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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Usher, Obama name-dropped in Diddy's trial as sex trafficking case heats up
As week 3 of Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial begins, multiple celebrities have already been name-dropped during testimony. Usher, former President Barack Obama, Biggie Smalls and Jennifer Lopez are a few A-list names that came up during testimony as Diddy's jury heard from his former assistants, ex-associates and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Diddy's trial began May 5 with jury selection. Opening statements were presented on May 12, and the disgraced music mogul appeared in court to sit through testimony from Cassie, her mother, former Homeland Security Investigations agents, plus singers Dawn Richard and Kid Cudi. Diddy Trial Witness Reveals Threats And Violence That Could Support Rico Charges: Expert Here's a look at all the celebrities mentioned so far. Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant, David James, testified on May 20 that the rapper typically carried "25 to 30" undisclosed pill bottles. According to James, some of the pills were ecstasy. Read On The Fox News App "Can you describe the ecstasy that you saw him taking?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Slavik asked. "There were various pills, but there was one that was in the shape of a former president's face," James explained. "Which former president?" the prosecutor questioned. "President Obama," James answered. Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard testified that Usher was at a dinner where Sean "Diddy" Combs allegedly punched Cassie Ventura in the stomach. "We were having a private conversation, and we were all sitting, eating at the tables together," Richard recalled during her testimony. "When I say we, I mean some Bad Boy, some of our other label, and even some celebrities were in the room. And they were secretly arguing, and he punched her in the stomach. Sean Combs punched her in the stomach." "She immediately bent over and then was – he was – he told her to leave because I could see him point out, and she went out and left the room," she added. Richard claimed music executive Harve Pierre, two of Diddy's assistants, the rapper's security and Kaleena Harper were present for the West Hollywood dinner. During cross-examination, it was revealed that Richard hadn't mentioned all of the celebrities at the dinner. "Usher was there, Jimmy Iovine was there, Ne-Yo came through," Richard eventually added. "There were a few others, too. I don't recall those people, but those are the ones I remember talking to." Cassie Ventura Emerges As 'Star Witness' In Diddy's Federal Sex Crimes Trial: Expert Kid Cudi was first mentioned in Cassie Ventura's testimony on May 14, when she said Sean "Diddy" Combs had allegedly gone through her phone at a "freak off" and found an email correspondence between her and the rapper. Cassie and Cudi, whose full name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, dated in 2011 when she was on a break in her relationship with Diddy. Cudi took the stand May 22 and testified about an alleged break-in that occurred at his home the day Diddy found out the "Pursuit of Happiness" singer was dating Cassie Ventura. According to Cudi, his car was set on fire a month later. "I reached out to Sean Combs after my car had caught fire and … finally told him that we needed to meet up to talk," Cudi testified. "He had been wanting to talk to me. So, after the fire, I was like, 'This is getting out of hand/ I need to talk to him.'" "Why was it Mr. Combs you reached out to after the fire?" Cudi was asked in court. "Because I knew he had something to do with it," Cudi claimed before Judge Arun Subramanian sustained an objection from Diddy's defense. The jury was then instructed to disregard the musician's last answer. Diddy was never charged in the investigation into the alleged break-in or car fire. Biggie Smalls, or Christopher George Latore Wallace, has been mentioned a few times in Diddy's sex trafficking trial. Biggie was killed in a drive-by shooting at age 24 in 1997. During the testimony of Diddy's former assistant, George Kaplan, it was revealed that the music mogul used the name "Frank Black" when booking his hotel reservations. James also revealed that Diddy used the name "Frank Black" when booking his hotel reservations. "I think it was a reference to Biggie," Kaplan told the jury before adding, "I think that [Biggie's] nickname was Frank White." Kaplan also testified that May 21 was a paid holiday for employees at Combs Enterprises because it was Biggie's birthday. Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard testified in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking trial. Richard told the jury Diddy threatened her to remain quiet about the alleged abuse of his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Richard told the court that one day after an alleged altercation in which she "observed Cassie being attacked," the "Missing You" rapper told her it was par for the course in a normal relationship. Diddy and Richard were in the recording studio when he allegedly said that what was witnessed the day before was "passion" and what people in relationships do. He claimed Cassie was OK and that it was best if they didn't say anything. The rapper allegedly said that where he's from, people go missing. She testified that she heard his words to mean that people end up dead. Diddy Sunk $35 Million Into Miami Mansion, But Star Island Digs May Not Be Safe If He's Convicted: Expert Cassie Ventura's former makeup artist testified she also worked for Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. Mylah Morales claimed she worked for Sean "Diddy" Combs from 2000 until 2005. "After you stopped working for Mr. Combs, who is the next artist that you worked with?