Latest news with #FinnaGetLoose
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Forensic video expert testifies in Diddy's sex trafficking trial, examines hotel attack footage
incoming update… Sean 'Diddy' Combs appeared in the courtroom Wednesday as the prosecution prepares to introduce a forensic video expert. Diddy sat at the defense table wearing a dark colored sweater while the government, defense and judge went over issues with exhibits and upcoming witness testimony. The forensic video expert is set to testify about the 2016 InterContinental surveillance footage showing Diddy attack his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. The jury heard from Bad Boy Entertainment CFO Derek Ferguson on Tuesday. During Ferguson's testimony, the jury was shown a 2011 bank statement from Combs' company Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide. The bank statement showed an outgoing wire transfer of $20K to Cassie and a few weeks later an incoming wire transfer of the same amount from the singer-songwriter's father. Cassie previously testified that Diddy threatened to release sex tapes of her with other men if her family didn't pay him back $20K that she allegedly owed. At the time, Diddy allegedly had found out that Cassie was dating the rapper Kid Cudi. Regina Ventura, Cassie's mom, testified the family took out a home equity loan to pay the rapper in 2011. The money was allegedly returned. Earlier Tuesday, the jury heard from an Intercontinental Hotel security guard. Eddy Garcia testified that Diddy paid him $50,000 to sell the rapper hotel security footage showing his attack on Cassie in March of 2016. Garcia claimed after signing an NDA, the 'Finna Get Loose' rapper paid him an additional $100,000. Sean 'Diddy' Combs is currently on trial for charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. In addition to facing life in prison, the rapper is also at risk of losing the many assets he has built up since becoming a music mogul, including his mansions, cars, a private jet, and even his Bad Boy Records label. The mogul owns several homes in the U.S., including a nearly $40 million home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Holmby Hills, another one he bought near Los Angeles in Toluca Lake for $5.25 million, two side-by-side waterfront homes on Miami Beach's Star Island that he paid $35 million and $14.5 million for, as well as a nearly $3 million Miami condo, according to "The properties themselves could be included or referenced in the indictment as a means that served the ends of those alleged crimes, and they could be seized," Priya Sopori, Partner at Greenberg Glusker and a member of the firm's litigation group, told Fox News Digital last year. Diddy also owns a Gulfstream G550 jet through his LoveAir LLC valued at around $25 million, as well as a luxury car collection estimated to be worth around $1.6 million last year. In addition to his material belongings, Diddy's business enterprises could also be at risk, including Big Boy Records, which he started in 1993. The company still makes money through music and publishing rights, but its value has plummeted because of his allegations, according to USA Today. His other businesses under the parent company, Combs Global, are also at risk of being seized. These include Combs Wines and Spirits, Revolt Media, Sean John fashion and fragrances brand and his nonprofit, the Sean Combs Foundation. Sean 'Diddy' Combs has surrounded himself with a female-driven defense team, including Teny Geragos, daughter of famed lawyer, Mark Geragos. Teny was the one who presented the opening arguments on day one of the federal trial against Diddy on charges of racketeering and sex trafficking during which she argued that the case was about "voluntary adult choices," which the government was attempting to skew into a narrative to fit a sex trafficking charge. The lawyer has argued the media has been pushing the wrong narrative when it comes to his case since his arrest in September 2024. "There's no minors, there's no celebrity sex tapes. The civil lawsuits here are not driving the allegations that we're defending against, but it is driving the vitriol against him in the media," Teny said on an episode of "2 Angry Men." During opening statements of Diddy's trial on May 12, Teny 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," Teny 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." She later noted that Diddy "is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise. 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." Cassie Ventura testified in week one of the federal trial against Sean 'Diddy' Combs for sex crimes, giving crucial testimony as the government's 'star witness,' says criminal defense attorney, Phil Harvey. She was on the stand for four days. Diddy's former girlfriend of over a decade testified about the alleged abuse she experienced at the hands of the disgraced rapper, claiming she was physically abused and forced to participate in 'freak offs' where Diddy would coerce her into having sex with a male escort while he watched. Cassie also testified to using drugs to disassociate during the 'freak offs,' which she claimed would sometimes last for days. The prosecution finished the direct examination of Cassie on May 14. That same day, Cassie told the jury she chose to testify against Diddy because she could no longer carry the guilt. Harvey also pointed out the wins from Diddy's defense team, saying Anna Estevao, who cross examined Cassie, "did a good job staying on track,' and got Cassie to say she 'willingly participated' in the 'freak offs' and focused on the 'consensual nature of their relationship.' The defense also showed the jury texts featuring Combs congratulating Cassie on her pregnancy and checking in on her. Cassie also testified about the assault at the hotel in 2016, alleging she was trying to leave a 'freak off' when Diddy attacked her. On May 12, former hotel security guard Israel Florez, who responded after Diddy's violent attack on Cassie at the InterContinental Hotel, testified that he tried to call police after intervening, but Cassie told him not to. To end the first week, the jury also heard from former Danity Kane singer, Dawn Richard, who testified that she witnessed Diddy assaulting Cassie in 2009. Richard told the court that after she "observed Cassie being attacked," the "Last Night" rapper told her it was par for the course in a normal relationship. Live Coverage begins here
