Latest news with #Mescudi


News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Diddy Threatened To Kill Rapper Kid Cudi, Rushed To His House With A Gun
Last Updated: Clark testified that in December 2011, Combs showed up to her house between 5am and 6am and began banging on her door. When she opened it, she noted he was holding a gun. A former employee of Sean 'Diddy" Combs testified Tuesday that Combs threatened to kill rapper Kid Cudi after learning that the fellow musician was dating Cassie Ventura. Capricorn Clark, who worked for Combs and his companies off and on from 2004-2018, offered the dramatic details to begin the third week of testimony in Combs' federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial. Combs has pleaded not guilty. The first week of testimony in the trial was defined by testimony from Ventura, who said Combs physically abused her and coerced her into sex parties known as 'Freak Offs" during their relationship. The second week of testimony largely consisted of witnesses who bolstered parts of her story, including Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi. Mescudi testified that his house was broken into and his Porsche destroyed by a Molotov cocktail after Combs learned he and Ventura were dating. Combs denied any involvement in the car's destruction following the incident, Mescudi testified. Medscudi said he did not believe Combs' denial. Prosecutors have argued Combs and some in 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. Here's what we learned in testimony Tuesday. Combs Said He Planned To Kill Kid Cudi, Ex-Assistant Says Clark, the former Combs assistant, testified about Combs's violent reaction to learning that Ventura and Mescudi were dating in late 2011, further detailing an incident that was previously recounted on the stand by Ventura and Mescudi. Clark testified that in December 2011, Combs showed up to her house between 5am and 6am and began banging on her door. When she opened it, she noted he was holding a gun and furious. As he entered her home, he asked her about Mescudi, she said. 'Get dressed, we're going to go kill this n***a," Clark said Combs told her. When she protested, Combs said, 'I don't give a f**k what you want to do, go get dressed," according to her testimony. Clark said they drove to Mescudi's house, and Combs and his security guard entered the home. Meanwhile, she stayed in the car and called Ventura to tell her what was happening and heard Mescudi in the background. Clark said she urged Cassie to stop Mescudi from returning to his house, Clark testified. Clark said she told Ventura that Mescudi was 'going to come get himself killed" if he confronted Combs. A short time later, Clark said Mescudi pulled up next to Combs' Escalade outside his home and then accelerated away. Combs' vehicle followed in pursuit, she said. 'It felt like forever but couldn't have been longer than a minute," Clark testified about the car chase. Mescudi was able to drive away, Clark said. Back at Combs' house, Combs told her that she and Ventura needed to convince Mescudi not to tell police he was involved in the break-in, Clark said. 'If you guys don't convince him of that, I'll kill all you m*therf**kers," Combs told her, according to Clark. She later told Ventura and Mescudi about the threat to remain silent. Sometime after, Ventura and Clark returned to Combs' home, where she said she witnessed Combs physically assault Ventura. Clark testified that she and a security guard stood by as Combs repeatedly kicked Ventura, adding that Combs threatened to hit Clark if she intervened. During her emotional testimony, Clark often patted her eyes with a tissue. She seemed to avert her eyes from Combs, but as she was leaving the courtroom during a midday break, she looked over in his direction, clenched her jaw and nodded. Multiple Alleged Threats From Combs Clark is the third former Combs' personal assistant to take the stand so far in the trial. Like the other assistants, Clark testified that she worked gruelling hours under Combs, occasionally got drugs for him and prepared or cleaned his hotel rooms. Clark worked as Combs' personal assistant from 2004 to 2006, the marketing director for Sean John Women's and then global brand director from 2007 to 2012 and Ventura's creative director from 2016 to 2018. She also said she was threatened by Combs and people around him multiple times. On her first day, Clark said Combs took her to Central Park with his security guard at night and brought up her former employment with Death Row Records, which was founded by Combs' rival Marion 'Suge" Knight. 