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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cassie Ventura's stylist to finish testimony in Diddy trial
(NewsNation) — A former stylist for Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura will resume his testimony Thursday after telling jurors he had to jump on Sean 'Diddy' Combs' back to stop him from abusing Ventura when the two were dating. Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash worked for Combs from 2008 to 2018. He told jurors he was 'very close' to Ventura and learned about her relationship with Combs early in his employment. Nash testified to observing several abusive interactions. Nash also corroborated Ventura's testimony that Combs frequently beat and tormented her. Combs would threaten to hinder Ventura's fledgling music career and said he'd ruin her reputation by releasing recordings of their sexual encounters, Nash said. Nash discussed a particular incident around 2014 in which Combs allegedly grabbed Ventura by the hair and yanked her off the couch before beginning to hit her. Stylist says Cassie confided that Sean 'Diddy' Combs pressured her into sex marathons The stylist said he was at Ventura's apartment, helping her pack for a music festival, when Combs stormed in, grabbed her by the hair and beat her repeatedly. Nash said he jumped on Combs' back in an attempt to get him to stop, but Combs bucked and threw him to the ground. Combs resumed hitting Ventura, who'd fled to a bedroom with Nash and another friend, knocking her head into the edge of the bed frame and causing a large, bloody gash above her eye, the witness said. 'Look what y'all made me do,' Combs said, according to Nash. The stylist said he noticed 'a lot' of blood coming from a cut on Ventura's head from the beating. Jurors were shown photos of the injury. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said she expects 'Mia' — listed as 'Victim-4' in the indictment and one of Combs's former employees — to be called to the stand Thursday. Diddy's defense team filed a motion for mistrial after a Los Angeles Fire Department investigator admitted evidence was destroyed without permission following the arson on Kid Cudi's car in 2012. Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, had been dating Ventura. Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo called it 'outrageous,' implying that 'someone here' had something to do with the improper destruction of evidence. Judge Arun Subramanian denied the motion and told the jurors to dismiss the related testimony. Jiminez, who has been with the LAFD since 2003, was called to Cudi's residence after the rapper's Porsche was lit on fire. R&B singer Cassie gives birth to third child as Sean 'Diddy' Combs sex trafficking trial continues Jiminez said a Molotov cocktail appeared to have been used to ignite Mescudi's vehicle, but it did not explode due to a malfunction; however, the damage can be quite extensive if it had gone off, he explained. Chris Ignacio, a 16-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, took the stand Wednesday. He was the officer who took the call Dec. 22, 2011, when Combs allegedly broke into Mescudi's Hollywood Hills home. The police officer corroborated Cudi's testimony that some Christmas presents were opened. Ignacio said he and his partner noticed a Black Escalade drive by twice. The second time, he said he ran the plates and found it was registered to Bad Boy Productions, Combs' music label. The police officer filed a trespassing report — it was not reported as a burglary because no items were stolen, he said — and said he was not told of any death threats. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Live updates: Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial continues after news of Cassie Ventura's birth
Update: Date: 3 min ago Title: Exotic dancer who testified talks to CNN in latest episode of Laura Coates' podcast Content: After 30 years in the media spotlight, there are no cameras at the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. But CNN anchor and chief legal analyst Laura Coates takes audiences inside the courtroom in the latest episode of her podcast 'Trial By Jury: Diddy.' Coates shines a light on every move that matters in Diddy's trial for racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and assault to engage in prostitution. In the latest episode, Sharay Hayes, the exotic dancer known by his stage name 'The Punisher' who took the stand last week, sits down with Coates to share a candid telling of his encounters with Combs and his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Also, a close associate of both Combs and Cassie provides his perspective on how Combs' control of Ventura's look is important to the prosecution's case. Listen to 'Trial By Jury: Diddy' here. Update: Date: 3 min ago Title: Here's what happened in court yesterday Content: Police and fire investigators who looked into the rapper Kid Cudi's allegations and a celebrity stylist who said he witnessed several assaults testified in the third week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal criminal trial. Prosecutors have said Combs and his inner circle used threats, violence, drugs, bribery, arson, kidnapping and lies to coerce his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and another woman into participating in 'Freak Offs' and to protect the music mogul's reputation. The defense has acknowledged Combs was violent with romantic partners and during opening statements said he had 'a bit of a different sex life.' They also said that while Combs is 'a very flawed individual,' he has not committed the alleged federal crimes. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison. Here's what we learned Wednesday: LAPD and LAFD investigated Kid Cudi incidents: Judge denies defense request for mistrial: Celebrity stylist details Combs' control over Ventura
