Latest news with #TenyGeragos
New York Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Sean Combs and the Sweater Defense
We are midway through the Sean Combs trial for racketeering, conspiracy and sex trafficking. The prosecution could rest its case as early as next week, at which point the defense will take over. But the team has already previewed one aspect of its case. As the defense lawyer Teny Geragos said in her opening statement, it's not about what the prosecution is 'trying to make my client out to be.' All anyone in the courtroom has to do is glance at the defendant to know what she means. The Sean Combs sitting at the defendant's table does not look anything like the Sean Combs whose behavior is on trial; the Sean Combs of most people's memories. His hair and goatee have gone almost white, thanks to prison rules that forbid hair dye. He wears black framed reading glasses. And he is always dressed in a white collared shirt and a neutral toned crew-neck sweater: blue sweaters, gray sweaters, beige sweaters. The contrast with the image that Mr. Combs built as a mogul — the one memorialized on the cover of Vogue, and in a perfume billboard featuring Mr. Combs in white tie with the tagline 'I am King' — is so great, it became one of the trial's earliest talking points. Even though the trial itself is not televised, it has been mentioned by almost every outlet covering the case. Mr. Combs was 'unrecognizable,' wrote the correspondent for The Independent. 'Unrecognizable,' agreed Hot97. Not 'like his Met Gala self,' decreed a TikTok commentator, referring to his last appearance at that party, in 2023, when Mr. Combs wore a custom-designed camellia-festooned cape and motorcycle tux with 600 Swarovski crystals and black pearls. There is a courtroom strategy known as 'the nerd defense,' a term coined by the lawyer Harvey Slovis, who once represented Mr. Combs during his trial on charges of gun possession in 1999. Now in broad use, 'the nerd defense' refers to the theory that dressing a client in glasses — accessories associated with intelligence and a lack of physical strength — has a subliminal effect on a jury, predisposing them to assume a lack of guilt. The point is, in a trial, every detail of a defendant's appearance matters. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Diddy's defense attorney challenges government's narrative in high-stakes federal trial
Sean "Diddy" Combs retained criminal defense attorney Teny Geragos as part of his legal team after his arrest in September. The criminal defense attorney, known just as much for her last name as she is for her work in the courtroom, first earned fans last year with social media clips about her rapper client. Teny also gained recognition for her opening remarks during Diddy's federal trial, where 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. Teny, the daughter of criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos, graduated from Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 2016. Her father is known for representing several high-profile clients, including Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Jussie Smollett, Colin Kaepernick and, most recently, the Menendez brothers in their pursuit of resentencing. She then worked with Brafman & Associates for eight years before becoming a founding partner of Agnifilo Intrater. She serves on the board of directors of the New York Criminal Bar Association and is certified to practice law in New York and California. Shortly after Diddy was arrested in New York after a human trafficking investigation, Teny claimed the media was pushing the wrong narrative about the "Last Night" rapper. "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." "It's incredible here what I'm witnessing," she said of the public narrative about Diddy. "A lot of allegations that have no basis in reality whatsoever." During opening statements of Diddy's trial, which began on May 5, 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." Teny told the jury that they would hear the "basics" through the lens of various witnesses and evidence. Most importantly, though, jurors would get the opportunity to "finally" hear the facts about the case. "Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money. This case is about voluntary adult choices made by capable adults and consensual relationships." "I say that because this case is not about what you've heard on the news, read in the news or have seen on social media for the past year and a half," Teny said. "This case is not about what civil attorneys looking for a payday are trying to make my client out to be. There has been a tremendous amount of noise around this case for the past year, and it is time to cancel that noise and hear and see the evidence that will be presented in this courtroom." She noted that Diddy "has a bad temper" and at times gets "so angry or so jealous that he is out of control," but she emphasized that the "Victory" rapper was not charged with "being mean." "He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise," Teny said. "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." During a recent episode of "2 Angry Men," Harvey Levin and Mark Geragos sat down with fellow high-profile lawyer Joe Tacopina to talk about the case. Tacopina has served as a personal attorney for President Donald Trump and most recently won a big court victory while representing rapper A$AP Rocky, who was found not guilty of criminal assault charges. "He is not charged with being a jerk. He's charged with running a racketeering enterprise." "Your daughter, by the way, your daughter is a terrific lawyer – Teny – I'm very impressed," Tacopina told the men. "There's people who are or children of great lawyers who become lawyers, and you know it's not the same." "I'm sure we're reading each other's minds right now," Mark said. "That's why I take that as high praise for her, so I appreciate that." "She is, she's something else. I'm very impressed with her," Tacopina continued. "That opening was phenomenal. Opening summations and cross is my daily bread, it's what I love, it's what I studied, and what I really perfected it, and that was as good as I've seen." To wrap the episode, Mark revealed that his all-star daughter was pregnant with his second grandchild. "Four months yesterday, I think," Mark said. Levin joked, "The New York jury is like, 'Is everybody pregnant in this case?" Levin was likely referring to the prosecution's "star witness," Diddy's ex, Cassie Ventura, who recently gave birth to her child with husband Alex Fine. Ventura testified against the rapper last month. In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison. He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking. The trial is expected to wrap by July 4.
