the movie.
Diddy began to suspect she was in a relationship with Jordan, but Cassie testified she didn't remember his reaction.
On May 19, Cassie's former friend, Kerry Morgan, testified to the singer's connection with Jordan.
Morgan testified that she did not know much, just that they were speaking at the time. She emphasized that Cassie was not with Diddy at this time, but the rapper was allegedly jealous.
David James, Sean "Diddy" Combs' former personal assistant, testified about a run-in with Suge Knight during his testimony Tuesday. James recalled driving with Diddy's security guard to Mel's Diner to get food after a late night at the studio when they ran into the Death Row Records chair. The two allegedly left after four black SUVs pulled into the parking lot and someone gave Knight a gun.
James said he drove D-Roc, Diddy's security guard, and the rapper back to the diner, per Diddy's request. Combs was allegedly in the back seat with three handguns in his lap. However, they did not see Knight at the diner and Combs allegedly told James to drive around the block.
The former personal assistant testified he was "really shook up by it" and that it was the first time working for Diddy where he thought his life was in danger. They went back to New York and James gave his six months notice.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' defense team revealed during testimony on May 15 that the rapper brought Britney Spears to Cassie Ventura's 21st birthday party.
Diddy's defense lawyer, Anna Estevao, took Cassie back to the beginning of the former couple's relationship during her cross-examination. At Cassie's 21st birthday party, Combs brought Dallas Austin and Britney Spears. Cassie and Diddy had seemingly just begun seeing each other romantically.
Cassie's former makeup artist testified that she first saw injuries on the singer's face in 2010 during Grammys weekend.
Mylah Morales told the jury she saw Cassie had injuries to her face after an alleged physical altercation between the singer and Sean "Diddy" Combs. She claimed there had been a party at Prince's home. Morales claimed she noticed the injury late at night or early in the morning.
Bruce Willis was brought up during Cassie's testimony in Diddy's trial. Cassie told Diddy she was "at the edge of tears" in an emotional text exchange shown in court about his private family life.
Cassie wrote, "As much as you think you're Bruce Willis, you aren't. He's married and before he was married, the family as a whole went on trips together, or just with him and his woman. Eddie Murphy and Paige took his kids away on their own."
"He didn't go with his ex because that's not who he's in love with. I've been at the edge of tears this whole week. I don't think that you sympathize with my feelings."
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