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Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy Courtroom Sketch Artist Reveals Surprising Message Rapper's Mom Gave Her During Trial
One of the courtroom sketch artists tasked with covering Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial, Christine Cornell, revealed what it's like to participate in the high-profile legal proceedings. 'You want to have a really accurate drawing that really resembles them, and you want to capture a little bit of the dynamic of the courtroom,' Cornell said on the Thursday, June 5, episode of Dateline's 'True Crime Weekly' podcast. 'For the most part, I get a lot of affirmation.' Cornell, who illustrates approximately three to six drawings each day, even got a subtle stamp of approval from Diddy's mom, Janice Combs. 'Puffy Combs' mom is sitting behind me, and she tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a thumbs-up,' Cornell told podcast host Andrea Canning. 'She likes the way I'm drawing her son. I said, 'Well, ma'am, do you mind if I draw you?' She, right away, started posing for me.' Diddy, Sporting Gray Hair, Faces Judge in Courtroom Sketches From Federal Sex Trafficking Trial Diddy, 55, is currently on trial for charges pertaining to sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied every allegation against him. 'I was looking at Puffy on the first day [through] my binoculars,' Cornell recalled on Thursday. 'I [use them] because I want to see as much as I can see. So, I had my binoculars on him and I see him looking straight at me. It sort of feels like a social faux pas. I put them down comically quickly, and he [started waving at me].' While drawing Diddy, his mother and the lengthy list of witnesses called — including Cassie, Kid Cudi and the rapper's past employees — Cornell has made sure to paint an accurate image of what it's really like inside the courtroom. 'You can't help but feel there was a tension between P. Diddy and Cassie,' she recalled of the disgraced music mogul and his ex-girlfriend, who took the stand for four days in May. 'I could see it on her 'cause she held her own, but she wept a little, and Diddy, of course, is fighting for his life. So, he's in warrior mode.' According to Cornell, Diddy had also been through physical changes while behind bars. Why Isn't the Diddy Trial Being Broadcast or Livestreamed? Why Some Court Cases Are Private 'I think he's been working out a ton. He's got a very broad back [and] he looks solid,' she speculated. 'Then, of course, everyone's fascinated that he can't get hair dye in jail. He's salt-and-pepper on the sides, a little whiter on top and his little, tiny goatee is very white.' If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy Tells Courtroom Artist To 'Soften' Him Up In Her Sketches, Claims He Looks Like A 'Koala Bear'
Sean "Diddy" Combs has expressed his dissatisfaction with a courtroom sketch of him during his sex trafficking trial on Thursday. For weeks, the jury has been listening to testimony from Diddy's alleged victims, associates, and witnesses, while the rapper observes from the defense section. During these proceedings, courtroom sketches of Sean "Diddy" Combs are drawn by artists, one of whom reportedly received a subtle nod of approval from Diddy's mother, Janice Combs. On Thursday's hearing of Diddy's sex crimes trial, the rapper made a request to the courtroom sketch artist, Jane Rosenberg, that showed he was displeased with how she had captured him. "Soften me up a bit, you're making me look like a koala bear," Combs said, per the New York Post. The incident reportedly happened while the jury was out for a break, and it is unclear whether Rosenberg issued a response to the music mogul when he made the weird request. Rosenberg is one of the artists who have been covering the rapper's trial since it began in May. Her services, and those of others like her, have been invaluable for documenting the proceedings, as the judge's ruling prohibited the televising of the trial and banned all attendees from taking photos, making recordings, or livestreaming. While Rosenberg got criticized by the embattled rapper, another courtroom sketch artist, Christine Cornell, previously claimed she received a "thumbs-up" from Diddy's mother, Janice Combs, when she drew her during one of the proceedings. "Puffy Combs' mom is sitting behind me, and she tapped me on the shoulder and gave me a thumbs-up," Cornell recalled the scene during her appearance on Dateline's True Crime Weekly podcast, per US Weekly. She added, "She likes the way I'm drawing her son. I said, 'Well, ma'am, do you mind if I draw you?' She, right away, started posing for me." Cornell also claimed that people have been drawn to her sketches, which range between three and six each day of the trial. "You want to have a really accurate drawing that really resembles them, and you want to capture a little bit of the dynamic of the courtroom," the artist further remarked. "For the most part, I get