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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: 'Mia,' a former assistant, testifies that Combs threatened to kill her, used sexual assaults as blackmail and left her with PTSD
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Friday in Manhattan federal court, where 'Mia' — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and former assistant to Combs — continued her testimony against him in the sex trafficking case for a second straight day. She described a harrowing and 'toxic' work environment dominated by Combs's 'unpredictable and terrifying' behavior, telling the court that he physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times. She also said he threatened to tell his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura that they had slept together. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Friday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News and the Washington Post. The former personal assistant to Combs alleged that the rapper sexually assaulted her multiple times throughout her employment and threatened to tell Cassie Ventura, his longtime girlfriend, that they had slept together consensually. In 2015, 'Mia' accompanied Ventura to South Africa for a film shoot. She said that while they were there, Ventura found out that Combs had been cheating on her and stopped returning his calls. Combs called 'Mia' repeatedly, the former assistant told the court. She told the court she woke up to 48 missed calls and messages from her boss, some of which were shown to the jury. In one text exchange, Combs wrote 'Call me now' seven consecutive times. 'If you dont call me now f*** it all. And imma tell everything. And don't ever speak to me again. You have 2 min. F*** her,' Combs wrote to 'Mia' in a WhatsApp message on Oct. 31, 2015. She said he also threatened to rip up a television deal that they had reached with ABC about an assistant like her working for a prominent figure like him. When she did speak with Combs, he was 'irate' and 'irrational,' she told the court, demanding she return to the United States, threatening to kill her and report her to HR. 'Mia' recounted numerous instances of Combs's rage over seemingly innocuous mistakes. She said that while they were on a chartered yacht in St. Barts on New Year's Eve in 2010, Combs became irate with her after she took too long to count the money in his safe. 'He told me, 'You better learn to walk on water like Jesus, bitch. Get the f*** out of here,'' she recalled. She said she eventually got a yacht crew member to take her to shore, but that the crew radioed saying Combs wanted her back on the boat, so she reluctantly returned. Combs then said he wanted her to go with him on a jet to Las Vegas and threatened to fire her if she did not. 'I was just overwhelmed with fear that I would be in huge trouble, I would definitely be fired, and I didn't have a way out of it,' she testified. 'He would have destroyed my reputation. Yeah, I was scared of him.' Big picture: Prosecutors have appeared to use testimony from former assistants to show a pattern of abuse, intimidation and threats employed by Combs — and part of what the government has alleged was a criminal enterprise. Under direct examination, 'Mia' said that she eventually left her job in 2017 after Combs decided to shut down his film production company, where she had been serving as director of development and acquisition. She told the court that she felt 'betrayed' by the decision and subsequently hired an employment attorney to work out a severance package for her. After months of negotiations, they settled for $400,000. 'Mia' testified that she has since struggled to work due to post-traumatic stress she developed from working for Combs. She told the court that she is easily 'triggered' by normal interactions, such as when someone asks, 'Where are you?' Under cross-examination from the defense, 'Mia' was asked about the positive experiences she had working for Combs. She was presented with 2013 photos from Burning Man posted to social media, which show her smiling alongside Combs. "You're standing right next to and leaning toward him, the man who terrorized you?" defense attorney Brian Steel asked. "Yes," she replied. The defense also asked "Mia" to read a message she wrote wishing Combs a happy birthday on what would have been the six-year anniversary of a sexual assault she testified he committed against her. "Legend, rapper, actor, entrepreneur, an extraterrestrial was born, happy bday thank you for showing me the path to Pluto and beyond," read the message. 'Mia' acknowledged that she often posted glowingly about Combs to Instagram but said that all employees were expected to promote him and his brand on social media. Big picture: The defense sought to minimize the former assistant's claims by showing the jury that she appeared to be happy at times in her employment even after the alleged abuse. At the White House Friday, President Trump was asked if he would consider a pardon for Combs. 'Nobody's asked, but I know people are thinking about it,' Trump replied. The president has used his pardon power numerous times since retaking office. Earlier this week, he pardoned the rapper NBA YoungBoy and reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. 'I haven't been watching it too closely, though it's certainly been getting a lot of coverage,' Trump said of the Combs trial. 'I haven't seen, I haven't spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot. I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up, from what I read.' 'I don't know, I would certainly look at the facts,' the president added. 'If I think someone was mistreated, whether they like me or dislike me wouldn't have any impact.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: ‘Mia,' former assistant, testifies that Combs threatened to kill her, used sexual assaults as blackmail and left her with PTSD