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Diddy's $61.5M L.A. Mansion Remains Unsold After Nearly A Year Amid His Legal Battle
Sean "Diddy" Combs listed his luxurious mansion in Holmby Hills for a staggering $61.5 million weeks before he was arrested in September last year. However, the property has remained unsold as realtors and potential buyers choose to distance themselves from the deal, seemingly because of the legal scrutiny he's currently facing. Several bombshell revelations have emerged from the rapper's ongoing trial. A special agent who was in charge of the Homeland Security raid on Sean "Diddy" Combs' Miami property confirmed that they found drugs and weapons in his house. Diddy's Holmby Hills home in L.A. remains without a buyer after nearly a year sitting on the market. The "Finna Get Loose" rapper bought the 10-bedroom, 13-bathroom estate in 2014 for $39 million, but listed it for $61.5 million just a week before he was arrested and subsequently remanded at the notorious Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center. The sprawling property boasts luxury features including: a 35-seat movie theater, a guesthouse with a recording studio, a pool with a grotto and waterfall, a traditional pizza oven, and a spa house. Yet, despite its lavish offerings, the property has attracted little to no interest from prospective buyers since it was listed, as Diddy's ongoing legal battle seems to be affecting its sale. "I wish I could help, but no agents want to touch that house or be in any stories related to the case or the listing," a local real estate agent told the Daily Mail about the stigma from Diddy's legal battle on the sale of the property. Another issue that seems to be preventing Diddy's mansion from walking off the market seems to be the price. An industry expert told the Daily Mail that the price is "ridiculous" and doesn't seem to align with the current climate in the market. In March, the property briefly disappeared for about 12 hours before returning with the same price, suggesting that the Bad Boy Records founder isn't looking to adjust his asking price. Meanwhile, not everyone is pushed back by the controversy surrounding the home as real estate investor Steven "Bo" Belmont, known for acquiring high-profile properties with reputational baggage, reportedly offered $30 million for the estate. Belmont expressed confidence that he'll be able to change the narrative surrounding the estate, at least if Diddy is willing to let it go at that price. "I want to remove the stigma and focus on the charming elegance of this remarkable property," he said in a statement at the time. Diddy is currently facing federal charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, coercion, physical abuse, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Homeland Security operatives raided his L.A. and Miami mansions simultaneously in March 2024, and the special-agent-in-charge on the ground for the search on Diddy's Miami Beach home testified in court, saying they found drugs and weapons there. Gerard Gannon said that he was assigned to Diddy's Miami home because it was tied to a human-trafficking investigation, with about 80 to 90 law enforcement agents participating in the raid because of the large expanse of the property. According to CNN, the jury was shown photos of items recovered in Diddy's main bedroom closet, and they included high heels, sex toys, baby oil, personal lubricant, lingerie, and "upper and lower receivers of AR-15s," which are part of the weapons recovered. Also in his testimony, Gannon said that a Gucci bag in Diddy's closet contained an assortment of pills, white powder, a "crystal rock-like substance," a plastic straw, a $100 bill, and other items, per CNN. A stipulation read out in court claimed that the white powder and residue from the straw tested positive for cocaine and ketamine, as well as that from the $100 bill. A bottle of eye drops also tested positive for MDMA and ketamine, while various tablets tested positive for MDMA. According to the news outlet, Gannon also testified that a loaded .45 handgun was recovered from a suitcase in a room in the property's guesthouse, which he identified as a "guard shack." Gannon confirmed that six people were found on the property at the time they raided it, including a music producer, a property manager, and other facilities personnel. He added that no response or drugs were recovered from any of the people on scene at the time. The embattled rapper is being tried on five felony charges, namely racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Diddy was initially facing just single counts of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, but the extra two counts were added in a superseding indictment in April. He pled not guilty to all the charges and reportedly rejected a plea deal before the trial. If found guilty by the jury on all charges, the rapper could face life in prison due to the racketeering charge. Diddy is also facing a minimum of 15 years for sex trafficking and a maximum of 10 years for transportation to engage in prostitution.
