'I'm the devil': Witness testifies that Diddy made threats, held her over 17th-floor balcony
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. Sign up to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial.
Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Diddy's former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, testified today to a terrifying moment involving the music mogul in September 2016. Bongolan said she was sleeping on the couch at Ventura's 17th-floor Los Angeles apartment when Diddy banged on the door. She went out to the balcony to smoke marijuana, and Diddy, who had gotten inside, 'came behind me and lifted me up and had me on top of the rail,' she testified. He held her for about 10 to 15 seconds, she said, and 'for a second, I thought I was going to fall.' She said Diddy was yelling at her and she didn't know why.
Here's what else to know about today's testimony:
Bongolan testified that while upset, Diddy once threw a knife in Ventura's direction, and she threw it back; both their throws missed. In another interaction, Bongolan said, Diddy allegedly told her something along the lines of, 'I am the devil and I can kill you.' She testified that Diddy had taken cocaine at the time he made the comments.
During cross-examination, defense lawyer Nicole Westmoreland tried to discredit Bongolan's memory of the alleged dangling incident. Bongolan answered, 'I don't remember,' multiple times when challenged.
The government also called Frank Piazza, a forensic video expert, who testified about the authenticity of the hotel security video of Diddy assaulting Ventura in March 2016 as well as related cellphone videos. The hotel video, which has been central to the prosecution's case, was not altered, according to Piazza.
🔎 The view from inside
By Adam Reiss and Jing Feng
Diddy watched the jury closely when they first took their seats. He was also attentive when it came to the testimony. Much of today was spent looking at security footage and cellphone videos, and he peered at the monitor in front of him.
Piazza's testimony going over the videos may have seemed technical, but the long stretch spent looking at Diddy assaulting Ventura could also have a cumulative effect on the jury.
In other news: Diddy's lawyers complained to Judge Arun Subramanian that although Diddy has 300 minutes for phone calls, for some reason, he can't get in touch with lawyers at night. Defense lawyer Xavier Donaldson called it 'unacceptable.' Subramanian said he would reach out to the jail and see what could be done.
👨⚖️ Analysis: Is the video relevant?
By Danny Cevallos
The last two days have featured testimony about the 2016 hotel beating video. The government first called a hotel security officer who testified that Diddy paid $100,000 in cash in a brown paper bag in exchange for the video. Today, prosecutors called a forensic video expert, who narrated the events on screen, frame by frame. So why is the video relevant if Diddy was not charged with the assault that was recorded?
The defense tried mightily to exclude the video, arguing, in part, that any relevance was outweighed by the prejudicial effect. It lost.
How the video fits into the government's theory of the case appears to be this: Prosecutors allege the drug-fueled sexual encounters known as 'freak offs' constituted commercial sex acts (for purposes of sex trafficking).
The video shows Diddy using force or coercion — one of the necessary elements of sex trafficking — to prevent Ventura from escaping a 'freak off,' as she said during her testimony.
The cash payment to hotel security is then an effort to conceal that conduct. Plus, racketeering charges are often about a boss corrupting his own company.
Finally, the government is very skilled at finding a way to introduce the most devastating evidence against a defendant — which it's done here.
Tomorrow: The defense plans to continue cross-examining Bongolan as court resumes later than usual. Also, a Diddy accuser who will go by the pseudonym 'Jane' is expected to begin multiple days of testimony. Jane, who was identified as 'Victim-2' in the prosecution's indictment, was allegedly engaged in commercial sex acts 'as a result of force, fraud or coercion.'
