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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy told Cassie's friend 'I'm the devil and I could kill you,' she testifies
Among the disturbing allegations emerging from Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing criminal trial is a statement the hip-hop mogul supposedly said to one of Cassie Ventura Fine's friends years ago. Bryana "Bana" Bongolan testified June 4 that she was doing an impromptu beach photoshoot with Ventura Fine and a photographer friend one day when Combs went up to her and issued a threat. "He came really close to my face and said, 'I'm the devil and I could kill you,'" she told the court. She admitted she was likely high on cocaine at the time. Regardless, she "was terrified" and unsure why Combs said that to her. Bongolan's remarks came on the 20th day of Combs' trial, which kicked off with jury selection on May 5. During her time on the stand, which will continue into a second day of cross-examination, Bongolan also detailed a 2016 incident in which Combs allegedly held her up on Ventura Fine's 17th-floor balcony and balanced her on the railing, making her think that she might fall. The event was first described in Ventura Fine's 2023 lawsuit, and Bongolan filed her own suit seeking $10 million in damages from Combs a year later. Bongolan told the court she'd first met Ventura Fine in the mid-2010s while working at a streetwear company called Diamond Supply Company, where the latter had been tapped to design a clothing line. She didn't meet Combs until about a year into their friendship, Bongolan said, but she knew she "wasn't fond of what I was seeing" in his relationship with Ventura Fine. She didn't really want to meet him, she testified. Bongolan also said that during a FaceTime before "The Perfect Match" premiere, she witnessed the black eye Ventura Fine allegedly suffered from Combs assaulting her in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in May 2016. "I was pretty quiet. I remember saying, 'I'm sorry.' She was also pretty quiet," Bongolan testified. Federal prosecutors claim Combs led a "criminal enterprise" that operated on sex trafficking, kidnapping, drug offenses and forced labor, among other crimes. Combs leveraged his wealth and celebrity status to "fulfill his sexual desires" in a "recurrent and widely known" pattern of abuse, investigators allege. He faces two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Contributing: Patrick Ryan and Gina Barton, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cassie's friend testifies Diddy said 'I'm the devil', 'could kill you'
Roya News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Roya News
Judge threatens to ban Diddy from courtroom
Sean 'Diddy' Combs was reprimanded in federal court Thursday after the presiding judge warned that the music mogul could be barred from the courtroom for allegedly trying to influence the jury. Judge Arun Subramanian told the court that Combs had been 'vigorously nodding' and making expressive gestures toward jurors during the testimony of Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. The judge called the behavior 'absolutely unacceptable.' In response, Combs' legal team assured the court it would not happen again. Bongolan is one of several witnesses testifying in the case, where Combs faces multiple charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. During her cross-examination, defense attorneys pressed her over inconsistencies in her prior statements regarding an alleged 2016 incident, in which she said Combs assaulted and threatened her on a balcony. Defense lawyer Nicole Westmoreland suggested Bongolan had exaggerated or fabricated elements of her story, including a claim of sexual assault that first appeared in legal correspondence and a lawsuit. "You came in here and lied to the ladies and gentlemen of this jury," Westmoreland said during questioning. "I can't agree with you," Bongolan replied. To counter the defense's efforts to discredit Bongolan, prosecutors presented a text message from Ventura dated Sept. 30, 2016, in which she recounted Combs allegedly entering her apartment at night, choking Bongolan, and threatening to throw her off a balcony. In a separate testimony, a woman referred to in court as 'Jane' took the stand to share her experience dating Combs between 2021 and 2024. She recounted the early phase of the relationship as glamorous and emotionally intense, with trips to luxury destinations such as Miami, the Bahamas, and Turks and Caicos. But that quickly shifted. Jane told the jury about what prosecutors have described as 'hotel nights'—occasions in which Combs allegedly arranged for her to have sex with other men while he watched. The first such incident, she said, happened in Miami in May 2021. "That night opened a Pandora's box in our relationship," she testified. "It was a door I was unable to shut for the rest of the relationship. There was so much of it after, and it was too much." Jane claimed she often felt compelled to comply, despite voicing her discomfort multiple times. 'I just really loved him at that point and wanted to make him happy,' she said, though she later added, 'I felt frustrated. I felt just obligated.' Starting in 2023, Combs allegedly began paying USD 10,000 a month to cover her housing expenses. Jane testified that the financial arrangement came with implied strings attached: Combs had made it clear he would not support a woman he was not involved with. She also testified that Combs regularly supplied her with ecstasy, cocaine, and ketamine, substances she said she used during their encounters and 'hotel nights.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- 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