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey asked in court Thursday. According to Morales, she worked with Rihanna for 13 years along with Jennifer Lopez. "Are there others that you're not remembering right now?" Comey asked. "Yeah, there's so many," Morales responded. "It's like a long list of names." At one point, Sean "Diddy" Combs suspected Cassie was in a relationship with actor Michael B. Jordan. Cassie testified that she broke up with Diddy in 2015 while in South Africa for a movie. She told Diddy's defense lawyer during cross-examination that someone had reached out to her about being at an event, but Cassie wasn't actually there. She testified that she eventually learned Combs was at the event with Gina, another woman he had been seeing. Cassie admitted to being angry because she thought Gina was no longer in the picture. Cassie explained she cut off contact with Combs, blocked him and focused on the movie. Diddy began to suspect she was in a relationship with Jordan, but Cassie testified she didn't remember his reaction. On May 19, Cassie's former friend, Kerry Morgan, testified to the singer's connection with Jordan. Morgan testified that she did not know much, just that they were speaking at the time. She emphasized that Cassie was not with Diddy at this time, but the rapper was allegedly jealous. Cassie's Mother's Testimony May Prove To Be 'Very Damaging' To Diddy's Case: Expert David James, Sean "Diddy" Combs' former personal assistant, testified about a run-in with Suge Knight during his testimony Tuesday. James recalled driving with Diddy's security guard to Mel's Diner to get food after a late night at the studio when they ran into the Death Row Records chair. The two allegedly left after four black SUVs pulled into the parking lot and someone gave Knight a gun. James said he drove D-Roc, Diddy's security guard, and the rapper back to the diner, per Diddy's request. Combs was allegedly in the back seat with three handguns in his lap. However, they did not see Knight at the diner and Combs allegedly told James to drive around the block. The former personal assistant testified he was "really shook up by it" and that it was the first time working for Diddy where he thought his life was in danger. They went back to New York and James gave his six months notice. Sean "Diddy" Combs' defense team revealed during testimony on May 15 that the rapper brought Britney Spears to Cassie Ventura's 21st birthday party. Diddy's defense lawyer, Anna Estevao, took Cassie back to the beginning of the former couple's relationship during her cross-examination. At Cassie's 21st birthday party, Combs brought Dallas Austin and Britney Spears. Cassie and Diddy had seemingly just begun seeing each other romantically. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News Cassie's former makeup artist testified that she first saw injuries on the singer's face in 2010 during Grammys weekend. Mylah Morales told the jury she saw Cassie had injuries to her face after an alleged physical altercation between the singer and Sean "Diddy" Combs. She claimed there had been a party at Prince's home. Morales claimed she noticed the injury late at night or early in the morning. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter Bruce Willis was brought up during Cassie's testimony in Diddy's trial. Cassie told Diddy she was "at the edge of tears" in an emotional text exchange shown in court about his private family life. Cassie wrote, "As much as you think you're Bruce Willis, you aren't. He's married and before he was married, the family as a whole went on trips together, or just with him and his woman. Eddie Murphy and Paige took his kids away on their own." "He didn't go with his ex because that's not who he's in love with. I've been at the edge of tears this whole week. I don't think that you sympathize with my feelings." Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this article source: Usher, Obama name-dropped in Diddy's trial as sex trafficking case heats up
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cassie's mother's testimony may prove to be 'very damaging' to Diddy's case: expert
Cassie Ventura's mother testified Tuesday about the alleged abuse her daughter endured from Sean "Diddy" Combs. Regina Ventura took the stand at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in New York and told the court that, among other things, the "Bad Boy for Life" singer attempted to blackmail their family. Cassie's mom's testimony may prove to be a crucial component to the U.S. Attorney's Office's case against the disgraced music mogul, according to legal experts. Diddy Trial Witness Reveals Threats And Violence That Could Support Rico Charges: Expert "Generally speaking, relatives can be perceived as extremely biased witnesses. However, credibility is largely dependent on the demeanor of the individual," Los Angeles litigator John J. Perlstein exclusively told Fox News Digital. "It is irrelevant to the case whether Ventura's mother spoke to Diddy or not, and