'He told me that he didn't know that I had anything to do with Suge Knight, and if anything happened, he would have to kill me," Clark testified. In another instance, Clark said she was questioned for hours by a security guard, had her apartment searched and took a polygraph test when Combs accused her of stealing diamond jewelry. She was taken to a vacant office building to take a polygraph test for five days, and the man administering the test told her that if she failed, 'they're going to throw you into the East River," Clark testified. In the summer of 2006, she told Combs' chef 'I hate it here" and the chef relayed that comment to Combs. Combs then 'charged" her, began pushing her and repeatedly told her to get out of his house. He pushed her about 30 yards using about 75% of his force, Clark said, until a security guard intervened. Clark testified she left the job after that incident. After the incidents involving Mescudi, Clark said Combs angrily asked why she didn't tell him about Ventura and Mescudi's relationship. Clark estimated Combs threatened her about 50 times between December 2011 to the following summer. Clark also said that in early 2012 she spoke with a human resources employee at Bad Boy Records and Harve Pierre, the label's former president, about how Combs wanted to kill Mescudi and beat Ventura. She said Pierre told her it was 'crazy but it's going to be okay." Clark testified she was fired several months after that conversation. Also in 2012, when arson investigators reached out to her to make a statement about the incident involving Mescudi's vehicle, Clark said she hung up the phone. 'I wanted this whole thing to be over," she testified. Ex-Assistant Says She Still Wanted To Work With Diddy Clark testified that she met with Combs' attorneys just last year and discussed the possibility of working for him again. While Clark was on the stand under cross-examination, Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo asked her to confirm that she told the lawyers at the April 2024 meeting that Combs 'wouldn't be in this mess if he had kept (her) around." She acknowledged she probably said something like that, as they discussed the possibility of her returning to work for him as his chief of staff. Clark testified that she told them she wanted her life back. Clark testified that she couldn't get a job in the industry after she was fired in 2012, and recalled having a meeting with executives from Interscope Records that she thought was about possible employment. Instead, Clark said she was told to leave Combs alone or it wouldn't end well for her. Judge Arun Subramanian sustained a defense objection to her response, meaning the jury cannot consider the statement in their judgement. Under redirect questioning from the prosecution, Clark testified she continued to look for work through 2015 but was unable to find a new job in the industry because she was 'blacklisted." Her response was also struck from the record after Subramanian sustained a defense objection. Clark said she wasn't able to find steady work in the entertainment industry so she began working in consulting. 'At this level of business, he (Combs) holds all the power as it relates to me," Clark testified. Still, Clark said she 'did learn a lot of stuff from Puff," noting the situation was 'very complicated." Toward the end of her cross-examination, Clark broke into sobs as she looked at emails she sent Combs in 2014 and 2015 asking him to forgive her. 'That email is me pleading like, 'Dude let it go,'" she said. First Published:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prosecutors Drop Photos of Kid Cudi's Firebombed Porsche in Diddy Trial
Kid Cudi testified on Thursday, May 22, in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal trial He said his Porsche was destroyed by a Molotov cocktail in 2012, while prosecutors allege Diddy ordered the attack out of jealousy Prosecutors released shocking photos of Cudi's vehicleDuring the third week of Sean "Diddy" Combs' high-profile federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial, prosecutors introduced graphic photographs showing the aftermath of a Molotov cocktail attack on rapper Kid Cudi's blue Porsche, an incident Cudi testified that Combs was behind. The images, now part of the official trial exhibits, show extensive fire damage to the vehicle, items believed to have been used in the attack, and the emergency response outside Cudi's Hollywood Hills home in January 2012. Los Angeles Fire Department arson investigator Lance Jimenez testified that the device was assembled using an Olde English 800 bottle, gasoline, a designer handkerchief and a lighter. The items were later tested for DNA, Jimenez said, but only the malt liquor bottle yielded results. A partial DNA profile consistent with a female contributor was identified, he said, though he acknowledged that he had no expertise in testing or analysis. Jimenez said he observed a cut in the canvas roof of Cudi's Porsche with burn patterns throughout the seats, the center console, the interior roofing and some of the carpet. Jimenez also testified he believed that someone targeted the sports car, noting it was not easily visible from the street in an affluent neighborhood with low crime activity, and another car parked in the driveway at the time was not harmed. Jimenez added that the bottle was discovered in the front seat of the car, consistent with accounts previously given by Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi. His testimony on May 22 followed previous claims by Casandra "Cassie" Ventura that Combs had expressed jealousy over her connection to the rapper. Mescudi took the witness stand shortly before 11 a.m. local time, with Combs staring straight ahead and avoiding any eye contact with the musician as he entered the packed courtroom. Speaking to jurors during his nearly 90 minutes of testimony last week, Mescudi claimed his romance with Ventura started after she told him she and Combs 'had some problems' and 'weren't dating anymore.' Mescudi said he was 'really confused' when Ventura called him in a panic one morning in December 2011 to say Combs had discovered their relationship. 