CNN
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNN
Live updates: Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial continues after news of Cassie Ventura's birth
Update: Date: Title: Here's what happened in court yesterday Content: Police and fire investigators who looked into the rapper Kid Cudi's allegations and a celebrity stylist who said he witnessed several assaults testified in the third week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal criminal trial. Prosecutors have said Combs and his inner circle used threats, violence, drugs, bribery, arson, kidnapping and lies to coerce his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, and another woman into participating in 'Freak Offs' and to protect the music mogul's reputation. The defense has acknowledged Combs was violent with romantic partners and during opening statements said he had 'a bit of a different sex life.' They also said that while Combs is 'a very flawed individual,' he has not committed the alleged federal crimes. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison. Here's what we learned Wednesday: LAPD and LAFD investigated Kid Cudi incidents: Judge denies defense request for mistrial: Celebrity stylist details Combs' control over Ventura
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Rooftop homeless encampment in L.A. terrorizing doctor's office
A doctor in the south-central region of Los Angeles County is calling it quits after years of battling denizens of a rooftop homeless encampment that have continuously terrorized her and her employees, costing the general practitioner tens of thousands of dollars in the process. Dr. Tahani Soliman owns the building she runs her practice out of on the corner of Rugby and Zoe avenues in Huntington Park. A multi-level parking garage next door to her practice has reportedly been a hub for unhoused people, who are easily able to access her roof, camp out, steal electricity and scrap metal from her air-conditioning units and start fires. The doctor told KTLA that she estimates she's spent more than $100,000 on repairs and deterrents such as barbed wire and a fence that the homeless simply tear down. 'We are living in hell,' Soliman said. 'They ruined my roof. I have to put in a new roof and electricity from the air conditioning. I have to replace all of them.' On Tuesday, crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department extinguished a blaze on the rooftop of the parking structure and it's not the first time. Gaby Rodriguez, who works for Dr. Soliman, said there was another fire in the same spot in 2023. It was firefighters who told the doctor and her staff that homeless people were living on top of the parking garage. 'Violent unscripted, unscheduled' rape scene at core of lawsuit against Kevin Costner 'We ended up putting up a fence with barbed wire. They took that down,' Rodriguez said. 'We put cages around our AC units, and they took those down.' According to Rodriguez, Huntington Park police have told the doctor and her staff that there is not much they can do about the problem and that the office's calls to the city for help have gone unreturned. Dr. Soliman, frustrated and angry about the lack of support for her business, staff and patients, said she has had enough. 'No protection for my employees, for my patients or my tenants,' she told KTLA. 'That's why I'm going to retire, because of this I lost everything.' KTLA reached out to Huntington Park city officials who said they would investigate the situation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Recap of ‘Diddy' trial: Stylist says Combs threatened to release sex tapes of Ventura as investigators detail Kid Cudi's burnt car
Police and fire investigators who looked into the rapper Kid Cudi's allegations and a celebrity stylist who said he witnessed several assaults testified Wednesday in the third week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal criminal trial. The first week of testimony featured dramatic and disturbing testimony from Cassie Ventura, the pop singer who said Combs physically abused her and coerced her into drug-fueled sex parties with male escorts known as 'Freak Offs' during their relationship. Ventura, who was pregnant when she took the stand, gave birth on Tuesday to her third child, according to the stylist who described himself as her best friend. The second week of testimony largely consisted of witnesses who bolstered parts of Ventura's story, including Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi. Witnesses in this third week of testimony have focused on Mescudi's allegations as well as Combs' violence toward Ventura. The prosecution said its next witness is expected to be Combs' former assistant who is testifying using the pseudonym 'Mia.' Prosecutors have said Combs and his inner circle used threats, violence, drugs, bribery, arson, kidnapping and lies to coerce Ventura and another woman into participating in 'Freak Offs' and to protect the music mogul's reputation. The defense has acknowledged Combs was violent with romantic partners and during opening statements said he had 'a bit of a different sex life.' They also said that while Combs is 'a very flawed individual,' he has not committed the alleged federal crimes. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison. Here's what we learned Wednesday. Mescudi testified last week that his house was broken into and his Porsche was set on fire after Combs learned Mescudi was dating Ventura, and on Wednesday LAFD and LAPD officers gave further details about the investigations into those incidents. LAPD officer Christopher Ignacio, who responded to Mescudi's home in December 2011 in response to a possible burglary, testified that a black Escalade that was parked near the home drove away when he pulled up behind it. He said he did not pursue the vehicle because there hadn't been a crime at that point. Ignacio said the vehicle, which drove by again about 15-20 minutes later, had a license plate that was tied to Bad Boy Productions Inc., the label founded by Combs. The officer said Mescudi filed a trespassing report and was 'flustered' at the time, but didn't report a gun being involved or that any property was stolen from the home. Next, LAFD arson investigator Lance Jimenez testified that the Molotov cocktail used to set Mescudi's Porsche on fire in January 2012 could have caused catastrophic damage if it had exploded as intended. The Porsche, parked close to Mescudi's garage, had a cut in its canvas roof and burn patterns throughout the seats, center console, interior roofing and carpet, Jimenez testified. A 40-ounce Old English liquor bottle with gasoline inside sat on the driver's seat, a cloth handkerchief was on the center console and a disposable lighter was found outside the car. Jimenez said there was 'severe damage' to the Porsche, but not nearly the kind of catastrophic damage he normally sees from fully operational Molotov cocktails. If it had exploded, the blaze would have likely spread to nearby foliage and the rapper's home, he said. The arson investigator determined that the fire was targeted and was not random. Combs denied his involvement in the arson, Mescudi previously testified, and no one was directly charged for the incident. An alleged arson was mentioned in the federal indictment against Combs in connection to the racketeering charge. Judge Arun Subramanian denied a request from Combs' defense for a mistrial after the prosecution asked a witness about the destruction of fingerprint evidence. The request came after Jimenez, the LAFD arson investigator, testified that fingerprints were found in Mescudi's home in December 2011 after the trespassing incident. Jimenez said he collected a card with those fingerprints to compare to evidence recovered from the Molotov cocktail bottle inside of the rapper's Porsche, but the card was destroyed by an LAPD officer in August 2012. Jimenez said he typically has to sign off on the destruction of any evidence he submitted as a lead investigator. The defense objected to the line of questioning, saying the prosecution's implications were 'outrageous.' 'They were suggesting to this jury that someone in this courtroom had something to do with the improper and suspicious destruction of these fingerprints,' defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said. Defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro moved for a mistrial based on what she called prosecutorial misconduct, saying the questions played into a conspiracy theory that Combs could buy his way out of trouble. 'This type of conspiracy theory is out there, and the type of implication we believe these questions were designed to create plays right into that,' Shapiro said. Subramanian denied the motion and said he doesn't believe that the jury was prejudiced. When the jury returned to court, Subramanian instructed them to not consider the testimony about the fingerprint card. Deonte Nash, a celebrity stylist, testified that on multiple occasions he saw Combs assault Ventura and heard him threaten to withhold her music or release sex tapes of her. Ventura would be 'super emotional' after the threats and 'sometimes she would just stay in the house for days and go in a cocoon,' Nash said. On one occasion in 2013 or 2014, Nash said as Combs was assaulting Ventura, Nash and an assistant named 'Mia' jumped on Combs' back to try to stop him. In the attack, Combs hit and kicked Ventura until she hit her head on the bed frame, opening a gash on her eyebrow, Nash said. 'When he noticed the blood, he just panicked,' Nash said. Combs said to them, 'Look what y'all made me do,' according to Nash. Ventura testified about this incident earlier in the trial and showed the jury an eyebrow scar that she said came from the attack. Further, Nash said he saw Combs slap Ventura across the face in 2015 and saw her with a black eye at a 2016 premiere for the film 'The Perfect Match.' He testified he observed bruises on Ventura's legs, arms and neck 'quite often.' Nash said he often saw Ventura packing a black duffel bag with sex toys for hotel stays. Ventura told him she didn't want to go, but she did 'because (Combs) wanted her to,' Nash testified. Nash also testified that Ventura told him that she had sex with other men while Combs watched even though she didn't want to, though she never explicitly explained the term 'freak off' to him. One of the times Combs threatened to release sex tapes of Ventura, Nash suggested she should let him because Combs was on them too. She then told him Combs wasn't in the videos, just her with other men because Combs was filming them, Nash testified. According to Nash, Ventura said she didn't want to have sex with the other men, but she did it 'because Puff wanted her to.' Ventura also told Nash she didn't want to go with Combs to a 'freak off' the night of her 29th birthday party, Nash said. Ventura previously testified that Combs spent the night of her birthday party pushing her to leave her party for a 'freak off' until she eventually gave in. Nash is still close to and often speaks with Ventura, he said. He testified Wednesday that he spoke to Ventura a day earlier after she had her baby and offered his congratulations. Nash said he has not pursued legal action or made a money demand against Combs, and has kept in touch with him occasionally. 'I don't hate him,' Nash said in court of Combs. 'I mean, I don't; it's just not in me.' CNN's Lisa Respers France contributed to this report.