would unlikely favor either side. What will be relevant is her testimony regarding the $20,000 payment exchange for keeping sex tapes from being released, which in my opinion, can be very damaging to the defendant as it shows what little value a man of great means placed upon this poor woman." Read On The Fox News App Cassie Ventura Emerges As 'Star Witness' In Diddy's Federal Sex Crimes Trial: Expert The jury was shown Tuesday an email Cassie sent to her mom on Dec. 23, 2011. In the digital correspondence, Cassie said that Diddy would release two sex tapes. Cassie's email also claimed that Diddy would have someone hurt her and rapper Kid Cudi, whom she was dating at the time. Cassie and Cudi, whose full name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, dated in 2011 when she was on a break in her relationship with Diddy. "The threats that have been made towards me by Sean 'Puffy' Combs are that are that (sic) he is going to release 2 explicit sex tapes of me," Cassie allegedly wrote in the email. "One on Christmas Day, maybe before or right after and another one some time soon after that. He has also said that he will be having someone hurt me and Scott Mescudi physically (he made a point that it wouldn't be by his hands, he actually said he'd be out of the country when it happened)." Regina testified that she "was physically sick" and did not understand a lot of it. She claimed the sex tapes threw her, but she understood that Diddy was allegedly going to hurt Cassie. She testified that Diddy demanded $20,000 to recoup the money he spent on Cassie. Watch On Fox Nation: What Diddy Do? At the time, Diddy was allegedly angry that Cassie was with another person. It was expected the money would come from Regina and her husband. Regina claimed they took a home equity loan to pay the "Last Night" rapper. When Regina received wiring instructions, she claimed she wired the money from her checking account to the Bad Boy account. About four to five days later, the money allegedly came back. Regina said she did not have any conversations with Diddy about the money, and also does not have a copy of the wiring instructions. WATCH: SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS ASSAULTS CASSIE VENTURA IN 2016 LOS ANGELES HOTEL INCIDENT "I was scared for my daughter's safety," Regina told Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News "Ventura's mother's testimony is further corroboration of the allegations that have been made by her daughter and further supports the repetitive pattern of intimidation that the prosecution is trying to prove," Perlstein told Fox News Digital. "It is likely that the defense may have found the witness to be damning and thus, declined cross-examination, but it is unusual as it is common practice to ask any witness on the stand at least a question even an irrelevant softball question." He added, "Avoiding cross-examination creates the perception that the witness is to be believed in every respect in the eyes of the jury." Diddy's attorney, Marc Agnifilo, didn't ask to cross-examine Regina, which is a common courtroom strategy when it comes to a victim's mother, according to former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani. "You don't want to turn off the jurors," Rahmani told Fox News Digital. Cassie testified about allegedly being raped by Diddy after their break-up and claimed to enter rehab at the beginning of 2023 after suffering "horrible flashbacks" of the abuse. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter The singer, who is pregnant with her third child with husband Alex Fine, also claimed that Diddy's "freak offs" became a job. "Freak offs" were "elaborately produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded," according to the indictment. The "freak offs" would last between 24 and 72 hours. Ventura recalled the longest "freak off" was four days. When she wasn't participating, she was recovering from "the drugs, dehydration, staying awake," she said. On Wednesday, Cassie also disclosed she received a $20 million settlement 24 hours after filing a lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023. Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution in a federal indictment unsealed Sept. 17. He has maintained his innocence. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this article source: Cassie's mother's testimony may prove to be 'very damaging' to Diddy's case: expert
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy trial witness reveals threats and violence that could support RICO charges: expert
Jurors in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial were introduced to a number of witnesses in the government's case against the disgraced music mogul. The U.S. Attorney's Office called Dawn Richard to the stand, a former member of Diddy's Danity Kane girl group, who claimed the "Last Night" rapper threatened her to remain quiet about the alleged abuse of his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Los Angeles litigator John J. Perlstein exclusively told Fox News Digital that Richard's testimony could possibly support the government's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) charge. Cassie Ventura Emerges As 'Star Witness' In Diddy's Federal Sex Crimes Trial: Expert "Corroborating Cassie Ventura's testimony, Dawn Richard provided eyewitness accounts of multiple occasions where the defendant struck or attempted to strike Ventura, and also testified to Combs' controlling