a lot of affirmation." Diddy 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. He 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. Last month, Diddy's legal team pushed for a mistrial, arguing that federal prosecutors had crossed a line during their questioning of one of the witnesses. According to the defense, prosecutors unfairly hinted that Combs had a hand in covering up key evidence tied to the arson case involving Kid Cudi's vehicle. However, the motion received a quick shutdown from Judge Arun Subramanian, who said that "absolutely no testimony from the witness was prejudicial in any way, shape, or form." If Diddy is found guilty of all of the charges, he faces the possibility of living the rest of his life in prison. Since the trial began, several witnesses have taken the stand to testify against Diddy. One of the most prominent is his former partner, singer and actress Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura. During her testimony, Cassie spoke extensively about years of alleged abuse by the rapper, including graphic details about the now-infamous "freak-offs," which she claimed she was often forced to participate in without consent. Her mother, Regina Ventura, was also called to testify and supported many of her daughter's allegations. Rapper Kid Cudi, who previously dated Cassie in 2011, also took the stand. He recalled the disturbing incident when his car was firebombed, an event believed to be linked to his brief relationship with Cassie. Other witnesses have included singer Dawn Richard, Cassie's former best friend and roommate Kerry Morgan, and makeup artist Mylah Morales, all of whom spoke about instances of Diddy's allegedly assaulting Cassie. Diddy has reportedly adopted the position of a "quarterback" to his lineup of well-paid attorneys and has seemingly shaken off the early nerves he felt in the courtroom during the trial. According to the Daily Mail, he has been seen passing dozens of sticky notes to his lawyers, intensely questioning them during breaks, and suggesting they bring in different evidence, and has generally used his memories to bolster his lawyers' tactics. "He was there, he remembers exactly what happened: nobody knows more about Diddy's life than he does," a source told the news outlet. "He's very involved and he's on top of things because he knows his life is on the line."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Jane' gives tearful testimony about 'hotel nights' at Diddy's direction
A former girlfriend of Diddy's going by the pseudonym 'Jane' wept on the witness stand today as she described drug-induced sexual encounters with male escorts while she traveled the world with the music mogul. The marathon sex sessions, described by her as 'hotel nights' and similar to 'freak offs,' were organized at Diddy's direction, could last multiple days, and involved drugs and baby oil, she said. Through tears, she testified that she didn't know why she couldn't outright tell Diddy to stop and that he would give her 'multiple doses' of ecstasy per night to keep her awake. On her birthday in Miami in 2023, she testified, she had sex with multiple men as Diddy watched. Jane previously testified that Diddy was paying her rent and reiterated today that he continues to. She is one of four accusers referred to in the government's indictment that alleges Diddy ran his business empire as a criminal enterprise and exploited the women through his financial support. 'It's true that at any moment he could just do that if he wanted to,' Jane testified, 'cut me off.' 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss and Jing Feng Diddy sat with his hands clasped in front of him as Jane testified, while attorneys for both the prosecution and defense appeared riveted by her on the stand. Diddy's demeanor is in the spotlight after Judge Arun Subramanian yesterday scolded his defense team for allowing him to make facial expressions toward the jury. Subramanian said it was 'absolutely unacceptable' and warned that if it happens again, he may remove Diddy from the courtroom. In other news: An attorney for Jane complained to Subramanian that media outlets are trying to expose her identity. The attorney accused the outlets of livestreaming and posting related articles, and asked the court to 'stop these attempts to violate the court's order' not to name her. The judge said he would consider issuing a media gag order if someone is found to have violated the rules. 🗓️ What's next Next week: Jane is expected to return for more questioning by the prosecution before the defense begins its cross-examination. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here. 🎧 This article was originally published on
NBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
'Jane' gives tearful testimony about 'hotel nights' at Diddy's direction