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. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here. 🎧
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Another ex and alleged victim of Sean ‘Diddy' Combs testifies about ‘freak-offs'
The federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs resumed on Friday with testimony from a former girlfriend and alleged victim, identified as 'Jane'. The woman, described by prosecutors as a single mother who met Combs in 2020, testified on Friday that Combs denied requests that escorts wear condoms during the drug-fueled sexual encounters with male escorts at hotels known as 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights', which she claims Combs orchestrated and watched as she took part. Jane told the court that she asked Combs at least twice if an escort could wear condoms, but said that Combs 'guilt-tripped me out of it … He didn't want to see a rubber while he was watching.' Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and faces federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Jane began her testimony on Thursday and told the court that she began dating Combs in 2021, and that their relation ship was loving and passionate. However, she described a turning point in their relationship in May 2021, when Combs revealed his sexual fantasies involving other men and role-playing. She said that, wanting to please him, she agreed to go along with the idea and that within hours she was in a Miami hotel room watching Combs's assistants set up for a group sex encounter. 'That night really opened a Pandora's box for our relationship,' Jane testified. 'It set the tone for our relationship going forward … It was a door that I was unable to shut.' Jane testified that after that point, 90% of her sexual encounters with Combs included other men while Combs watched, masturbated and directed the sex acts. When the prosecutor asked if she wanted to have sex with the others, Jane replied: 'No … just Sean.' She said she repeatedly told Combs, in person and in writing, that she no longer wanted to participate in these sexual encounters, but he pressured her, and she felt 'obligated'. Jane told the court how she became financially dependent on Combs, who paid her rent and would send her money. She said that at times, when she voiced discomfort with the sexual encounters, he threatened to stop paying her rent. On Friday, Jane testified that she feared losing her home if she refused to participate in the so-called 'hotel nights' or 'freak-offs'. On the stand, she read aloud texts from 2023 in which she told Combs that it felt like the sexual encounters were 'the only reason you have me around and pay for the house', adding that she was 'doing things that make me disgusted with myself'. In other messages, Jane told Combs that she felt she had to perform for him and regretted ever participating in the encounters, writing: 'Ever since I opened Pandora's box, I haven't been able to close it.' Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion 'I don't want to keep feeling like that,' she wrote, telling Combs that she wanted them to 'talk like adults and figure out where we're going from here'. Combs replied: 'Girl, stop.' Jane recalled crying at least twice during the encounters with Combs and male escorts, and said that Combs appeared offended and 'disgusted' by her display of emotion. While Combs's lawyers have acknowledged his history of domestic violence, they argue that the women participated in the 'freak-offs' consensually and they maintain that Combs is not guilty of sex trafficking or racketeering, or of operating a criminal enterprise. So far, Jane's testimony has echoed that of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, who dated Combs on and off from 2007 to 2018 and testified last month. Ventura told jurors that she was subjected to years of physical and emotional abuse during the relationship. She alleged she was coerced, through violence and blackmail, into taking part in the so-called 'freak-offs', which she said were orchestrated and directed by Combs and involved drugs and male sex workers. During cross-examination, Combs's attorneys sought to portray Ventura as a willing participant in the 'freak-offs', framing the encounters as part of a 'swingers lifestyle'. If convicted on all counts, Combs could face life in prison. The Associated Press contributed reporting
Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' ex-girlfriend testifies he rebuffed pleas that escorts wear condoms
NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - Sean "Diddy" Combs twice rebuffed a former girlfriend's requests that male entertainers wear condoms when having sex with her as Combs watched, the woman said on Friday during often tearful testimony at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial. The woman, testifying under the pseudonym Jane to protect her privacy, said Combs would "guilt trip" her when she asked that the entertainers wear condoms during their frequent, lengthy sexual encounters. The sexual interactions resembled what another one of Combs' exes, Casandra Ventura, referred to as "Freak Offs" during her testimony last month. Jurors in the Manhattan federal court trial heard an audio recording in which Combs intervened after Jane asked a male entertainer named Don if he had a condom. As the recording was played, Combs rapidly tapped his fingers against his leg while seated at the defense table. "Why didn't you just insist that Don wear a condom?" prosecutor Maurene Comey asked. "Because I just didn't want to disappoint my lover," Jane responded, referring to Combs. Jane said she and Combs dated from 2021 through 2024. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Prosecutors say he coerced women over two decades to take part in elaborate, drug-fueled sexual performances during Freak Offs over two decades. The Bad Boy Records founder's defense lawyers have acknowledged that Combs was occasionally abusive in domestic relationships, but say the women who took part in Freak Offs did so consensually. During the first day of her testimony on Thursday, Jane said she was "head over heels" for Combs and wanted to have a one-on-one relationship with him, but that starting five months into their relationship most of their time together involved sexual interactions with male escorts in hotels. Jane said that when she told Combs she wanted those encounters to stop, he threatened to stop paying her rent. On Friday, Jane frequently sobbed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue as she told jurors how Combs would encourage her to keep going even after she grew tired during the encounters, which she said often lasted 24 hours or more. She recounted one instance in which she broke down crying after Combs said he had to leave following an encounter with an entertainer, despite having promised Jane a one-on-one date night and that the entertainer would be there for "just a little bit." "I hung onto those words, just a little bit," Jane said. "I was feeling terrible that he was going to leave me alone." Combs' defense lawyers are expected to cross-examine Jane next week. They may focus on sexually explicit text messages that she sent Combs in between their encounters to show she was a willing participant in their relationship. Combs has been in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts.
