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NBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
A 'criminal enterprise' may be emerging in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
Capricorn Clark, a former assistant to music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs, said Combs was on a mission of revenge in December 2011 after learning rapper Kid Cudi was also dating his girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie. Combs, armed with a gun, commanded Clark to go with him to Cudi's Hollywood Hills estate, Clark testified this week during Combs' sex trafficking trial. ''Get dressed,'' Combs allegedly told Clark after beating on the door of her home. ''We're going to kill this n-----.'' Sign up for the ' Diddy on Trial ' newsletter for key developments and analysis After Combs and a member of his security team broke into Cudi's home, she said, they saw he wasn't there, setting off a violent chain of events that she would tell a Bad Boy Records executive about three months later. 'I told him that Puff kidnapped me with a gun,' Clark said, referring to one of Combs' previous stage names. Clark's stunning testimony in the third week of Combs' trial provided another example of the control he allegedly wielded as head of his New York-based record label, building on the premise set forth by prosecutors that Combs allegedly oversaw a criminal enterprise that relied on employees and other accomplices to carry out illegal acts. Clark's 'testimony is certainly helpful in painting a sinister image of Combs, of his manipulation and his coercion, his control and his violence, which will be beneficial to the prosecution down the line in terms of gaining the jury's sympathies that this guy was up to no good and needs to be put away, or at least held accountable,' said Mark Chutkow, a defense lawyer who handled racketeering cases as a federal prosecutor in Detroit. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. As per the federal racketeering statute, the government must prove at least two predicate offenses, or crimes, committed via a criminal enterprise, Chutkow said. Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, spent four days on the stand in the first week of testimony, saying she 'felt trapped' into engaging in orchestrated sexual encounters, known as 'freak offs,' with male escorts at hotels and homes — sessions that she said Combs funded. Kid Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, testified how his car was firebombed in January 2012, following the December break-in at his home. Los Angeles police also testified that evidence showed the break-in was connected to Combs. The car that police observed leaving the scene of the break-in at Kid Cudi's home was registered to one of Combs' companies, according to testimony from Los Angeles police officer Chris Ignacio. Another accuser, who used the pseudonym 'Mia' on the witness stand, testified that she worked for Combs as a personal assistant for several years and he sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions during that time. Combs was never charged in the firebombing or alleged sexual assaults. His defense team said in opening statements that Combs is a 'very flawed individual' prone to violence and jealousy in his relationships, but that the sexual encounters were consensual. The tangled relationships Combs had with his employees will have to be addressed by the jury during deliberations, Chutkow said, because prosecutors and defense attorneys have raised questions about whether the workers were victims, accomplices or both. For example, Clark, who testified she was paid $55,000 a year, said she set up hotel rooms for the freak-offs at Combs' direction and she sometimes procured illicit drugs on his behalf. Although she testified she was kidnapped twice by Combs or his bodyguards and subjected to multiple days of lie detector tests, defense attorney Marc Agnifilo entered into evidence an email Clark sent to Combs in September 2014, asking for his forgiveness. She did not specify what she wanted to be forgiven for. The email was sent two years after Combs fired her and about two years before she returned to work for him again. 'Mia' testified to sometimes feeling like Combs was a best friend and working partner, but other times treated her 'like I was a worthless piece of crap.' 'You do have these elements of extortion and coercion and fear and intimidation also at play, which you see in gangs and you see in the Mafia and other criminal organizations, and so I think that you don't necessarily have to have co-conspirators and accomplices that are completely voluntary in their commitment to the organization,' Chutkow said. Employees may have also realized the benefits of being in the powerful celebrity's inner circle and so may have been willing to go along, he added. 'That's why you hear the concept of a 'den of thieves,'' Chutkow said. 'They all have their own agendas at play, but they're still working together towards advancing other criminal objectives.' Chutkow said 'that's probably the way the prosecution will kind of categorize this for the jury, and say, 'Hey, we would love to be able to put on witnesses like firemen and nurses for you, but that's not the world that Combs worked in.'' Bad and illegal behavior does not necessarily guarantee a racketeering conviction, said Mark Zauderer, a veteran trial and appellate lawyer in New York. 'There is lots of evidence of violence and possible criminal activity,' he said of Combs' trial. 'But all of that still does not answer the question of whether the jury will find an enterprise and a conspiracy. 'There's no question that a jury can and will consider a so-called victim's own complicity in the matters that were violent and even illegal.' Attorney Rachel Maimin, a former federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, said that while racketeering charges can be complex, prosecutors can sometimes prove the charge with only one witness or even circumstantial evidence. 'I don't know if they've met all of the elements of racketeering yet, but prosecutors are showing that Diddy used employees from his business and organization to carry out criminal activities,' Maimin said. 'They're linking the crimes to his business.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy's ex-assistant faces aggressive cross-examination from his team