Sky News
22-05-2025
- Sky News
Diddy trial live: Hotel rooms cleaned to 'protect' rapper's public image, court hears
We're pausing our live coverage That concludes our live coverage of the eighth day of the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. If you're just checking in, here is a recap of the testimony from today's witnesses. George Kaplan, former assistant to Combs The court heard how Kaplan set up hotel rooms for Combs, including clothes, candles, baby oil, Astroglide [lubricant], and that Combs would host a female partner; After Combs left, it would be Kaplan's job to collect his belongings, clear up the baby oil and tidy away "lots" of liquor bottles, the court heard; Kaplan said it was implied his job was to protect Combs and his public image; Combs threatened his job on occasion, he added. Gerard Gannon, Homeland Security agent Gannon gave more details on what was found during the raid of Combs' property; Residue that tested positive for cocaine and ketamine was found inside a Gucci bag, as well as MDMA pills, a meth fragment, and evidence of ketamine and xanax, the court heard; The court was shown a photo of a closet in a hallway containing 25 bottles of baby oil and 31 bottles of Astroglide lubricant; Male escort Sharay Hayes has previously testified that baby oil was used during sexual encounters with Combs and his ex-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura; Guns and bullets were also found; Defence lawyer Teny Geragos tried to show that the guns were kept safely stored and the magazines were not loaded into the receivers; He seemed to suggest investigators manipulated what they found for the photos and arranged them in a way that looked nefarious. Dawn Hughes, clinical and forensic psychologist Hughes was giving evidence as a blind witness, so she had not reviewed evidence in the case and was not there to comment on specifics; Instead, she outlined the nature of abusive relationships and how they can impact victims; She talked about how it was common for victims to stay in abusive relationships and to delay disclosing abuse until some time after it had occurred; Substance abuse was a very common coping mechanism to numb the pain, she said; PTSD could make recalling information difficult, she said. In pictures: Seized guns and messages scrawled on Diddy's mirror We can now bring you some more images submitted by the prosecution, taken during a Homeland Security raid of Sean Combs' property. Messages scrawled on a mirror read "What do you want?" and "you a legend". Other photographs show weapons and pills that the court heard were seized during testimony earlier today. Jury dismissed That's all the testimony we'll hear today. Former Combs assistant George Kaplan will be back on the stand tomorrow. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said she has 30 minutes of questions left before the defence team take over. Assistant describes preparing hotel rooms with baby oil for Combs George Kaplan, a former assistant to Combs, is still on the stand, describing how he travelled with the musician by private jet. He would set up hotel rooms for Combs, including clothes, candles, baby oil, Astroglide [lubricant], adding that Combs would host a female partner at the hotel. After Combs left, it would be Kaplan's job to collect his belongings, take the baby oil away, tidy away "lots" of liquor bottles, the court hears. Kaplan says it was implied his job was to protect Combs and his public image, because hotels would sell photos to embarrass celebrities. On a couple of occasions, Combs had Kaplan bring him drugs, he says, though he never asked him to get a specific type of drug. Former assistant: 'Angry Combs threatened my job' Former assistant George Kaplan says Combs threatened his job on occasion, maybe monthly. The court hears Combs would say he was only surrounded by the best and those who were not performing wouldn't last. His tone was motivational, sometimes angry, Kaplan says. Former Combs assistant takes stand George Kaplan, a former employee of Sean Combs, is taking the stand. He explains how he worked at the musician's homes and in Los Angeles, carrying and unpacking his bags, making sure his homes were organised, setting up hotel rooms, making sure all Combs' toiletries were available and his office was ready, and working late nights at the studio. Prosecutor Maurene Comey is first to question him. Several objections made to line of questioning There have been several sidebars as prosecutors object to a line of questioning where defence attorney Jonathan Bach is probing what trauma expert Dr Dawn Hughes discussed with prosecutors in her meetings