Latest news with #BanaBongolan
Fox News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Diddy files for mistrial over alleged false testimony in federal court about 2016 balcony incident
Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs filed a letter in support of a renewed motion for a mistrial, citing prosecutorial misconduct, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. In the letter, filed June 7 in the Southern District of New York, Diddy's legal team argued that the prosecution knowingly presented false testimony to the court. Jurors heard testimony last week from Cassie Ventura's friend, Bryana "Bana" Bongolan, who claimed Diddy dangled her off a 17th floor balcony in September 2016. Portions of her testimony were questioned after Bana couldn't remember details of the alleged incident, including what drugs she was on at the time. "When the introduction of perjured testimony results in a criminal conviction, and 'the prosecution knew or should have known of the perjury, the conviction must be set aside 'if there is any reasonable likelihood that the false testimony could have affected the judgment of the jury,'" Diddy's team wrote. "Moreover 'the prosecutor's knowing use of perjured testimony can violate the Due Process Clause even if it only undermines a witness's credibility.'" Diddy's legal team wrote that Cassie and Bana each provided "demonstrably false" evidence about the balcony allegation to the court, and then "doubled down, using this false testimony to obtain a ruling admitting inadmissible hearsay evidence about it as well, all to present a false narrative to the jury." Bana took the stand on behalf of the government last week, and testified against the "Last Night" rapper over the course of two days. Bana confirmed she worked on the Bad Boy Reunion tour, which was also in September 2016. She said she didn't remember Cassie or Diddy's travel schedule during that month. Diddy's lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, showed Bana documents to refresh her memory. The defense lawyer then asked if Diddy was on stage in New Jersey on Sept. 25, 2016, to which she said she couldn't recall. Westmoreland asked if Diddy and Cassie were in New York on Sept. 26, 2016, to which Bana said she was unaware. There was a brief sidebar. Westmoreland again asked if she was aware that Diddy and Cassie were in New York on Sept. 26, 2016. She said no. Westmoreland asked Bana if she was aware there was a signing at Macy's. Bana again said no. "You agree one person can't be in two places at the same time," Westmoreland said. Bana replied, "In like theory yeah … hard to answer that one." Westmoreland continued questioning Bana about the alleged injuries she had from the balcony incident and photos she took. "Mr. Combs did not cause you the injuries that we saw on your phone…with the metadata September 26," she said to Bana. "I can't agree with you," she replied. Westmoreland also asked if Bana told the government she was on MDMA, GHB and cocaine. Bana said, "I didn't say those words." She claimed "that's a lot of drugs" and said she didn't do them that night. "The government knew or should have known this testimony was perjured, and that Ms. Bongolan could not possibly have been injured by Mr. Combs on a Los Angeles balcony in the early morning hours of September 26, or even the day before that," the letter requesting a mistrial stated. "It bears emphasis that the use of the perjured testimony regarding the balcony incident is just one example of prosecutorial misconduct during this trial." The defense previously requested a mistrial based on questions related to the alleged destruction of fingerprints Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi) provided to the Los Angeles Police Department following an incident at his home. The six-time Grammy-nominated rapper testified about Diddy allegedly breaking into his home. Kid Cudi also said he believed the disgraced music mogul was involved in a car fire that left his Porsche damaged beyond repair. According to Kid Cudi, both incidents took place after Diddy found out about his relationship with Diddy's on-and-off again girlfriend Cassie. 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. 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 up by July 4.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
A woman testifies Sean 'Diddy' Combs gave her night terrors by dangling her from a high-rise balcony
A graphic designer testified Wednesday that she was so traumatized after Sean 'Diddy' Combs held her over a 17th-floor apartment balcony that she sometimes screamed in her sleep afterward. Bryana 'Bana' Bongolan, 33, a friend of Combs' former longtime girlfriend Cassie, said the 2016 assault at Cassie's Los Angeles apartment caused a bruise on the back of her leg, along with back and neck pain. It also left her emotionally scarred, she told the jury. 'I have night terrors and paranoia and I would scream in my sleep sometimes,' said Bongolan, a creative and marketing director who runs her own art agency. Her testimony came in the fourth week of evidence presentation by prosecutors as they seek to prove that Combs oversaw a racketeering organization composed of his employees and associates as he physically and sexually abused women for two decades. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and other charges that, if convicted, could send him to prison for 15 years to life. Bongolan is the latest woman to testify that the hip-hop mogul acted violently toward her and Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, who already testified for four days about the abuse she incurred. Other witnesses described seeing him physically abusing women. Cassie testified that she saw Combs bring one of her friends back over the railing of a balcony at her apartment in the early morning. Cassie said she was asleep in her room when she awoke to the episode. 'I saw him bring her back over the railing of the balcony and then throw her onto the patio furniture,' Cassie testified. When Bongolan recalled the attack, she said Combs barged into Cassie's apartment, lifted her up and put her on the rail. She said she feared that she would plummet to her death as she pushed back against Combs. 'I was scared to fall,' she said. Combs was yelling at her throughout the ordeal, Bongolan said, estimating he held her over the railing for 10 to 15 seconds. She said Combs then threw her onto balcony furniture. Adrenaline helped her power through the ordeal, Bongolan said. She recalled getting up immediately after being thrown down. Bongolan said Cassie, who was sleeping in the bedroom, then came out and asked Combs: 'Did you just hang her over the balcony?' Told that Bongolan's ex-girlfriend was also in the apartment, Combs swiftly left, Bongolan said. Bongolan said she has lasting effects from Combs assaulting her. 'I have nightmares and I have a lot of paranoia and I used to scream a lot in my sleep, but it's dissipated a little bit,' she testified. Part of her paranoia, she said, includes opening doors carefully and peeking into rooms before going inside, and she added that she had a nightmare as recently as a few days ago. Bongolan said Combs gave her drugs on three or four occasions, including ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and G, a substance she understood was the depressant GHB. She said she also did drugs about once a week with Cassie when Combs wasn't around. Bongolan, testifying in response to a subpoena from prosecutors, was granted immunity after she initially said she would refuse to answer questions and invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. She was at least the third witness given immunity to testify.