'She sounded really stressed on the phone, nervous, scared,' he recalled. He went to pick her up and took her to the Sunset Marquis hotel. 'I just thought it was safe and just wanted to put her somewhere where she was off the radar,' he testified. Later, when Mescudi learned that Combs was at his house, he said that he raced back home and called Combs from his car. 'Mother----, are you in my house?' Mescudi claimed he repeatedly asked Combs. 'I'm here,' Combs allegedly replied. 'I'm over here waiting for you.' According to Mescudi, Combs had fled his house by the time he arrived. Still, he testified there were signs someone had broken in. Holiday gifts from Chanel were opened and left in the kitchen and his dog was found locked in a bathroom and traumatized. A couple of weeks later, he said that his dog sitter called to say his sports car was on fire. Mescudi testified that someone had sliced the car's convertible roof and dropped a Molotov cocktail inside on the driver's side, while jurors saw photos of the damaged Porsche with red leather interior scorched from the flames. Cudi said he believed Combs to be responsible. Mescudi testified he believed the music mogul "was lying" when Diddy claimed not to know what he was talking about when asked about the car explosion during a meeting at the Soho House in Los Angeles with Ventura. In response, Combs' defense team asked the court to strike Mescudi's testimony, arguing it is speculative and prejudicial as a "witness generally cannot testify that in his opinion, a declarant was lying when making a statement" and further claimed the testimony was "mere speculation," and poses "significant dangers of unfair prejudice" against Combs. The newly released images the jury witnessed today also capture the emergency response by firefighters at the scene. Prosecutors have introduced additional exhibits as part of their case, though not all materials have been identified publicly. While prosecutors continue to build their case around what they allege is a broader pattern of violence and intimidation from Combs, Mescudi's testimony and new exhibits mark yet another series of bombshell revelations about Combs' alleged jealous rage and psychological abuse of Ventura, who has claimed the rapper controlled her life for 11 years. The Bad Boy Records founder is currently facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution, which he has adamantly denied. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to Read the original article on People
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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy trial: 5 things to know
Hip-hop artist Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been facing a federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial after he was arrested late last year in New York City. A federal indictment unsealed in September 2024 depicted Combs as the head of an expansive criminal enterprise reliant on employees as well as the influence of Combs's business empire to try to 'engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.' Combs pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges in the wake of the indictment's unsealing. Here's what you need to know about Combs's trial so far: The federal indictment unsealed earlier this year alleged Combs 'abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,' per allegations going back to 2008. Combs's alleged criminal enterprise was used to protect and promote his reputation, supplement his enterprise's power, lock down individuals' loyalty and reward it, and safeguard Combs from being prosecuted or found out for his alleged crimes via acts of intimidation, manipulation, bribery or threats, according to the indictment. A statement from a lawyer for Combs in September said that the rapper was 'disappointed' due to his 'unjust prosecution.' 'He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,' Marc Agnifilo said in the statement. 'To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts.' Combs's trial kicked off earlier this month via jury selection, according to The Associated Press, about eight months after the indictment was unsealed. The AP reported that Judge Arun Subramanian interviewed potential jurors using a questionnaire to assess their fairness and impartiality during a trial involving graphic video. Possible jurors were provided with a brief description of the charges Combs faced via Subramanian, with the judge also stating that the rapper was presumed innocent and had pleaded not guilty, according to the AP. In 2011, according to testimony Tuesday from ex-Combs employee Capricorn Clark, Combs showed up at her apartment and said, 'We're going to go kill' fellow hip-hop figure Scott Mescudi, who also goes by 'Kid Cudi,' in the wake of learning of his former romantic partner Cassandra Ventura dating Mescudi, The New York Times reported. Ventura filed a lawsuit in November 2023 alleging that Combs had spent years beating and raping her, with the lawsuit being settled quickly after it was filed. Mescudi also testified during the trial last week, describing multiple incidents of which Combs was a part, according to the AP. According to the outlet, prosecutors have alleged that Combs's fury toward Mescudi drove him to set up the firebombing of Mescudi's Porsche 911. The AP reported that Combs may be looking at prison time stretching from 15 years to the rest of his life in the case he is convicted. Beyond possible long-term incarceration, Combs has also faced public backlash in the wake of abuse allegations against him coming into the national spotlight. Former CEO of Death Row Records Suge Knight suggested earlier this month that President Trump could pardon Combs in the case he is convicted. 