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Judge Just Threatened to Remove Diddy from the Courtroom: Here's Why
The judge overseeing Sean "Diddy" Combs' case threatened to remove him from the courtroom Combs had been looking at jurors and "nodding vigorously," said Judge Arun Subramanian The rebuke came after Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Cassie Ventura, testified Combs dangled her over a 17th floor balconyThe federal judge overseeing Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial admonished the music mogul's attorneys on Thursday, June 5, due to gestures he made towards the jury set to decide his fate. 'Your client was looking at jurors and nodding vigorously," Judge Arun Subramanian said to Combs' lead attorney Marc Agnifilo after the witness left the stand, out of the presence of the jury. "This can't continue, or I will issue a limiting instruction you won't like — or take other measures, including barring your client from the courtroom." "It is absolutely unacceptable," Subramanian also said, adding that it "absolutely cannot happen again." Agnifilo assured the judge that it would not happen again. The woman who had been testifying when Combs nodded at the jurors was Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Combs' former longtime girlfriend and the government's star witness, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura. Bongolan testified that Combs once held her over Ventura's 17th-floor apartment balcony in 2016 before he threw her onto the balcony furniture, causing bruising, ongoing night terrors and paranoia. Combs has denied her allegations. Bongolan's accusations came under intense scrutiny on Wednesday, June 4, and again on Thursday, when she was questioned by Nicole Westmoreland, one of Combs' attorneys, about inconsistencies in accounts she has given in interviews with the government, a civil lawsuit she filed against Combs last year and in separate demand letters that were sent to the mogul by her attorneys. Westmoreland questioned Bongolan about whether Ventura witnessed Combs dangling her over the balcony and where on the balcony she alleges Combs had held her. Bongolan responded many times to Westmoreland's questions, "I don't remember." On Wednesday, Westmoreland asked Bongolan: "Isn't it true that just two days ago, you told the prosecution you just don't recall the details of the balcony allegation?" Bongolan responded: "I don't remember."And on Thursday, Westmoreland intimated that Combs might not have even been in Los Angeles at the time Bongolan alleges he dangled her over a 17th-floor balcony. Combs was performing in the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour in 2016, which had dates on the East Coast in September 2016, around the time Bongolan took pictures of her alleged injuries. When questioned Thursday by prosecutors, Bongolan said that while she was unsure of the exact date, she was certain Combs dangled her from the balcony. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Read the original article on People
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Lawyer for Sean ‘Diddy' Combs accuses witness of lying about balcony attack
Sean "Diddy" Combs speaking to his lawyers in a court sketch, before the start of the day's proceedings on June 5. PHOTO: REUTERS NEW YORK - A lawyer for Sean "Diddy" Combs accused a witness at his sex trafficking trial on June 5 of falsely testifying that the hip-hop mogul held her over the balcony of a Los Angeles apartment, and suggested Combs was on the East Coast at the time of the alleged attack. Ms Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Combs' former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, testified on June 4 that Combs in September 2016 held her over the rail of the balcony at Ventura's apartment and then threw her onto the balcony's furniture, causing her bruises. Prosecutors say the incident was among several violent acts that Combs, 55, took against Ventura and people close to her during the decade he was coercing Ventura to take part in drug-fuelled sexual performances with male sex workers known as "freak offs." Combs has pleaded not guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts. Ms Bongolan had not stated the exact date of the alleged balcony attack during her testimony on June 4. Jurors on June 4 saw a picture Ms Bongolan took of a bruise on her leg taken on Sept 26, 2016. A civil lawsuit Ms Bongolan filed against Combs in 2024 said the incident took place "on or about Sept 26, 2016." On June 5, Combs' lawyer Nicole Westmoreland asked Ms Bongolan if she was aware that Combs performed at a concert in New Jersey on Sept 25, 2016, and attended an event in New York with Ventura the following day. Westmoreland also showed jurors a document from the Trump International hotel in New York indicating that someone named "Frank Black" stayed there from Sept 24, 2016, through Sept 29, 2016. Previous witnesses at the trial have testified that Combs, like other celebrities, frequently used aliases when staying at hotels. "You came in here and you lied to the ladies and gentlemen of this jury, didn't you?" Ms Westmoreland asked. "I can't agree with you," Ms Bongolan replied. Ms Bryana Bongolan (right) leaving court after testifying on June 4. PHOTO: REUTERS Under further questioning from prosecutor Madison Smyser, Ms Bongolan said she did not know the exact date of the incident because it happened 'a while ago', but said she had no doubt it took place. 'I will never forget him holding me on that balcony,' Ms Bongolan said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