Sky News
6 hours ago
- Sky News
Diddy trial latest: Combs watched me throw up after sex with two male escorts - then said 'let's go, third guy is here', alleged victim tells court
An anonymous former girlfriend and alleged victim of Sean "Diddy" Combs - known only as Jane - is giving evidence against the rapper on the 18th day of his sex-trafficking trial. Follow the latest updates from the court in Manhattan. 16:29:01 'I didn't like to be surprised by a stranger': Jane explains how 'entertainers' were chosen The prosecution now focuses its questions on the entertainers at hotel nights, and how they were chosen. Maurene Comey asks Jane to describe the process. Jane says Combs chose the entertainers that took part in hotel nights at first, before she then started to pick them from late 2021, early 2022. "I didn't like to be surprised by a stranger," she says. "While we watched pornography, I had the idea that I would choose that person." Jane tells jurors that she thought "if I am going to do this, I should choose who's going to be on my body". "I had to make it better for myself, at least I could choose somebody I wanted for me," she adds. After explaining how she would contact the entertainers, Jane says she would also ask them to send pictures of their genitals. "Lots, of times," she tells jurors, adding "that's what Sean wanted". "He would ask me to ask them to send nudes," she adds. Jane explains that she would try to receive explicit photos and videos "to make Sean happy". 16:17:42 In pictures: Diddy's lawyer and mother arrive at court 16:10:00 Jane explains how she picked up 'white envelope' of drugs and 'put it in my luggage' for Combs Jane is explaining to jurors about the times she would collect drugs and bring them to Sean "Diddy" Combs. She says she would take drugs from Los Angeles to Miami for the rapper, and it would start with him asking her to "pick up a package". She testifies that she was told to go to Combs's residence in Los Angeles to pick it up from security. "I understood that if I did it, put it in my luggage, it would be fine," she adds. "I got the package from security, it was a white envelope. "I put it inside my luggage, checked it in and went to Miami. I gave it to Sean in his bathroom in Miami." Jane says that pill bottles were inside the package containing "colourful pills, pills to party". 15:55:41 Jane tells jurors what Diddy would do when he ran out of drugs during hotel nights After a short break in court, Jane has returned to the stand to continue giving evidence. Prosecutor Maurene Comey asks whether Diddy would ever run out of drugs during hotel nights. "Yes, various times, different things happened," Jane says. She explains that this first happened early on in their relationship, adding that he would call an assistant or security. Jane says Combs would call an assistant "multiple times" when he ran out of drugs, with the assistant "coming to the hotel door with drugs". She adds that he would bring "ecstasy, pill bottles, coke and weed". Comey asks Jane whether she ever took Xanax. "Yes, because I wanted to fall right to sleep and it was hard to go to sleep after doing so many drugs, I would take it after I put Sean to sleep," she tells jurors. 15:34:55 Combs watched me throw up after sex with two men - then said 'let's go, third guy is here', Jane says Jane is asked whether she ever took part in a so-called "hotel night" without taking drugs, and says this happened twice. One the first occasion, she says she "didnt like it". "The fantasy wasnt there, it was too real, it wasn't easy, it was too real that this was happening. "I asked for a pill, he gave me one and after i felt much better." She says the second occasion came at a time she was concerned about Combs' excessive drug use and "just wanted him to get clean and get better". "He said 'ok I'm going to do 30 days without anything and I'll be sober, but let's just have one more sobriety party, just one last sobriety party.'" She says the episode in Beverley Hills lasted "too long, hours" as she explains her "typical routine". After having sex with two men, Jane tells jurors that she went to the bathroom after not feeling well. "I threw up," she says, adding: "Sean came in and he was like 'that's good you'll feel better'." She says his message was "let's go, third guy is here". Asked about how the experience felt without drugs, she says "I hated it so much". "I was just disgusted, repulsed, I was just so mad at myself for doing that." 15:20:34 'I didn't want to feel like it was too real': Jane says she 'had to take' drugs to 'make things easier' Jane is asked about whether she can remember the longest hotel night