Diddy trial updates: Deonte Nash back on the stand after alleging Sean Combs beat Cassie
Diddy trial updates: Deonte Nash back on the stand after alleging Sean Combs beat Cassie
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Former stylist for Cassie testifies of more alleged abuse by Combs
Deonte Nash, a friend and stylist of Cassie Ventura Fine, testified in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial of more alleged abuse by Combs against Fine.
This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
A friend and stylist of Cassie Ventura Fine, a Los Angeles police officer and an arson investigator for the Los Angeles Fire Department, testified May 28 in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial.
Deonte Nash said Combs tried to control all aspects of Ventura Fine's life during their decade-long relationship, from her music to her social circle and more. "It drove her crazy. She would cry," Nash, who also worked as a stylist with Combs, told jurors.
Nash also testified that the former hip-hop mogul threatened to repeatedly beat her, including bashing her head on a bed frame. Nash will finish his testimony in court May 29.
Earlier on May 28, prosecutors also questioned two emergency officials on allegations that Combs broke into fellow rapper Kid Cudi's home and a separate incident that saw Kid Cudi's Porsche explode in his driveway.
Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.
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 has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
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 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.
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