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Friday in Manhattan federal court, where 'Mia' — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and former assistant to Combs — continued her testimony against him in the sex trafficking case for a second straight day. She described a harrowing and 'toxic' work environment dominated by Combs's 'unpredictable and terrifying' behavior, telling the court that he physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times. She also said he threatened to tell his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura that they had slept together. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Thursday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News and the Washington Post. The former personal assistant to Combs, who was referred to in court by the pseudonym 'Mia,' alleged that Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times throughout her employment, and threatened to tell Cassie Ventura, his longtime girlfriend, that they had slept together consensually. In 2015, 'Mia' accompanied Ventura to South Africa for a film shoot. She said that while they were there, Ventura found out that Combs had been cheating on her, and stopped returning his calls. Combs called 'Mia' repeatedly, the former assistant told the court. She told the court she woke up to 48 missed calls and messages from her boss, some of which were shown to the jury. In one text exchange, Combs wrote 'Call me now' seven consecutive times. 'If you dont call me now f*** it all. And imma tell everything. And don't ever speak to me again. You have 2 min. F*** her,' Combs wrote to 'Mia' in a WhatsApp message on Oct. 31, 2015. She said he also threatened to rip up a television deal that they had reached with ABC about an assistant like her working for a prominent figure like him. The show never aired. When she did speak with Combs, he was 'irate' and 'irrational,' she told the court, demanding she return to the United States, threatening to kill her and report her to HR. 'Mia' recounted numerous instances of Combs's rage over seemingly innocuous mistakes. She said that while they were on a chartered yacht in St. Barths on New Year's Eve in 2010, Combs became irate with her after she took too long to count the money in his safe. 'He told me, 'You better learn to walk on water like Jesus, b*tch. Get the f*** out of here,'' she recalled. She said she eventually got a yacht crew member to take her to shore, but that the crew radioed saying Combs wanted her back on the boat, so she reluctantly then said he wanted her to go with him on a jet to Las Vegas, and threatened to fire her if she did not. 'I was just overwhelmed with fear that I would be in huge trouble, I would definitely be fired, and I didn't have a way out of it,' she testified. 'He would have destroyed my reputation. Yeah, I was scared of him.' Big picture: Prosecutors have appeared to use testimony from former assistants to show a pattern of abuse, intimidation and threats employed by Combs — and part of what the government has alleged was a criminal enterprise. Under direct examination, 'Mia' said that she eventually left her job in 2017 after Combs decided to shut down his film production company, where she had been serving as director of development and acquisition. She told the court that she felt 'betrayed' by the decision, and subsequently hired an employment attorney to work out a severance package for her. After months of negotiations, they settled for $400,000. 'Mia' testified that she has since struggled to work due to post-traumatic stress she developed from working for Combs. She told the court that she is easily 'triggered' by normal interactions, such as when someone asks 'Where are you?' Under cross-examination from the defense, 'Mia' was asked about the positive experiences she had working for Combs. She was presented with 2013 photos from Burning Man posted to social media, which show her smiling alongside Combs. "You're standing right next to and leaning toward him, the man who terrorized you?" defense attorney Brian Steel asked. "Yes," she replied. The defense also asked "Mia" to read a message she wrote wishing Combs a happy birthday on what would have been the 6-year anniversary of a sexual assault she testified he committed against her. "Legend, rapper, actor, entrepreneur, an extraterrestrial was born, happy bday thank you for showing me the path to Pluto and beyond," read the message. 'Mia' acknowledged that she often posted glowingly about Combs to Instagram, but said that all employees were expected to promote him and his brand on social media. Big picture: The defense sought to minimize the former assistant's claims by showing the jury that she appeared to be happy at times in her employment even after the alleged abuse. At the White House Friday, President Trump was asked if he would consider a pardon for Combs. 'Nobody's asked, but I know people are thinking about it,' Trump replied. The president has used his pardon power numerous times since retaking office. Earlier this week, he pardoned the rapper NBA YoungBoy and reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. 'I haven't been watching it too closely though it's certainly been getting a lot of coverage,' Trump said of the Combs trial, 'I haven't seen, I haven't spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot. I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up, from what I read.' 'I don't know, I would certainly look at the facts,' the president added. 'If I think someone was mistreated, whether they like me or dislike me wouldn't have any impact.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial recap: ‘Mia,' former assistant, testifies that Combs threatened to kill her, used sexual assaults as blackmail and left her with PTSD