New York Post
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs told ex-assistant that ‘young' Cassie Ventura was ‘moldable': ‘Right where I want her'
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former personal assistant has told jurors that the music mogul saw Cassie Ventura as 'young' and 'moldable' when he first met her. David James, who had worked for the Bad Boy Records founder from 2007 to 2009, testified he was with Combs in Miami when he first met the 'Me & U' singer nearly two decades ago. Speaking at a hearing at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, in Lower Manhattan in the rapper's high-profile federal sex trafficking trial, James recalled how Combs would describe Ventura. 4 Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former personal assistant has told jurors that the music mogul saw Cassie Ventura as 'young' and 'moldable' when he first met her. WireImage ''I've got [Ventura] right where I want her, she's young,'' Combs allegedly told him. 'He said she was very moldable,' James recalled. Elsewhere, James testified that he was in the car with Combs and an associate when the rapper began talking about girlfriend Kim Porter, the mother of four of his seven children. James, who is the third prosecution witness to testify during the second week of the trial, told jurors that the 'I'll Be Missing You' rapper had a roster of women he was dating at the time. 'Ms. Porter was his main girlfriend,' he said in court, adding that Combs had dated at least three other women at the time, including 'Sarah,' 'Tara' and 'Cassie.' 4 David James, who had worked for the Bad Boy Records founder from 2007 to 2009, testified in court. REUTERS 4 The former staffer testified he was with Combs in Miami when he first met the 'Me & U' singer nearly two decades ago. WireImage Porter died of pneumonia in 2018. She was 47. James also recalled another incident in 2007, when he smoked cigarettes with Ventura and her pal Kerry Morgan during a trip to Combs' exclusive Star Island. 'Man, this lifestyle is crazy?' Ventura said to him, he told jurors. He then asked her 'why' she didn't leave the rapper, to which she responded, 'I can't get out. Mr. Combs oversees so much of my life.' Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters In addition to having total control of her music career, Combs oversaw Ventura's finances, James said in court. 'He paid for her apartment,' he testified, adding that the 'Finna Get Loose' rapper also gave her an allowance. 4 Ventura shows off a visible bruise in a photo used as evidence in Combs' sex trafficking trial. Department of Justice The trial wrapped just after 3 p.m. Monday and James is expected to continue testifying Tuesday morning. Combs, 55, faces a minimum of 15 years in prison after being charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and fraud. He had been locked up without bail while awaiting trial.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 'Sick' Reason Why Diddy Told Cassie Not To Take A 'Dissociative' Drug Before 'Freak Off' Session
Sean "Diddy" Combs' criminal sex trial continued today with more gruesome revelations emerging from witnesses' testimony. Prosecutor's main witness, his ex-girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, testified that her "preferred drug" while participating in "freak offs" was ketamine, but the reason she often chose the drug suggests she didn't actively like being in those sexual encounters. Cassie also disclosed that the "freak offs" with Diddy affected her health as she contracted infections and was often left with a sore mouth. During Wednesday's court session, Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie, took to the witness stand and disclosed that she usually employed the use of drugs while partaking in "freak offs" with the embattled rapper. The "Me & U" singer said that ketamine was the drug of choice for both her and Diddy as they engaged in drug-fueled sexual encounters with male escorts, per NBC News. "Ketamine, Sean had it," Cassie said. "It took time out of the freak off." Explaining why she preferred to use the anesthetic drug, she said: "That was my preferred drug because it was the most dissociative." Ketamine has been described as a dissociative anesthetic with hallucinogenic effects that can be highly addictive and carries significant risks when used outside of medical supervision. The DEA says it makes users "feel disconnected and not in control," and can also make patients "feel detached from their pain and environment." According to the