Diddy trial live updates: Combs allegedly held woman over balcony, threw knife at Cassie
This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
A witness in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex-crimes trial testified that he dangled her over a 17-story balcony and threatened to kill her, adding to the mounting allegations of physical, sexual and emotional abuse against the former hip-hop mogul.
"'I'm the devil, and I could kill you," Combs allegedly told Bryana "Bana" Bongolan, a friend of his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura Fine.
The testimony comes after the jury heard from Eddy Garcia, a former security officer at a Los Angeles-area hotel where Combs was captured on surveillance video beating Ventura Fine during a 2016 altercation.
Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges.
Garcia told the court on June 3 that Combs paid $100,000 for a copy of the video, which showed him kicking, hitting and dragging Cassie in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel. The attack was first described in Ventura Fine's bombshell 2023 lawsuit, which accused Combs of sexual assault, trafficking and more.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
Bongolan, a designer, alleged she "was held over a 17-story balcony" by Combs in September 2016. She testified that the rapper threw her on balcony furniture, and she was left with a bruise on the back of her leg, as well as neck and back pain. She told the court she still experiences night terrors, paranoia and screaming in her sleep.
The witness also testified about another allegedly intense incident with Combs. She said she was at the beach with Ventura Fine and a photographer friend doing an impromptu photoshoot when Combs "came really close to my face and said, 'I'm the devil, and I could kill you.'"
Bongolan, who said she was likely using cocaine at the time, described being "terrified." She added that she wasn't sure why Combs said that to her – or what prompted his alleged rage.
Bongolan testified further about the September 2016 incident in which Combs allegedly dangled her over a balcony.
She said she was sleeping in Ventura Fine's apartment, and Cassie and Bongolan's ex-girlfriend were also there. Bongolan recalled waking up to "very loud" banging on the door and rushing her ex-girlfriend to the bathroom, as she did not 'want to expose her."
Then, she said she went to the balcony so she could "act casual and look for a blunt."
Combs came up from behind her and 'lifted me up and put me on top of the rail,' Bongolan told prosecutors. She said she was 'scared'' and 'trying not to slip' while pushing back on Combs. 'For a split second, I was thinking I was going to fall,' she said.
Combs allegedly told Bongolan she knew what she did to deserve a punishment, but Bongolan said she still doesn't know what he meant.
Bongolan estimated that she was dangling for about 10 to 15 seconds. She said she heard Ventura Fine, who sounded like she was in "disbelief," ask Combs "Did you just hang her over the balcony? Her girlfriend is in the house.' Combs then "swiftly left," she said.
After she returned home from Ventura Fine's apartment, Bongolan took a few photos of her bruises, which were shown to those in the courthouse alongside metadata confirming they were captured Sept. 26, 2016, at 9:45 a.m.
The images showed a massive pink, brown and black bruise on the back of her leg. There was also a piercing laceration in the middle of the bruise, where something had poked her skin or cut her, as well as checkered imprints within the bruise.
The same day, she went to a chiropractor who asked her, "Who did this to you?" She "freaked out" and asked to leave, paying for the visit and a neck brace, she said. Days later, Bongolan's ex-girlfriend took a picture of her back, which showed bandages all over as she wore the neck brace.
Bongolan said Ventura Fine was already dating Combs when she met her, but the designer avoided meeting him for about a year. "I wasn't fond of what I was seeing" of Ventura Fine's relationship, Bongolan said, but Ventura Fine "begged" her to.
Bongolan recalled one shopping trip in early 2016 with Ventura Fine where she showed her friend her phone. Combs had allegedly sent "a list of places" where the women had been that day – but they hadn't told him anywhere they were going on their shopping trip, Bongolan said, recalling her shock.
The designer also told jurors she saw Ventura Fine with a black eye on FaceTime before her movie premiere for "The Perfect Match" in 2016. While they spoke on video, Bongolan recalled that the friends quietly looked at each other, and she told Ventura Fine she was sorry.
Bongolan recalled many instances where Combs would allegedly bang on the door of Ventura Fine's apartment, often in the middle of the night. She said Ventura Fine sometimes seemed surprised, but at other times his aggressive arrivals seemed normal to her.
The witness remembered one night when she was sleeping and was awoken by Combs banging on the door. "He threw (a) knife in Cassie's direction," she alleged, telling the court that Ventura Fine later threw a knife back but didn't hit him.
Bongolan didn't call the police that night "because I was scared. I was just scared of Puff." Why was she scared? "Everything I was seeing," Bongolan told the prosecutor.
She later told jurors she struggles with "nightmares and a lot of paranoia" to this day. Bongolan said she had a nightmare a few days ago, and she'll often kick the door open to her apartment and peep in just to make sure "it's clear."
Who is 'Jane'? Upcoming witness faces battle for anonymity in Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial
Bongolan said she and Ventura Fine mostly spent time together at the singer's apartment, where they would work on clothing designs, talk and use drugs. Bongolan said they did "a lot of marijuana" as well as some cocaine and ketamine.