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Friday in Manhattan federal court, where 'Mia' — a pseudonym for an alleged victim and former assistant to Combs — continued her testimony against him in the sex trafficking case for a second straight day. She described a harrowing and 'toxic' work environment dominated by Combs's 'unpredictable and terrifying' behavior, telling the court that he physically and sexually assaulted her multiple times. She also said he threatened to tell his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura that they had slept together. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul is facing five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs" and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Thursday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News and the Washington Post. The former personal assistant to Combs, who was referred to in court by the pseudonym 'Mia,' alleged that Combs sexually assaulted her multiple times throughout her employment, and threatened to tell Cassie Ventura, his longtime girlfriend, that they had slept together consensually. In 2015, 'Mia' accompanied Ventura to South Africa for a film shoot. She said that while they were there, Ventura found out that Combs had been cheating on her, and stopped returning his calls. Combs called 'Mia' repeatedly, the former assistant told the court. She told the court she woke up to 48 missed calls and messages from her boss, some of which were shown to the jury. In one text exchange, Combs wrote 'Call me now' seven consecutive times. 'If you dont call me now f*** it all. And imma tell everything. And don't ever speak to me again. You have 2 min. F*** her,' Combs wrote to 'Mia' in a WhatsApp message on Oct. 31, 2015. She said he also threatened to rip up a television deal that they had reached with ABC about an assistant like her working for a prominent figure like him. The show never aired. When she did speak with Combs, he was 'irate' and 'irrational,' she told the court, demanding she return to the United States, threatening to kill her and report her to HR. 'Mia' recounted numerous instances of Combs's rage over seemingly innocuous mistakes. She said that while they were on a chartered yacht in St. Barths on New Year's Eve in 2010, Combs became irate with her after she took too long to count the money in his safe. 'He told me, 'You better learn to walk on water like Jesus, b*tch. Get the f*** out of here,'' she recalled. She said she eventually got a yacht crew member to take her to shore, but that the crew radioed saying Combs wanted her back on the boat, so she reluctantly then said he wanted her to go with him on a jet to Las Vegas, and threatened to fire her if she did not. 'I was just overwhelmed with fear that I would be in huge trouble, I would definitely be fired, and I didn't have a way out of it,' she testified. 'He would have destroyed my reputation. Yeah, I was scared of him.' Big picture: Prosecutors have appeared to use testimony from former assistants to show a pattern of abuse, intimidation and threats employed by Combs — and part of what the government has alleged was a criminal enterprise. Under direct examination, 'Mia' said that she eventually left her job in 2017 after Combs decided to shut down his film production company, where she had been serving as director of development and acquisition. She told the court that she felt 'betrayed' by the decision, and subsequently hired an employment attorney to work out a severance package for her. After months of negotiations, they settled for $400,000. 'Mia' testified that she has since struggled to work due to post-traumatic stress she developed from working for Combs. She told the court that she is easily 'triggered' by normal interactions, such as when someone asks 'Where are you?' Under cross-examination from the defense, 'Mia' was asked about the positive experiences she had working for Combs. She was presented with 2013 photos from Burning Man posted to social media, which show her smiling alongside Combs. "You're standing right next to and leaning toward him, the man who terrorized you?" defense attorney Brian Steel asked. "Yes," she replied. The defense also asked "Mia" to read a message she wrote wishing Combs a happy birthday on what would have been the 6-year anniversary of a sexual assault she testified he committed against her. "Legend, rapper, actor, entrepreneur, an extraterrestrial was born, happy bday thank you for showing me the path to Pluto and beyond," read the message. 'Mia' acknowledged that she often posted glowingly about Combs to Instagram, but said that all employees were expected to promote him and his brand on social media. Big picture: The defense sought to minimize the former assistant's claims by showing the jury that she appeared to be happy at times in her employment even after the alleged abuse. At the White House Friday, President Trump was asked if he would consider a pardon for Combs. 