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. Sign up to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. Diddy's former personal assistant, a woman identified in court by the pseudonym 'Mia,' returned to the witness stand for another day of detailed testimony. Mia has accused Diddy of sexual assault and other physical violence, but her allegations of forced labor are especially crucial for the U.S. government's racketeering conspiracy case against the rapper. Mia was aggressively cross-examined by Brian Steel, one of Diddy's lawyers. Steel attempted to undermine Mia's account, confronting her with pictures and social media posts that appeared to show the ex-assistant enjoying her years working for the wealthy mogul. Mia pushed back, insisting seemingly carefree Instagram photos didn't reflect her 'misery.' Here's what you need to know about today's testimony: In late October 2015, Diddy threatened to both kill Mia and take her to human resources, she told jurors. Diddy 'doesn't sound in his right mind,' Mia told the rapper's then-chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, in a WhatsApp message. The threats made Mia 'terrified and sad,' she said under questioning from prosecutor Madison Smyser. Steel, speaking in a skeptical tone, led Mia through a binder of photos, emails and other materials that he implied illustrated a close bond with Diddy. 'You're standing right next to and leaning toward him, the man who terrorized you,' Steele said, referring to a photo of the two at the Burning Man festival in 2013. 'Yes,' Mia replied matter-of-factly. In a particularly pointed exchange, Steel asserted that Diddy 'never had unwanted non-consensual sex' with Mia. She replied: 'What I said is true. I have not lied to anyone at all.' Steel then implied that Mia had exaggerated the number of times Diddy allegedly violated her sexually. 'Everything I said in this courtroom is true,' she said. ALSO: President Donald Trump isn't ruling out a pardon for Diddy. Trump, asked today whether he would consider taking that step, told reporters in the Oval Office that 'nobody's asked' but that he would 'certainly look at the facts.' He went on to say that he hadn't seen or spoken to the rapper in years, and that he wasn't following the trial closely. Mia, facing a forceful cross-examination, struck a respectful but defiant tone. She readily acknowledged that she lavished praise and adoration on Diddy in emails, texts and photo captions over the years, even after he allegedly abused her. She came across as confident, far less subdued than she was during pivotal parts of yesterday's testimony. Diddy seemed especially interested as Steel led Mia through various Instagram posts, at one point putting on his glasses and leaning toward the monitor to get a closer look. The defense pressed Mia on her social media posts and communications in which she complimented Diddy as a 'mentor and inspiration.' When she was fired, she was crestfallen, texting, 'I'm going to kill myself, my life is over,' and 'I'm so heartbroken I can't breathe.' She confirmed that after leaving Diddy's employ, she obtained a severance of $400,000. This is all fair game for cross-examination. In fact, it's essential. So far, a few of the government's witnesses have described what a horrible person Diddy was — but then testified that they couldn't bring themselves to walk away from him. The government called an expert to testify that victims of domestic violence find it difficult to extricate themselves from a romantic partner. But is that the same for employees who work for a tyrant? Are they also unable to leave? Maybe. Perhaps members of the jury identify with Mia — perhaps they also once had a horrible boss but felt they couldn't leave their job. Or maybe they see Mia as less credible because, in their minds, no matter how bad the job is, you can always choose to leave. And it seems no one wanted to leave Diddy, no matter how despicably he behaved. Next week: Diddy's defense team is expected to continue cross-examining 'Mia' on Monday. 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. 🎧 This article was originally published on
NBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Diddy's ex-assistant faces aggressive cross-examination from his team
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. Sign up to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. Diddy's former personal assistant, a woman identified in court by the pseudonym ' Mia,' returned to the witness stand for another day of detailed testimony. Mia has accused Diddy of sexual assault and other physical violence, but her allegations of forced labor are especially crucial for the U.S. government's racketeering conspiracy case against the rapper. Mia was aggressively cross-examined by Brian Steel, one of Diddy's lawyers. Steel attempted to undermine Mia's account, confronting her with pictures and social media posts that appeared to show the ex-assistant enjoying her years working for the wealthy mogul. Mia pushed back, insisting seemingly carefree Instagram photos didn't reflect her 'misery.' Here's what you need to know about today's testimony: In late October 2015, Diddy threatened to both kill Mia and take her to human resources, she told jurors. Diddy 'doesn't sound in his right mind,' Mia told the rapper's then-chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, in a WhatsApp message. The threats made Mia 'terrified and sad,' she said under questioning from prosecutor Madison Smyser. Steel, speaking in a skeptical tone, led Mia through a binder of photos, emails and other materials that he implied illustrated a close bond with Diddy. 'You're standing right next to and leaning toward him, the man who terrorized you,' Steele said, referring to a photo of the two at the Burning Man festival in 2013. 'Yes,' Mia replied matter-of-factly. In a particularly pointed exchange, Steel asserted that Diddy 'never had unwanted non-consensual sex' with Mia. She replied: 'What I said is true. I have not lied to anyone at all.' Steel then implied that Mia had exaggerated the number of times Diddy allegedly violated her sexually. 