The designer alleged that Combs provided the her with drugs on three to four occasions, including ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and GHB. Bongolan said she did drugs weekly with Ventura Fine, and she would often get drugs for the singer including oxycodone.
She said there were periods when she and Ventura Fine would try to get sober. "We wanted to do better," Bongolan said. But those periods didn't last. "It's hard to get sober when there's a lot of drugs around," she said on the stand.
Frank Piazza, a forensic video expert, walked the jury through a compilation video that he made, which showed the much-discussed 2016 hotel footage of Combs attacking Ventura Fine. However, the compilation also included a reflection in a mirrored wall showing Combs throwing a vase toward Ventura Fine's head.
The footage also showed him walking away with her cell phone and then her picking up a phone on the wall. Shortly after that, a security guard names Israel Florez, who previously testified in the case, can be seen getting off an elevator as Ventura Fine went inside a hotel room.
The prosecution admitted 10 videos that show sexually explicit content. The videos were shot in October 2012, October 2014 and December 2014.
Piazza enhanced the video on most of them and the audio on one of them. While jurors will see the videos, reporters in the courtroom will not be allowed to see the footage.
A trio of witnesses are expected to take the stand today: Piazza, Bongolan and an alleged third victim who will be addressed as Jane Doe.
Federal prosecutors previously described Jane Doe as a single mom who met Combs in 2020. A few months after they met, prosecutor Emily Johnson said Combs introduced Doe to "freak offs." Like Ventura Fine, they said Combs subjected the witness to violence, abuse and forced her to have sex during "freak offs" with male escorts without condoms.
The fashion designer Bongolan, who is still friends with Ventura Fine, filed a suit against the embattled ex-mogul in November, claiming he threatened to kill her and dangled her from a 17th floor balcony. She is is testifying under an immunity order, invoking her Fifth Amendment right to not self-incriminate
Piazza's personal LinkedIn profile states that he's been an expert witness specializing in audio and video "helping law firms, government agencies and private investigators" since 2000.
Combs' trial is expected to last for approximately eight weeks in total.
Judge Arun Subramanian, who's presiding over the sex-crimes trial in New York, has said he's hopeful proceedings will wrap up by the July 4 holiday.
The disgraced music mogul is already in custody, and, despite repeated attempts at bail, has remained confined to the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center. He has been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024.
Combs' sex-crimes trial took a star-studded turn with testimony from Kid Cudi.
Cudi, the rapper and one-time boyfriend of Ventura Fine, took the stand on May 22 to allege that Combs once broke into his home and "messed with" his dog. He also spoke about discovering that his car was "on fire" in 2012, after Ventura Fine alleged earlier in the trial that Combs threatened to blow up Cudi's car.
Ventura Fine and Cudi briefly dated in 2011 during a break in her relationship with Combs after they musically collaborated.
On the stand, Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, described receiving a call from a "nervous" and "scared" Ventura Fine in December 2011, telling him that Combs had found out about their relationship. Later in the day, Cudi said Capricorn Clark, Combs' former assistant, called to let him know that Combs was inside Cudi's house.
Read more here: What Kid Cudi revealed, from car explosion to his dog
Diddy has seven children, six biological. Diddy had his first biological son, Justin Combs, with fashion designer and stylist Misa Hylton.
Diddy adopted Quincy Brown, the son of ex-girlfriend and model Kimberly Porter, who died in 2018 after a battle with pneumonia. The former couple also shared three other children: son Christian "King" Combs and twin daughters D'Lila and Jessie Combs.
Diddy has another daughter, Chance Combs, whom he shares with businesswoman Sarah Chapman.
His seventh and last child, daughter Love Sean Combs, was born in October 2022 with model and cybersecurity specialist Dana Tran.
Garcia testified on June 3 that he was concerned about being in legal trouble for giving the video to Combs, particularly if Ventura Fine filed a police report. The former security guard also said Combs told him he "didn't have to worry about it" because she "wanted it gone too."
Garcia recalled that Combs asked for his ID, along with information from other security officers on the scene. He asked Garcia to sign a non-disclosure agreement and another document stating he'd provided the only copy of the video.
After Garcia signed the documents, he said Combs brought him $100,000 in a paper bag. Combs asked how he would spend the money, and allegedly advised him not to "make any big purchases." Garcia said he gave $50,000 to his boss, Bill Medrano, $22,000 to the other officer and kept $30,000 for himself.
The court saw on June 3 bank statements that seemingly confirmed Ventura Fine's parents wired money to Bad Boy in December 2011 to prevent Combs from leaking tapes of her having sex in his alleged "freak offs."
The statements showed an outgoing wire transfer to Ventura Fine on Dec. 14, 2011, followed by a transfer from Ventura Fine to Bad Boy on Dec. 23, 2011. Days later, those funds were returned to sender from Bad Boy.