Daily Mail, the jury was shown a text exchange between Cassie and Diddy from 2016 in which they talked about Ketamine use. However, in this particular chat, Diddy asked the singer not to take the dissociative drug for their next "freak off" session, noting that the best "freak offs" are the ones that can be "remembered." The rapper wrote, "You know we have to have a proper FO WITHOUT NO K [Ketamine]," to which Cassie responded, "I need it to get out of my head." This prompted Diddy to say, "I HATE K!! So you let me know when," adding, "A successful FO is when we remember." Cassie later replied, "That is all we do and I'm just getting back on track. I'm sure you can call Kim or something." Cassie has already described how Diddy subjected her to years of physical and emotional abuse during their time together, accusing him of coercing her into participating in horrific sex sessions with male escorts. On Wednesday, she detailed how he was particularly violent with her because he discovered that she'd been dating Kid Cudi after going through her phone following a 2011 "freak off" in L.A. Recounting how her relationship with Diddy was "not in the greatest place" at the time, Cassie said she remembered the "Finna Get Loose" rapper "pulling a wine bottle opener between his fingers and lunging at me" with his eyes "blacked out" from anger. "He told me about videos he had, he was going to release and he was going to hurt Scott (Cudi) and I," she continued, adding that she afterwards called Cudi, who then came to pick her up. In her settled lawsuit, the singer claimed Diddy blew up Cudi's car after learning of their romance. Cassie's testimony became particularly disturbing as she narrated how she became suicidal from enduring years of assault from Diddy, adding that she started blacking out and suffering seizures. The singer broke down in tears she she recalled being suicidal in early 2023 because she was "having these horrible flashbacks." "I was shooting a video with another music artist and kept having these horrible flashbacks," she explained, per the Daily Mail. "I went home and it was super late, my kids were asleep, and I remember telling my husband, 'You can do this without me, you don't need me anymore.'" Cassie, who's heavily pregnant with her third child for husband Alex Fine, added that she "couldn't take the pain" she was in, so she "tried to walk out the front door into traffic," but her husband wouldn't let her. She explained that she also started suffering from seizures and was experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder before she ended her relationship with Diddy in 2018. In one instance, she narrated a 2013 incident where she got into a fight with a girl after thinking she had been taking pictures of her, only to realize it was all due to PTSD. "I would black out," she said. "I know Sean was concerned I was having seizures, sleepwalking quite a bit... My body was telling me I needed to chill out." She also shared a horrific rape claim against the Bad Boy Records founder during her testimony on Wednesday. Explaining that she decided to call it quits with Diddy in 2018 after he was seen with another woman, she said they had a closure conversation after which he drove her home and raped her on the floor. "I remember crying and saying no, but it was very fast... He just... eyes black, wasn't himself," she said, adding that even her tears weren't enough to dissuade him from carrying out the alleged acts.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy's Daughters 'Being The Only Ones' To Leave Courtroom During Graphic Testimony Sparks Debate
Sean "Diddy" Combs' daughters, Chance, D'Lila, and Jessie Combs, were forced to exit the courtroom during graphic testimonies amid the hip hop mogul's trial. The reaction from the young ladies has since sparked a conversation on social media, with netizens comparing their response to that of the rapper's sons. Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura also gave her testimony and claimed that the embattled rapper beat and humiliated her. Diddy's family has put up a united front in supporting him during his ongoing criminal trial. His mom, Janice Combs, sons Quincy, Justin, and Christian, as well as daughters Chance and twins D'Lila and Jessie, have all been in court since the trial began on May 12, making sure he doesn't feel alone as he attempts to prove his innocence. The "Finna Get Loose" rapper faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted on the top charge. However, just how much the rapper's children can take is in doubt, as his daughters, Chance, D'Lila, and Jessie Combs, all had to excuse themselves at some point while witnesses gave their testimony. In one instance, male escort Daniel Philip, while recounting their sexual encounters, described how he had sex with Cassie while Diddy was "sitting in a corner masturbating" as he watched. "We ended up having sex, rubbed baby oil on each other for a couple minutes," Phillip told jurors, per NBC News, noting Diddy was "sitting in a corner m-sturbating." The girls seemingly missed out on attending Wednesday's session as they weren't seen entering the courtroom when Diddy's trial began, per the Daily Mail. Diddy's daughters' reaction to the sex worker's graphic testimony has since gone viral on X, with many noting how much it must impact the young women. One X user said in a viral post, "The daughters being the only ones walking out of the courtroom when the male escort took the stand SAID ALOT." They further noted, "Seeing female family members distance themselves physically or emotionally on the first day of a trial involving trafficking and abuse towards women carries weight. It can subtly underscore the seriousness of the accusations or show further internal family disagreement." Another person argued that while the girls left during an escort's testimony, they were present during Cassie's and even "stared her down." They wrote, "What does it say about them that during today's testimony—while being shown a video of Diddy beating Cassie's a-s—they were more focused on staring her down than showing any sign of remorse or concern?" One more person slammed the rapper's sons and mother, commenting: "[Their] grandma & brothers are trash!! Their whole family let the girls in that family down." Diddy's ex gave her testimony and said the Bad Boy Records founder subjected her to a series of physical and emotional abuse. During the May 12 trial session, prosecutors played a 2016 hotel surveillance footage where Diddy can be seen violently hitting and kicking her along the alley. People Magazine reported that his daughters remained in court this time but didn't watch the video; instead, they looked straight on, while his sons watched. In her testimony on May 13, Cassie said that the particular incident occurred after she tried to leave a "freak off," which she describes as a sexual encounter between her and a male escort on Diddy's request. "I chose to leave," she told jurors, per NBC News. "I got out and Sean followed me into the hallway, and grabbed me, shoved me to the ground, kicked me, and dragged me back to the room and took my stuff." Cassie alleged that after Combs pushed her to the ground in the hallway, she stayed down because "she didn't want him to do any more damage than he had already done." Diddy's trial is guaranteed to include names of other celebrities and associates, as his influence in the music industry is well defined. In her testimony on Wednesday, prosecutors questioned Cassie about an incident involving Diddy's business rival Suge Knight, CEO of Death Row Records. According to the Daily Mail, she narrated how Diddy left her during a "freak off" in his L.A. home to confront Knight at the popular Mel's Drive-In diner. "R-Rock came in and said Suge was down at a diner. Sean drove over there.... I cried, said don't do something stupid," Cassie said. "It was like I wasn't even there. They put on a bunch of black clothes, went in the safe, grabbed guns." "Next thing I knew, they were in the SUV just whipping down there. I saw them get dressed and leave the house," she noted. Diddy and Knight's beef became pronounced in the mid-'90s as rappers from the East and West Coast became entangled in heated battle. Cassie may be stripped of her support system as Diddy's lawyers moved a motion to ban her husband, Alex Fine, from court while she testifies because they may want to call him up as a witness later in the trial. Fine, who was originally Diddy's personal trainer, married Cassie about a year after she was last seen with the "I'm Coming Home" rapper. The couple already has two kids and is currently expecting their third, as Cassie is heavily pregnant while giving her testimony. According to the Daily Mail, the defense said Fine has relevant information about an alleged rape of Cassie by Diddy in 2018, adding that Fine sent Diddy a text message saying he "wanted to beat the f word out of him." A judge ruled that Fine can stay for most of his wife's testimony, as prosecutors say he "will be removed from the courtroom before a certain issue comes up."