'I still feel that Puffy's going to be all right and have a fair shot at it, because Puffy didn't — he's not a dummy,' Knight said previously, talking to NewsNation's Chris Cuomo and referring to Combs by another name. 'I'm quite sure somebody's going to talk to those jurors and convince one or two of them — that's all you need, is one,' he added. CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said in an episode of the Cafe podcast 'The Counsel' from earlier this month that Combs's trial 'is overwhelmingly likely to end with the fallen hip-hop mogul's conviction.' The Hill has reached out to a law firm with a lawyer representing Combs for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


The Hill
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Diddy trial: 5 things to know
Hip-hop artist Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been facing a federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial after he was arrested late last year in New York City. A federal indictment unsealed in September 2024 depicted Combs as the head of an expansive criminal enterprise reliant on employees as well as the influence of Combs's business empire to try and 'engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice.' Combs pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges in the wake of the indictment's unsealing. Here's what you need to know about Combs's trial so far: The federal indictment unsealed earlier this year alleged Combs 'abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct,' per allegations going back to 2008. Combs's alleged criminal enterprise was used to protect and promote his reputation, supplement his enterprise's power, lock down individuals' loyalty and reward it and safeguard Combs from being prosecuted or found out for his alleged crimes via acts of intimidation, manipulation, bribery or threats, according to the indictment. A statement from a lawyer for Combs in September said that the rapper was 'disappointed' due to his 'unjust prosecution.' 'He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal,' Marc Agnifilo said in the previous statement. 'To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts.' Combs's trial kicked off earlier this month via jury selection, according to The Associated Press, about eight months after the indictment was unsealed. The AP reported that Judge Arun Subramanian interviewed potential jurors using a questionnaire to assess their fairness and impartiality during a trial involving graphic video. Possible jurors were provided with a brief description of the charges Combs faced via Subramanian, with the judge also stating that the rapper was presumed innocent and had pleaded not guilty, according to the AP. In 2011, according to Tuesday testimony from ex-Combs employee Capricorn Clark, Combs showed up at her apartment and said, 'We're going to go kill' fellow hip-hop figure Scott Mescudi, who also goes by 'Kid Cudi,' in the wake of learning of his former romantic partner Cassandra Ventura and Mescudi's dating, The New York Times reported. Ventura filed a lawsuit in November 2023 alleging that Combs had spent years beating and raping her, with the lawsuit being settled quickly after it was filed. Mescudi also testified during the trial last week, describing multiple incidents in which Combs was a part of, according to the AP. According to the outlet, prosecutors have alleged that Combs's fury towards Mescudi drove him to set up the firebombing of Mescudi's Porsche 911. The AP reported that Combs may be looking at prison time stretching from 15 years to the rest of his life in the case he is convicted. Beyond possible long-term incarceration, Combs has also faced public backlash in the wake of abuse allegations against him coming into the national spotlight. Former CEO of Death Row Records Suge Knight suggested earlier this month that President Trump could pardon Combs in the case he is convicted. 'I still feel that Puffy's gonna be all right and have a fair shot at it, because Puffy didn't — he's not a dummy,' Knight said previously, talking to NewsNation's Chris Cuomo. 'I'm quite sure somebody's going to talk to those jurors and convince one or two of them — that's all you need, is one,' he added. CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said in an episode of the Cafe podcast 'The Counsel' from earlier this month that Combs's trial 'is overwhelmingly likely to end with the fallen hip-hop mogul's conviction.' The Hill has reached out to a law firm with a lawyer representing Combs for comment.