Ventura Fine's mother, Regina Ventura, previously testified that she was told she needed to wire Combs $20,000 after he threatened to release the tapes of Ventura Fine. She said she "was scared for my daughter's safety" and was ordered to "pay Sean Combs because he demanded it."
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No, despite recently handing down a flurry of pardons, including one for reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, Trump did not include Combs on that list. But that doesn't mean he can't. According to Michigan State law professor Brian Kalt, Trump would be within his presidential rights to extend a preemptive pardon to Combs.
"These are federal charges so that's the main limit," Kalt tells USA TODAY. "The matter has (to) be federal, it has to be criminal vs. civil, and related to something that's already been done. But the person doesn't have to even be charged yet or convicted. The Supreme Court has said preemptive pardons are OK." When asked about a possible pardon during an Oval Office press conference on May 30, Trump said he hadn't been approached about the legal matter but added, "I know people are thinking about it."
50 Cent is looking to give President Trump his two cents about Combs. In an Instagram post on May 30, the "In da Club" emcee said he would reach out to Trump after the president said he would "look at the facts" in Combs' case, suggesting a pardon could be on the table.
The rapper shared a clip of the president's comments in his post and wrote that Combs "said some really bad things about Trump," adding that he will "reach out so he knows how I feel about this guy."
Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling lawsuit that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry.
He was arrested in September 2024 and later charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to all five counts against him.
Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity.
Using RICO law, which is typically aimed at targeting multi-person criminal organizations, prosecutors allege that Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in "freak offs" — sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors allege they have video of.
The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings.
USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom. Sign up for our newsletter for more updates.
Contributing: USA TODAY staff
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman says Diddy held her over balcony, details drug use: Live updates
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He occasionally took quick glances at the jury as well, something Judge Arun Subramanian warned him about during court yesterday. Jane's testimony Friday also marked the first time the court and jury heard recorded footage from a freak-off Several of Combs' victims, including Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura have testified that Combs regularly recorded these encounters, and sometimes threatened to release them as blackmail material. The recording presented to the court contained only audio, including a conversation between Jane, Combs, and a man named Don while sensual music thumped in the background. Jane was heard asking Don to wear a condom, and while Don agreed, Combs then walked into the room and intervened. Jane said she often asked the sex workers to use condoms, but eventually stopped because Combs didn't like it. 'He did not want to see a rubber while watching, she testified, per reports. 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Although Jane said her first freak-off with Combs in May 2021 was a spontaneous and fun sexual encounter that left her 'exhilarated,' she believed that it was a one-time, taboo experience. But Jane said from that point on, 90 percent of her sexual encounters with Combs involved her having sex with another man in front of him. 'I truly felt that that night just opened like a Pandora's box in our relationship. It just completely set the tone for our relationship moving forward,' Jane testified during her first day on the stand. 'I meant that it was just a door that I was unable to shut for the remainder of the relationship.' Prosecutors previously claimed Combs' manipulation of Jane went beyond financial control into threats and physical violence. They've said Combs busted down doors to get to Jane, dragged her by her hair, and kicked her while she was curled up in a ball on the ground. (Ventura previously testified that Combs used threats and physical violence to coerce her into hundreds of freak-offs during their 11-year relationship that ended for good in 2018.) 'The defendant continued asking Jane to have freak-offs and promising that if she did, they would spend quality time together, they would go on dates together, they would go on trips,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said on the first day of Combs' trial last month. 'That was what Jane wanted more than anything, a real relationship … But even though the defendant promised her quality time and trips, he never delivered. Those were just lies he told her to get more nights in dark hotel rooms with escorts.' Prosecutors have indicated they only began speaking with Jane in January, after they uncovered text messages she sent Combs in the days after Ventura's lawsuit was filed in November 2023. 'It makes me sick how three solid pages, word for word, is exactly my experiences and my anguish,' she texted Combs. Combs allegedly responded by gaslighting Jane and making a vague reference to her financial support, so their dating relationship continued into 2024, prosecutors said. In the defense's dueling opening statement, Combs' lawyer, Teny Geragos, sought to set Jane apart from Ventura. She told jurors that by the time Combs started seeing Jane, 'he was more upfront about his dating life,' including the fact that he was dating multiple women. Geragos said Jane also was older and more mature than Ventura, 'living her own life in a different state raising her child.' Geragos said that after Jane's first experience with a freak-off, 'she began to do everything possible to make these nights incredible for Combs.' Geragos suggested Jane 'made the choice' to engage in freak-offs 'out of love.' More than two dozen witnesses already have testified at Combs' trial, which is now at the close of its fourth week. Prosecutors have called multiple former assistants, alleged male escorts, and even Scott Mescudi, the musician and actor known as Kid Cudi, to support their allegations Combs used his wealth, influence, and inner circle to carry out crimes aimed at fulfilling his sexual desires and protecting his reputation. Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