'Nobody's asked, but I know people are thinking about it,' Trump replied. The president has used his pardon power numerous times since retaking office. Earlier this week, he pardoned the rapper NBA YoungBoy and reality stars Todd and Julie Chrisley. 'I haven't been watching it too closely though it's certainly been getting a lot of coverage,' Trump said of the Combs trial, 'I haven't seen, I haven't spoken to him in years. He used to really like me a lot. I think when I ran for politics, that relationship busted up, from what I read.' 'I don't know, I would certainly look at the facts,' the president added. 'If I think someone was mistreated, whether they like me or dislike me wouldn't have any impact.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial takeaways: Forensic psychologist, federal agent and former executive assistant testify in sex trafficking case
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, with more witnesses — including a federal agent who oversaw the raid on the mogul's Miami home, a forensic psychologist and Comb's former executive assistant — testifying in the sex trafficking case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs," and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News and the Washington Post. Gerard Gannon, a federal agent who oversaw the 2024 raid on Combs's Miami home, resumed his testimony on Wednesday. Under direct questioning by the prosecution, Gannon said that between 80 and 90 law enforcement agents participated in the search of the 20,000 square foot residence on Star Island, which is only accessible by a single bridge or boat. Among the items agents seized: A bin containing 25 bottles of baby oil, 31 bottles of Astroglide lubricant and a rubber duck A crystal rock-like substance inside a wooden box marked "Puffy" A plastic bag of pills that tested positive for the main ingredient of hallucinogenic mushrooms Three cellphones stuffed inside a Balenciaga boot A Gucci bag containing white residue that tested positive for cocaine and ketamine Multicolored pills — some stamped with a Tesla symbol — that tested positive for MDMA and Xanax Parts of AR-15 rifles with their serial numbers scratched off A .45 caliber handgun found inside a red suitcase at the entrance to the guard shack outside Under cross examination by the defense, Gannon acknowledged that many of the guns seized in the raid were wrapped up in tape and not loaded. Big picture: By having the special agent testify about what was found in the raid, prosecutors sought to highlight in detail the 'freak off' supplies — including illicit drugs — stockpiled by Combs, as well as the firearms he kept at his home. The defense attempted to downplay the number of weapons that were found. Dawn Hughes, a board-certified clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in trauma, took the stand next. Hughes has testified in other high-profile cases in recent years, including in the 2021 federal trial of R. Kelly and the 2022 Amber Heard and Johnny Depp defamation trial. She told the court she was testifying for the prosecution here as a paid expert on domestic violence and traumatic stress, but had not personally evaluated any of the victims or the witnesses in this case. She said that victims of domestic violence often stay with their abusers because they feel trapped and believe that leaving the relationship would be too complicated, and often 'numb' themselves with alcohol or drugs to cope. Hughes testified that it's common for victims to wait months or even years to disclose their abuse, and often minimize it when they do. 'It's too painful to admit the fact that somebody who loved me did this to me,' Hughes said. 'They're still in self-blame.' During cross examination by the defense, Hughes reiterated that she did not have intimate knowledge of nor had spoken with witnesses in this case. She also confirmed that she's never testified in the defense of a man accused of a sex crime. 'I don't evaluate offenders,' she said. Big picture: Prosecutors are hoping Hughes's expert testimony will back up the testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who told the court that she felt controlled by him during their tumultuous decade-long relationship, took drugs to disassociate herself from the physical and psychological pain she experienced during the 'freak offs,' and didn't disclose the full scope of the alleged abuse for years. The government also appears to be using the expert testimony to combat the defense's argument that Ventura was a willing 'freak off' participant who could have left anytime. The defense tried to undercut her testimony by pointing out that she could not speak to the specific facts of this case — and is being paid $600 per hour by prosecutors for her work. George Kaplan, a former executive assistant to Combs, took the stand on Wednesday afternoon. Kaplan was granted immunity by prosecutors for his testimony. Under direct questioning, Kaplan said that he typically worked between 80 and 100 hours per week for Combs, earning a salary of $125,000. He told the court that he fielded requests from Combs via calls, texts and emails multiple times a day. Combs's requests would range from 'clothing or potentially food from somewhere or drugs or liquor or an iPad or a speaker.' Combs had a temper and would often threaten his job, Kaplan said. He recalled an instance in which Combs asked him to get a one-gallon BPA-free water bottle at Whole Foods, but the store didn't have it, so he brought back two half-gallon bottles. Combs became angry that he did not bring back what Kaplan had asked for. 