Recap of ‘Diddy' trial: Stylist says Combs threatened to release sex tapes of Ventura as investigators detail Kid Cudi's burnt car
The first week of testimony featured dramatic and disturbing testimony from Cassie Ventura, the pop singer who said Combs physically abused her and coerced her into drug-fueled sex parties with male escorts known as 'Freak Offs' during their relationship. Ventura, who was pregnant when she took the stand, gave birth on Tuesday to her third child, according to the stylist who described himself as her best friend.
The second week of testimony largely consisted of witnesses who bolstered parts of Ventura's story, including Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi. Witnesses in this third week of testimony have focused on Mescudi's allegations as well as Combs' violence toward Ventura.
The prosecution said its next witness is expected to be Combs' former assistant who is testifying using the pseudonym 'Mia.'
Prosecutors have said Combs and his inner circle used threats, violence, drugs, bribery, arson, kidnapping and lies to coerce Ventura and another woman into participating in 'Freak Offs' and to protect the music mogul's reputation.
The defense has acknowledged Combs was violent with romantic partners and during opening statements said he had 'a bit of a different sex life.' They also said that while Combs is 'a very flawed individual,' he has not committed the alleged federal crimes. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison.
Here's what we learned Wednesday.
Mescudi testified last week that his house was broken into and his Porsche was set on fire after Combs learned Mescudi was dating Ventura, and on Wednesday LAFD and LAPD officers gave further details about the investigations into those incidents.
LAPD officer Christopher Ignacio, who responded to Mescudi's home in December 2011 in response to a possible burglary, testified that a black Escalade that was parked near the home drove away when he pulled up behind it. He said he did not pursue the vehicle because there hadn't been a crime at that point.
Ignacio said the vehicle, which drove by again about 15-20 minutes later, had a license plate that was tied to Bad Boy Productions Inc., the label founded by Combs.
The officer said Mescudi filed a trespassing report and was 'flustered' at the time, but didn't report a gun being involved or that any property was stolen from the home.
Next, LAFD arson investigator Lance Jimenez testified that the Molotov cocktail used to set Mescudi's Porsche on fire in January 2012 could have caused catastrophic damage if it had exploded as intended.
The Porsche, parked close to Mescudi's garage, had a cut in its canvas roof and burn patterns throughout the seats, center console, interior roofing and carpet, Jimenez testified. A 40-ounce Old English liquor bottle with gasoline inside sat on the driver's seat, a cloth handkerchief was on the center console and a disposable lighter was found outside the car.
Jimenez said there was 'severe damage' to the Porsche, but not nearly the kind of catastrophic damage he normally sees from fully operational Molotov cocktails. If it had exploded, the blaze would have likely spread to nearby foliage and the rapper's home, he said.
The arson investigator determined that the fire was targeted and was not random.
Combs denied his involvement in the arson, Mescudi previously testified, and no one was directly charged for the incident. An alleged arson was mentioned in the federal indictment against Combs in connection to the racketeering charge.
Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request from Combs' defense for a mistrial after the prosecution asked a witness about the destruction of fingerprint evidence.
The request came after Jimenez, the LAFD arson investigator, testified that fingerprints were found in Mescudi's home in December 2011 after the trespassing incident.
Jimenez said he collected a card with those fingerprints to compare to evidence recovered from the Molotov cocktail bottle inside of the rapper's Porsche, but the card was destroyed by an LAPD officer in August 2012. Jimenez said he typically has to sign off on the destruction of any evidence he submitted as a lead investigator.
The defense objected to the line of questioning, saying the prosecution's implications were 'outrageous.'
'They were suggesting to this jury that someone in this courtroom had something to do with the improper and suspicious destruction of these fingerprints,' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said.
Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro moved for a mistrial based on what she called prosecutorial misconduct, saying the questions played into a conspiracy theory that Combs could buy his way out of trouble.
'This type of conspiracy theory is out there, and the type of implication we believe these questions were designed to create plays right into that,' Shapiro said.
Subramanian denied the motion and said he doesn't believe that the jury was prejudiced. When the jury returned to court, Subramanian instructed them to not consider the testimony about the fingerprint card.
Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist, testified that on multiple occasions he saw Combs assault Ventura and heard him threaten to withhold her music or release sex tapes of her.
Ventura would be 'super emotional' after the threats and 'sometimes she would just stay in the house for days and go in a cocoon,' Nash said.
On one occasion in 2013 or 2014, Nash said as Combs was assaulting Ventura, Nash and an assistant named 'Mia' jumped on Combs' back to try to stop him. In the attack, Combs hit and kicked Ventura until she hit her head on the bed frame, opening a gash on her eyebrow, Nash said.
'When he noticed the blood, he just panicked,' Nash said. Combs said to them, 'Look what y'all made me do,' according to Nash.
Ventura testified about this incident earlier in the trial and showed the jury an eyebrow scar that she said came from the attack.
Further, Nash said he saw Combs slap Ventura across the face in 2015 and saw her with a black eye at a 2016 premiere for the film 'The Perfect Match.' He testified he observed bruises on Ventura's legs, arms and neck 'quite often.'
Nash said he often saw Ventura packing a black duffel bag with sex toys for hotel stays. Ventura told him she didn't want to go, but she did 'because (Combs) wanted her to,' Nash testified.
Nash also testified that Ventura told him that she had sex with other men while Combs watched even though she didn't want to, though she never explicitly explained the term 'freak off' to him.
One of the times Combs threatened to release sex tapes of Ventura, Nash suggested she should let him because Combs was on them too. She then told him Combs wasn't in the videos, just her with other men because Combs was filming them, Nash testified.
According to Nash, Ventura said she didn't want to have sex with the other men, but she did it 'because Puff wanted her to.'
Ventura also told Nash she didn't want to go with Combs to a 'freak off' the night of her 29th birthday party, Nash said.
Ventura previously testified that Combs spent the night of her birthday party pushing her to leave her party for a 'freak off' until she eventually gave in.
Nash is still close to and often speaks with Ventura, he said. He testified Wednesday that he spoke to Ventura a day earlier after she had her baby and offered his congratulations.
Nash said he has not pursued legal action or made a money demand against Combs, and has kept in touch with him occasionally.
'I don't hate him,' Nash said in court of Combs. 'I mean, I don't; it's just not in me.'
CNN's Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.
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