behavior in stating that Combs allegedly said that he 'owned' Ventura and that her success would be on his terms," Perlstein said. "As far as the RICO charges, Dawn also testified that Combs threatened her to maintain her silence, which can be perceived as an attempt to intimidate witnesses and obstruct justice. Her testimony supports the prosecution's RICO case." Read On The Fox News App Richard testified Monday that she told Cassie to leave Diddy after witnessing the Bad Boy Records founder's violent behavior toward his girlfriend. Although Cassie was allegedly torn, Richard testified that Cassie would listen, but she could see the fear. Diddy Trial: Cassie Ventura's 5 Most Explosive Claims Against Rapper The singer said she "observed Cassie being attacked." She alleged that Diddy came downstairs screaming, hit her in the head and beat her around. Richard claimed Diddy "came downstairs angry saying where the f--- is his eggs." She then alleged Diddy grabbed a skillet of eggs and attempted to hit Cassie in the head. Cassie allegedly fell to the ground, anticipating the hit, but it didn't hit her. "She went into a fetal position ... literally trying to hide her face," Richard said. "Richard's testimony is highly impactful because it corroborates Ventura's account," former federal prosecutor Neama Ramani told Fox News Digital. "Her witnessing Combs attempt to hit Ventura with a skillet, kick her when she was in the fetal position and drag her by the hair was one of the most graphic of the trial so far. Richard also [allegedly] suffered her own abuse. She [claimed she] was groped and threatened not to speak out." Rahmani added, "The prosecution has to corroborate Ventura's testimony with that of independent witnesses. The defense scored points with Ventura's emails and text messages. But Richard's testimony shows a pattern of physical violence and helps rebut the defense's argument that the conduct was consensual." Richard told the court on Friday that one day after an alleged altercation in which she "observed Cassie being attacked," the "Missing You" rapper told her it was par for the course in a normal relationship. Watch On Fox Nation: What Diddy Do? Diddy and Richard were in the recording studio when he allegedly said that what was witnessed the day before was "passion" and what people in relationships do. He claimed Cassie was OK and that it was best if they didn't say anything. The rapper allegedly said that where he's from, people go missing. She heard his words to mean that people end up dead. Diddy allegedly didn't like Richard talking to Cassie and that Diddy would tell her to "stay the f--- out of my relationship." Richard claimed Combs told them if she didn't stay in line there would be consequences. Richard also testified that she was willing to work with Diddy again even after he allegedly threatened her life. Diddy's defense lawyer, Nicole Westmoreland, asked Richard about reaching out to Combs as recently as 2020 or 2021. Richard testified that if they got Diddy – Dirty Money back together, she would be required to be around Combs often: working, writing, touring, traveling out of state and out of the country. Like What You're Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News Richard told Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner that she reached out to Diddy to work with him after ending their professional relationship because Kalenna Harper, the third member of Diddy – Dirty Money, requested it. Richard explained contact was sporadic, but she wanted to get Diddy – Dirty Money back together because of the issues Harper was allegedly having. According to Richard, she didn't want to go back to work with Diddy because "it wasn't good." She claimed she just wanted to help a friend. Kerry Morgan also testified and claimed Diddy physically assaulted her in 2018, leading to the end of her friendship with the "Me & U" singer. Diddy's lawyer questioned Morgan about why that would break up her friendship with Cassie. Morgan replied, "I draw my line at physical abuse." According to Morgan's testimony, she and Cassie have not spoken in seven years. Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter Morgan cut off contact after Cassie offered her $30,000 to sign a NDA about Diddy's alleged abuse after she claimed he assaulted her at Cassie's home in 2018. They were allegedly listening to music when Diddy walked into the room. Cassie allegedly proceeded to lock herself in the bathroom. WATCH: SEAN 'DIDDY' COMBS ASSAULTS CASSIE VENTURA IN 2016 LOS ANGELES HOTEL INCIDENT "He came up behind me, choked me" Morgan claimed, before Diddy allegedly threw a hanger at her head, which hit her right behind her ear. She allegedly suffered a concussion from the incident and was treated at an urgent care. Diddy was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution in a federal indictment unsealed Sept. 17. He has maintained his innocence. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. Authorities allege Diddy ran a criminal enterprise through his businesses, including Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises and Combs Global, among others. He used "firearms, threats of violence, coercion and verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse" to fulfill his sexual desires, according to prosecutors. Fox News' Maria Paronich contributed to this article source: Diddy trial witness reveals threats and violence that could support RICO charges: expert
