Cassie's Friend Says She's Seeking $10M In Lawsuit Against Diddy - Laura Coates Live - Podcast on CNN Audio
Cassie's Friend Says She's Seeking $10M In Lawsuit Against Diddy Laura Coates Live 48 mins
A forensic video expert and a woman who said Sean 'Diddy' Combs dangled her over a balcony took the stand Wednesday in the Hip-hop mogul's federal criminal trial. The testimony came as the prosecution has sought to prove Combs and some in his inner circle constituted a criminal enterprise that used threats, violence, kidnapping and other means to coerce women into 'Freak Offs' with male escorts and to protect his image.
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Billy Bush says Diddy's alleged balcony incident echoes 'sick' behavior in hit TV show
Jurors in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial heard testimony this week about Cassie Ventura's friend allegedly being dangled off a balcony at the hands of the rapper. The explosive testimony echoed similarities between Diddy and one of television's greatest hits, "The Sopranos," according to Billy Bush. The "Hot Mics with Billy Bush" podcast host exclusively told Fox News Digital that Diddy's violent history may have been on display, but that doesn't necessarily equate to a guilty verdict. Diddy's Defense Attorney Challenges Government's Narrative In High-stakes Federal Trial Cassie Ventura's friend, Bryana "Bana" Bongolan, testified this week that Diddy held her over the edge of a 17-story balcony in 2016. While on the stand Wednesday, Bongolan confirmed she spoke about the incident during various government meetings. Bongolan said Diddy was yelling at her loudly, "You know what the f--- you did." She testified that to this day she doesn't know what the rapper was referring to. Read On The Fox News App "Her allegations are that he hung her over a balcony, which is like, what are you watching too much 'Sopranos' here?" Bush said. "Like, this is such mafia sick s--t. It's, I can't believe it, but it reminds me of like when Michael Jackson had "Blanket" over the balcony in some Rome or Paris hotel (sic). And then Suge Knight hung Vanilla Ice over the balcony." In a 1999 episode of "Behind the Music," Vanilla Ice clarified that the balcony allegations against Suge Knight were unfounded. "He didn't hang me off from any balcony," the rapper said. "The story's been kind of blown out of proportion, and I want to clarify that Suge and I have no bad feelings towards each other." 50 Cent Warns Trump About Diddy After President Is Asked If He'd Consider Pardon "It's the ultimate, like, it's the ultimate gangster move," Bush added of Bongolan's allegations against Diddy. "Who makes that up? I mean, he clearly did, and it's sick. So I think it was helpful as far as painting him as extremely violent." Bush continued, "I still don't know if Diddy is a sealed, done deal. He's not arguing that he's a domestic violence perpetrator and general bad dude." Allegations about the incident were detailed in a November 2024 lawsuit Bongolan filed against Diddy where she requested $10 million in damages. Bongolan filed the lawsuit to "seek justice for what happened to me," she told the court. She said her lawyer wrote the complaint and that the words were not the same as what she had testified to. Her recollection of the events that night were marred, according to Diddy's lawyers. Nicole Westmoreland, a Diddy defense attorney, asked Bongolan several questions about Cassie's 29th birthday. Bongolan replied, "I don't remember" to most of the questions, which included if she was on drugs. She later told Westmoreland that she couldn't remember telling the government if the incident happened at a party or if they were just hanging out. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News "Drug use is not great for memory, and we're dealing with a marginalized character here," Bush said. "At the end of the day, I don't think the drug use thing is a big shocker to anyone on the jury … and you know, Diddy definitely partied with the drugs." WATCH: BILLY BUSH LIKENS DIDDY ALLEGATIONS TO MAFIA TACTICS He added, "I don't think that is going to come into account at all. It's just the actions of what happened. They don't excuse his actions. And I don't think that they discount her claims either. I really don't." In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. Click Here To Get The Entertainment Newsletter He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking. The trial is expected to wrap by July 4. During the opening statements of Diddy's trial, defense attorney Teny Geragos asked the jury to consider the federal charges, not the choices of an at-times violent man. "Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case," Geragos told the court. "This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money. This case is about voluntary adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships. This case is about those real-life relationships, and the government is trying to turn those relationships into a racketeering case, a prostitution case and a sex trafficking case. It will not work." Geragos told the jury that they would hear the "basics" through the lens of various witnesses and evidence. Most importantly, though, jurors would get the opportunity to "finally" hear the facts about the case. "I say that because this case is not about what you've heard on the news, read in the news or have seen on social media for the past year and a half," Geragos said. "This case is not about what civil attorneys looking for a payday are trying to make my client out to be. There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case for the past year, and it is time to cancel that noise and hear and see the evidence that will be presented in this courtroom." She noted that Diddy "has a bad temper" and at times gets "so angry or so jealous that he is out of control," but she emphasized that the "Victory" rapper was not charged with "being mean." "He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise," Geragos told the jury. "And though there was violence that you are going to hear about, you already have, that violence is not part of any RICO. That violence is not connected to sex trafficking and that violence is not prostitution."Original article source: Billy Bush says Diddy's alleged balcony incident echoes 'sick' behavior in hit TV show
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Diddy trial updates: 'Jane' testifies about drug use, 'debauchery' with escorts
Diddy trial updates: 'Jane' testifies about drug use, 'debauchery' with escorts This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. Another one of Sean "Diddy" Combs' former romantic companions is continuing her testimony in his sex-crimes trial. She's alleged he leveraged his financial power to ensure she did his bidding, which included having sex with escorts despite her wishes. When she first took the stand Jane 5, Jane described how Combs was "really charming" and "sweet" when they'd met in 2020, and she quickly became "consumed by Sean." But then the "freak offs" – which she said they'd instead called "hotel nights" or "debauchery" – allegedly began. And despite what she testified were repeated comments about not wanting to do so, she was coerced into having sex with escorts about 90% of the time she saw him. "My feeling of obligation really started to stem from the fact that my partner was paying my rent," she told jurors after explaining he was paying for her $10,000/month rental home and would often threaten to stop sending her these funds. Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges. 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. Discover WITNESS: Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more 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 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, Reuters If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (4673) and and en Español 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.
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
Jones Beach closed after fight breaks out during senior skip day, police say
Jones Beach was closed Thursday after police say several fights broke out during a senior skip day on Long Island. New York State Parks Police said crowds of high school students from Queens and Nassau County packed the beach for an unsanctioned cut day. Police said it started around 3 p.m. without any issues but escalated a few hours later. The beach was shut down, and the crowd was dispersed. At least one person was seen being taken into custody, but there was no word of any charges. Police said multiple agencies stayed on the scene to make sure the area was safe. No injuries were reported. The beach is expected to reopen for normal hours Friday, police said. Nearby in Long Beach, officials said they shut down the beach to prevent a multi-school party last week. The beach there will remain closed except for weekends and holidays until school lets out later this month. Thousands of teens descended on Long Beach around this time last year, resulting in gunfire with one person shot and two arrested. Officials said they have been monitoring social media to track plans for any potential gatherings.