before she appeared to testify. Hughes then confirms that she is testifying as a blind expert, without knowledge of the particulars of the case. Jury sent to break room as 2015 webinar discussed in court The jury are sent to a side room while the judge, prosecution and defence discuss whether a piece of evidence will be included in the trial. The defence want a webinar from 2015, given by Dr Hughes, to be shown to the jury. Defence lawyer Jonathan Bach argues the webinar was training for advocates of abused women, and therefore puts her testimony into perspective. The prosecution argues the webinar is not relevant and does not indicate any bias on the part of Dr Hughes, adding it will be confusing for the jury. The judge agrees and rules on the side of the prosecution. The jury return to court. Cross-examination focuses on memories and reasons for taking legal action Under cross-examination by Combs's defence, Dr Dawn Hughes is asked about the reasons people talk to civil lawyers to bring lawsuits in cases of alleged abuse. She says people go to such lawyers to right a wrong, and adds she does both civil and criminal work. Asked if memories can be fragmented, she agrees that they can. Jonathan Bach follows this with a question about people having hazy memories. He suggests someone could recall details they didn't before after consulting a civil lawyer. The prosecution objects, and the judge sustains their protest. Bach changes tack a little, saying people could have new memories after speaking to a lawyer for all kinds of reasons. Dr Hughes suggests memories can be recalled differently over time. Bach asks if memories change over time, and Dr Hughes agrees that they do. Defence focuses on general nature of expert's testimony Defence attorney Jonathan Bach is back cross-examining trauma expert Dr Dawn Hughes. She is asked if a psychologist should only form an opinion after interviewing them. There are other guidelines, that is part of one, she replies. Bach suggests she did not, in this case, do a comprehensive evaluation. "I was not asked to do that," she replies. Asked if she has given the same testimony in other court cases, she says it is her area of expertise.
Sky News
21-05-2025
- Sky News
As it happened: Hotel rooms cleaned to 'protect' Diddy's public image, court hears
We're pausing our live coverage That concludes our live coverage of the eighth day of the trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. If you're just checking in, here is a recap of the testimony from today's witnesses. George Kaplan, former assistant to Combs The court heard how Kaplan set up hotel rooms for Combs, including clothes, candles, baby oil, Astroglide [lubricant], and that Combs would host a female partner; After Combs left, it would be Kaplan's job to collect his belongings, clear up the baby oil and tidy away "lots" of liquor bottles, the court heard; Kaplan said it was implied his job was to protect Combs and his public image; Combs threatened his job on occasion, he added. Gerard Gannon, Homeland Security agent Gannon gave more details on what was found during the raid of Combs' property; Residue that tested positive for cocaine and ketamine was found inside a Gucci bag, as well as MDMA pills, a meth fragment, and evidence of ketamine and xanax, the court heard; The court was shown a photo of a closet in a hallway containing 25 bottles of baby oil and 31 bottles of Astroglide lubricant; Male escort Sharay Hayes has previously testified that baby oil was used during sexual encounters with Combs and his ex-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura; Guns and bullets were also found; Defence lawyer Teny Geragos tried to show that the guns were kept safely stored and the magazines were not loaded into the receivers; He seemed to suggest investigators manipulated what they found for the photos and arranged them in a way that looked nefarious. Dawn Hughes, clinical and forensic psychologist Hughes was giving evidence as a blind witness, so she had not reviewed evidence in the case and was not there to comment on specifics; Instead, she outlined the nature of abusive relationships and how they can impact victims; She talked about how it was common for victims to stay in abusive relationships and to delay disclosing abuse until some time after it had occurred; Substance abuse was a very common coping mechanism to numb the pain, she said; PTSD could make recalling information difficult, she said. In pictures: Seized guns and messages scrawled on Diddy's mirror We can now bring you some more images submitted by the prosecution, taken during a Homeland Security raid of Sean Combs' property. Messages