'Everything I said in this courtroom is true,' she said. ALSO: President Donald Trump isn't ruling out a pardon for Diddy. Trump, asked today whether he would consider taking that step, told reporters in the Oval Office that 'nobody's asked' but that he would 'certainly look at the facts.' He went on to say that he hadn't seen or spoken to the rapper in years, and that he wasn't following the trial closely. 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss, Chloe Melas and Jing Feng Mia, facing a forceful cross-examination, struck a respectful but defiant tone. She readily acknowledged that she lavished praise and adoration on Diddy in emails, texts and photo captions over the years, even after he allegedly abused her. She came across as confident, far less subdued than she was during pivotal parts of yesterday's testimony. Diddy seemed especially interested as Steel led Mia through various Instagram posts, at one point putting on his glasses and leaning toward the monitor to get a closer look. 👨⚖️ Analysis: Horrible bosses By Danny Cevallos The defense pressed Mia on her social media posts and communications in which she complimented Diddy as a 'mentor and inspiration.' When she was fired, she was crestfallen, texting, 'I'm going to kill myself, my life is over,' and 'I'm so heartbroken I can't breathe.' She confirmed that after leaving Diddy's employ, she obtained a severance of $400,000. This is all fair game for cross-examination. In fact, it's essential. So far, a few of the government's witnesses have described what a horrible person Diddy was — but then testified that they couldn't bring themselves to walk away from him. The government called an expert to testify that victims of domestic violence find it difficult to extricate themselves from a romantic partner. But is that the same for employees who work for a tyrant? Are they also unable to leave? Maybe. Perhaps members of the jury identify with Mia — perhaps they also once had a horrible boss but felt they couldn't leave their job. Or maybe they see Mia as less credible because, in their minds, no matter how bad the job is, you can always choose to leave. And it seems no one wanted to leave Diddy, no matter how despicably he behaved. Next week: Diddy's defense team is expected to continue cross-examining 'Mia' on Monday. 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. 🎧
NBC News
3 days ago
- NBC News
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Testimony continues after ex-assistant alleged Combs sexually assaulted her
What to know about the sex trafficking trial A woman who is only being referred to by a pseudonym, "Mia," testified on Thursday that she used to work as Combs' personal assistant for several years. She accused Combs of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions during that time. Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has denied the allegations against him. This live blog may include graphic descriptions of sexual violence. For resources on sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Sign up for the ' Diddy on Trial ' newsletter for key developments and analysis, and listen to Dateline's nightly podcast.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
In wrenching testimony, Diddy's ex-assistant says he sexually assaulted her
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. Sign up to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. Today, the jurors in Diddy's trial heard graphic testimony from a woman identified only by the pseudonym 'Mia.' She's one of Diddy's former personal assistants — and one of the four alleged victims at the heart of the U.S. government's indictment against the hip-hop mogul. In excruciating detail, Mia told jurors that Diddy sexually assaulted her multiple times and described a work atmosphere that was 'chaotic' and 'toxic' but also exhilarating. 'Puff's mood determined the environment,' she said, using one of the defendant's previous stage names. Mia said Diddy sometimes treated her as an equal, other times like 'a worthless piece of crap.' Diddy isn't accused of sex trafficking Mia. But her allegations of forced labor are part of the government's racketeering conspiracy charge against the rapper, who prosecutors say orchestrated a decade-spanning 'criminal enterprise.' He's pleaded not guilty to all charges. Here's how today's testimony unfolded: Mia, who assisted Diddy between 2009 and 2017, recalled she once worked for five days straight without sleeping. The experience took a toll: 'I had a physical breakdown. … It felt like I was underwater, my equilibrium was off, blurred vision.' She wasn't allowed to lock her bedroom door when she traveled with Diddy or stayed at his homes, she said. Mia said she witnessed Diddy physically attack and injure his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura on multiple occasions. 'I've seen him crack her head open,' Mia said, adding that she couldn't recall Cassie ever fighting back. If either woman did something without Diddy's permission, Mia said, the punishments were 'unpredictable and terrifying.' Mia, testifying about a vacation in the Turks and Caicos, said she and Cassie barricaded themselves in a room as Diddy banged on the door. 'Puff is going to kill me,' Cassie purportedly said. They ran out a back door and went into the water. The sky turned black. Mia weighed whether it was 'scarier' to 'face Mother Nature or go back to Puff.' In the final hour of the day's proceedings, Mia detailed her sexual abuse allegations against Diddy. She said he put his hand up her dress without her consent; assaulted her on the bottom of a bunk bed sometime in 2009 or 2010; and forced her to perform oral sex on him. She feared his 'power,' 'control' and capacity for violence, she said. In the first half of the day, Mia answered questions calmly and quietly. But after the lunch break, Mia grew increasingly emotional. She appeared to be on the verge of hyperventilating and struggled to catch her breath as she described Diddy's stormy relationship with Cassie. She broke down crying as she recounted Diddy forcing himself on her sexually. She wept on the stand as she explained how 'terrified and trapped' she felt as a victim of his alleged assaults, speaking barely above a whisper. Mia frequently cast her eyes downward, letting her hair fall across her face. The hours of testimony looked deeply painful for her. Tomorrow: 'Mia' is expected to return to the witness stand. 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. 🎧 This article was originally published on