A former girlfriend of Diddy's going by the pseudonym 'Jane' wept on the witness stand today as she described drug-induced sexual encounters with male escorts while she traveled the world with the music mogul. The marathon sex sessions, described by her as 'hotel nights' and similar to 'freak offs,' were organized at Diddy's direction, could last multiple days, and involved drugs and baby oil, she said. Through tears, she testified that she didn't know why she couldn't outright tell Diddy to stop and that he would give her 'multiple doses' of ecstasy per night to keep her awake. On her birthday in Miami in 2023, she testified, she had sex with multiple men as Diddy watched. Jane previously testified that Diddy was paying her rent and reiterated today that he continues to. She is one of four accusers referred to in the government's indictment that alleges Diddy ran his business empire as a criminal enterprise and exploited the women through his financial support. 'It's true that at any moment he could just do that if he wanted to,' Jane testified, 'cut me off.' 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss and Jing Feng Diddy sat with his hands clasped in front of him as Jane testified, while attorneys for both the prosecution and defense appeared riveted by her on the stand. Diddy's demeanor is in the spotlight after Judge Arun Subramanian yesterday scolded his defense team for allowing him to make facial expressions toward the jury. Subramanian said it was 'absolutely unacceptable' and warned that if it happens again, he may remove Diddy from the courtroom. In other news: An attorney for Jane complained to Subramanian that media outlets are trying to expose her identity. The attorney accused the outlets of livestreaming and posting related articles, and asked the court to 'stop these attempts to violate the court's order' not to name her. The judge said he would consider issuing a media gag order if someone is found to have violated the rules. Next week: Jane is expected to return for more questioning by the prosecution before the defense begins its cross-examination. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here. 🎧
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hotel security officer testifies Diddy paid $100K to suppress assault video
This is a free article for Diddy on Trial newsletter subscribers. Sign up to get exclusive reporting and analysis throughout Sean Combs' federal trial. Much of today's testimony was spent revisiting Diddy's March 2016 assault on Casandra Ventura, an incident at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles that was captured on security video and shown to jurors at the start of his trial. Eddy Garcia, the hotel's security supervisor, testified that Diddy and his team desperately wanted to get the sole copy of the video and prevent it from getting out. In exchange for $100,000 divided among members of the hotel's security team, Garcia said, he signed a nondisclosure agreement that called for his silence and the destruction of evidence. Here's what else to know about today's testimony: Garcia testified that he was so 'nervous' about the NDA that he didn't read it all before he signed it. Diddy presented stacks of cash in a brown paper bag, added Garcia, who said he bought a used car with his $30,000 share. Garcia also said he wasn't initially truthful to police when he was asked about the assault. On cross-examination, the defense pointed out the NDA didn't stop Garcia from speaking about it in legal proceedings, a line of questioning presumably intended to undermine the government's potential claim of obstruction of justice. After Garcia, Derek Ferguson, the former chief financial officer of Bad Boy Entertainment, took the stand to discuss the structure of Diddy's businesses and how money flowed. 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss and Jing Feng For the first time during the trial, a spectator disrupted the courtroom decorum, prompting U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian to order court marshals to 'escort her out right now.' The uproar began before the jury was seated and Garcia took the stand. At first, both prosecutors and the defense team were discussing with Subramanian exhibits in the trial and whether to offer evidence of Diddy's jail calls. Prosecutors also complained to Subramanian that a person who had been in the courtroom Monday broadcast on YouTube the real identity of a government witness, who went by the pseudonym 'Mia' when she testified. Suddenly, a woman in the courtroom began shouting in defense of Diddy, including that 'it's not right what they're doing to him' and 'Diddy's innocent.' She was quickly removed. Prosecutors later told Subramanian that the true name and identity of 'Mia' were being reported and asked for him to ban the outlet that made them public from the court. He said he would consider such a court order. 🗓️ What's next Tomorrow: Frank Piazza, a forensic video expert, and Bryana Bangolan, who alleges that Diddy dangled her over an apartment balcony, may testify. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here. 🎧 This article was originally published on