scrawled on a mirror read "What do you want?" and "you a legend". Other photographs show weapons and pills that the court heard were seized during testimony earlier today. Jury dismissed That's all the testimony we'll hear today. Former Combs assistant George Kaplan will be back on the stand tomorrow. Prosecutor Maurene Comey said she has 30 minutes of questions left before the defence team take over. Assistant describes preparing hotel rooms with baby oil for Combs George Kaplan, a former assistant to Combs, is still on the stand, describing how he travelled with the musician by private jet. He would set up hotel rooms for Combs, including clothes, candles, baby oil, Astroglide [lubricant], adding that Combs would host a female partner at the hotel. After Combs left, it would be Kaplan's job to collect his belongings, take the baby oil away, tidy away "lots" of liquor bottles, the court hears. Kaplan says it was implied his job was to protect Combs and his public image, because hotels would sell photos to embarrass celebrities. On a couple of occasions, Combs had Kaplan bring him drugs, he says, though he never asked him to get a specific type of drug. Former assistant: 'Angry Combs threatened my job' Former assistant George Kaplan says Combs threatened his job on occasion, maybe monthly. The court hears Combs would say he was only surrounded by the best and those who were not performing wouldn't last. His tone was motivational, sometimes angry, Kaplan says. Former Combs assistant takes stand George Kaplan, a former employee of Sean Combs, is taking the stand. He explains how he worked at the musician's homes and in Los Angeles, carrying and unpacking his bags, making sure his homes were organised, setting up hotel rooms, making sure all Combs' toiletries were available and his office was ready, and working late nights at the studio. Prosecutor Maurene Comey is first to question him. Several objections made to line of questioning There have been several sidebars as prosecutors object to a line of questioning where defence attorney Jonathan Bach is probing what trauma expert Dr Dawn Hughes discussed with prosecutors in her meetings before she appeared to testify. Hughes then confirms that she is testifying as a blind expert, without knowledge of the particulars of the case. Jury sent to break room as 2015 webinar discussed in court The jury are sent to a side room while the judge, prosecution and defence discuss whether a piece of evidence will be included in the trial. The defence want a webinar from 2015, given by Dr Hughes, to be shown to the jury. Defence lawyer Jonathan Bach argues the webinar was training for advocates of abused women, and therefore puts her testimony into perspective. The prosecution argues the webinar is not relevant and does not indicate any bias on the part of Dr Hughes, adding it will be confusing for the jury. The judge agrees and rules on the side of the prosecution. The jury return to court. Cross-examination focuses on memories and reasons for taking legal action Under cross-examination by Combs's defence, Dr Dawn Hughes is asked about the reasons people talk to civil lawyers to bring lawsuits in cases of alleged abuse. She says people go to such lawyers to right a wrong, and adds she does both civil and criminal work. Asked if memories can be fragmented, she agrees that they can. Jonathan Bach follows this with a question about people having hazy memories. He suggests someone could recall details they didn't before after consulting a civil lawyer. The prosecution objects, and the judge sustains their protest. Bach changes tack a little, saying people could have new memories after speaking to a lawyer for all kinds of reasons. Dr Hughes suggests memories can be recalled differently over time. Bach asks if memories change over time, and Dr Hughes agrees that they do. Defence focuses on general nature of expert's testimony Defence attorney Jonathan Bach is back cross-examining trauma expert Dr Dawn Hughes. She is asked if a psychologist should only form an opinion after interviewing them. There are other guidelines, that is part of one, she replies. Bach suggests she did not, in this case, do a comprehensive evaluation. "I was not asked to do that," she replies. Asked if she has given the same testimony in other court cases, she says it is her area of expertise.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Key moments from first week of Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial
NEW YORK (AP) — Testimony in the sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs began this week, opening a window into what prosecutors say was the sordid world of group sex, drugs and violence beneath the glittering, jet set persona cultivated by the Bad Boy Records founder. Much of the testimony was hard to watch. Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassie, recounted being beaten and pressured into degrading sexual performances with strangers. Here are five key moments from the trial, which resumes Monday: Defense: Combs is a violent jerk and a swinger, but not a sex trafficker Lawyer Teny Geragos took a novel approach to defending Combs in her opening statement. She conceded the hip-hop impresario has a 'bad temper' and is prone to violent outbursts that are often fueled by alcohol, jealousy and drugs. But she maintained that while his actions might have warranted domestic violence charges, they aren't proof he engaged in sex trafficking and racketeering — the charges he faces. Geragos argued that Combs' sexual habits were part of a swinger lifestyle involving consenting adults and reminded jurors that 'kinky' sexual predilections don't equate to sex trafficking. 'Sean Combs is a complicated man. But this is not a complicated case," she said. 'This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity and money.' Jurors sees video and photos of infamous LA hotel attack on Cassie The packed courtroom fell silent when jurors were shown security camera video of Combs assaulting Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. The video depicts Cassie, an R&B singer, headed down a hallway toward the hotel's elevators just before Combs rounds a corner, strikes her and throws her to the ground before kicking her and then dragging her back toward their hotel room. Jurors also viewed photographs of damage in the hotel hallway, including flowers strewn on the floor and soil spattered against a wall. Later, as Cassie testified about the attack, they were shown photos of the musician's swollen lip. The trial's first witness was a former security guard at the hotel. Israel Florez testified Combs attempted to bribe him, holding out a stack of money with a $100 on top, telling him: 'Don't tell nobody.' Florez said he responded: 'I don't want your money. Just go back into your room.' Cassie describes 'freak-offs' in disturbing detail The 'Me & U' singer, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, testified that Combs was into voyeurism and dictated every aspect of sex events he dubbed 'freak-offs.' The highly orchestrated affairs, which Combs also called 'wild king nights' or 'hotel nights," involved male sex workers, heavy drug use and copious lubrication. 'It was his fantasy,' Cassie said. Cassie said each 'freak-off' involved about 10 large bottles of baby oil -- heated up. 'It was such a mess,' she said. 'It was like, 'What are we doing?'' She said Combs also asked her to perform degrading and painful sex acts with male sex workers. Cassie said eventually she was doing 'freak-offs' weekly for a decade, with the final one in 2017 or 2018. 'The freak-offs became a job,' Cassie recounted. She said she felt she couldn't refuse because she feared the videos would be made public. Jurors also heard from Daniel Phillip, who said he was a professional stripper paid to have sex with Cassie while Combs gave instructions. He testified that he once saw Combs drag Cassie by her hair as she screamed. Messages between Combs and Cassie show a complicated relationship Defense lawyers, during their cross examination of Cassie, sought to cast the musician as an enthusiastic participant in the sex marathons. 'I'm always ready to freak off,' she wrote in one 2009 message read in court. Later that year, however, Cassie expressed frustration with the state of their relationship and told Combs she needed something more from him than sex. In a 2017 text message, Cassie told Combs: 'I love our FOs when we both want it,' using the initials of freak-off. On the stand, Cassie explained: 'I would say loving FOs were just words at that point.' Singer Dawn Richard recalled Combs beating Cassie The former cast member on Combs' MTV reality show 'Making the Band" testified that she saw Combs physically attack Cassie on multiple occasions. During a 2009 incident in his home, Richard said Combs tried to strike Cassie in the head with a black skillet before he put his arm around her neck and dragged her up the stairs. 'I was scared for her and scared to do anything," she said. 'I had never seen anything like that before.' Richard, who was later a member of the Combs' band Diddy — Dirty Money, sued the producer last year, accusing him of physical abuse, groping, and psychological abuse during the years they worked together. His representative denied the claims at the time.