she experienced. "I would say one of the New Year's ones... I think 2022," she replies. She tells jurors it lasted between three and three and a half days, adding that she stayed awake with ecstasy and didn't sleep. When asked to recall her shortest hotel night, Jane says this was 12 hours and she wasn't allowed to sleep. She testifies that Combs gave her the drugs, but adds "there were rules" for the entertainers. "Entertainers could not take any drugs, I didn't know how they would be on the drug and didn't want them to be out of control when they were with me," she says. Becoming emotional in court again, Jane is asked about how she felt using drugs. "I just felt like I had to take them, because when I wouldn't it would just feel too real... I didn't want to feel like it was too real, I just wanted to kind of feel like it would... just make things easier," she tells jurors. 15:11:45 'It's dark, sleazy and makes me feel disgusted with myself': Court shown Jane text telling Diddy she wanted sex sessions to end Sticking with those hotel nights, prosecutor Maurene Comey asks Jane whether she told Combs that she didn't want them. Jane says she told the rapper, both in texts and later on in their relationship in person "more than once" that she didn't want hotel nights. Jurors are shown a text from Jane to Diddy in 2023, in which she wrote: "I wish we could take this back to when we first started dating." "Ever since I opened pandora's box, I haven't been able to close it, one night of fun just turned into the entirety of our relationship," she added. "I feel disgusted with myself... confusing your lust for me as love... my heart is breaking... I don't want to play this role in your life anymore, it's dark, sleazy and makes me feel disgusted with myself." Jane tells the jurors that she "felt so obligated that I had to perform" because she feared Combs would "take the house away" as he was paying the rent. 14:55:11 Jane recalls 'little' hotel night that ended up lasting '18 hours' Prosecutor Maurene Comey asks Jane whether she cried after a hotel night. "Two times," she says, becoming emotional again. "There was a night that I thought we were going to have a date night and it would be one on one, and he [Combs] said that there would be an entertainer but just for a little bit," she testifies. "I hung on to those words of just a little bit meaning that it could be something quick, and he said it would be something quick, and what was something quick ended up being like 18 hours of that." Jane explains that there were three rounds "with this guy" and tells jurors she remembers being "so high and feeling... so sad... I just started crying". Asked about whether she cried in front of Diddy, Jane says "yes, in Beverly Hills". She tells jurors that the rapper was "disgusted with my face" as she was crying. 14:42:27 Jane weeps in court as she describes typical hotel night Jane is now being asked about what would happen during a typical hotel night. She explains that in between rounds of sex, she would "take a shower and put on a different outfit". Prosecutor Maurene Comey asks Jane how many rounds of sex she would go through on a typical hotel night. "I would say every time different, maybe sometimes it would be one round with one, or it could be up to three with another... Sean would decide, he decided on entertainers," Jane says. When asked whether she ever got tired during these nights, she replies "yes". Jane becomes emotional in court and begins sobbing when asked about who would decide whether she could stop. "Sean," she replies. She says Sean would say "you're not getting tired on me are you" when she would communicate that she wanted to stop. Still sobbing, Jane tells jurors that she was given "multiple doses" of ecstasy by Combs to help keep her awake. 14:23:00 Combs 'didn't want to see a rubber' while watching me have sex with other men, Jane tells jurors As Jane begins giving evidence, she is being asked questions by prosecutor Maurene Comey. Comey asks about when Diddy would use the word "freak". Jane says it is a word the rapper would use to describe her, adding "like he wants his freak". "He wanted me to be wild and sexual," she tells jurors. Comey then asks Jane about what protection would be used during hotel nights. "None," she replies, "my partner did not want it". She adds that she asked Combs if the "entertainer" could wear condoms on more than one occasion. "He responded almost incensed, guilt trip me out of it... it wasn't something he wanted... he wanted to move on from the subject, it wasn't going to happen so stop asking," she says. "He said he didn't want to see a rubber while he was watching."