'He was very close to my face,' Kaplan said. Kaplan testified that he also set up hotel rooms reserved for Combs under the alias Frank White with supplies, including candles, liquor, baby oil and lubricant. He said he would often purchase the supplies with his corporate credit card. He would also have to clean up the hotel rooms after Combs left. Typically there'd be Gatorade bottles, liquor bottles and baby oil strewn around the hotel room after Combs left, Kaplan said. On one occasion, Kaplan said he saw 'brown crystallized powder' on a countertop. He said he didn't know what it was but cleaned it up just to be safe. Big picture: Earlier this week, David James, another one of Combs's assistants, also testified that he would stock hotel rooms with items for Combs before his arrival, including a Louis Vuitton bag containing 25 to 30 pill bottles, drugs such as ecstasy and Percocet, baby oil, lubricant, condoms and $10,000 in cash. Prosecutors appear to be using the assistant to contend that Combs used his Bad Boy Entertainment to set up the 'freak offs' in which he coerced women to participate. Scott Mescudi, the 41-year-old Grammy-winning rapper who performs as Kid Cudi, is expected to testify this week. Last week, Combs's former girlfriend Cassie Ventura testified that when he discovered she was seeing Kid Cudi, he lunged at her with a wine bottle opener, and threatened to release 'freak off' videos of her. Combs also threatened to 'hurt' both of them. According to Ventura, Combs told her that when she and Cudi were out of the country, he was going to blow up Cudi's car.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial takeaways: Forensic psychologist, federal agent and former executive assistant testify in sex trafficking case
The trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs continued Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, with more witnesses — including a federal agent who oversaw the raid on the mogul's Miami home, a forensic psychologist and Comb's former executive assistant — testifying in the sex trafficking case. Federal prosecutors say that for decades, Combs abused, threatened and coerced women to participate in marathon sexual encounters called "freak offs," and used his business empire, along with guns, kidnapping and arson, to conceal his crimes. The 55-year-old hip-hop mogul has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face life in prison. Here are some key takeaways from Wednesday's testimony culled from various reporters and news organizations in the courtroom, including CNN, NBC News and the Washington Post. Gerard Gannon, a federal agent who oversaw the 2024 raid on Combs's Miami home, resumed his testimony on Wednesday. Under direct questioning by the prosecution, Gannon said that between 80 and 90 law enforcement agents participated in the search of the 20,000 square foot residence on Star Island, which is only accessible by a single bridge or boat. Among the items agents seized: A bin containing 25 bottles of baby oil, 31 bottles of Astroglide lubricant and a rubber duck A crystal rock-like substance inside a wooden box marked "Puffy" A plastic bag of pills that tested positive for the main ingredient of hallucinogenic mushrooms Three cellphones stuffed inside a Balenciaga boot A Gucci bag containing white residue that tested positive for cocaine and ketamine Multicolored pills — some stamped with a Tesla symbol — that tested positive for MDMA and Xanax Parts of AR-15 rifles with their serial numbers scratched off A .45 caliber handgun found inside a red suitcase at the entrance to the guard shack outside Under cross examination by the defense, Gannon acknowledged that many of the guns seized in the raid were wrapped up in tape and not loaded. Big picture: By having the special agent testify about what was found in the raid, prosecutors sought to highlight in detail the 'freak off' supplies — including illicit drugs — stockpiled by Combs, as well as the firearms he kept at his home. The defense attempted to downplay the number of weapons that were found. Dawn Hughes, a board-certified clinical and forensic psychologist specializing in trauma, took the stand next. Hughes has testified in other high-profile cases in recent years, including in the 2021 federal trial of R. Kelly and the 2022 Amber Heard and Johnny Depp defamation trial. She told the court she was testifying for the prosecution here as a paid expert on domestic violence and traumatic stress, but had not personally evaluated any of the victims or the witnesses in this case. She said that victims of domestic violence often stay with their abusers because they feel trapped and believe that leaving the relationship would be too complicated, and often 'numb' themselves with alcohol or drugs to cope. Hughes testified that it's common for victims to wait months or even years to disclose their abuse, and often minimize it when they do. 'It's too painful to admit the fact that somebody who loved me did this to me,' Hughes said. 'They're still in self-blame.' During cross examination by the defense, Hughes reiterated that she did not have intimate knowledge of nor had spoken with witnesses in this case. She also confirmed that she's never testified in the defense of a man accused of a sex crime. 'I don't evaluate offenders,' she said. Big picture: Prosecutors are hoping Hughes's expert testimony will back up the testimony from Combs's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who told the court that she felt controlled by him during their tumultuous decade-long relationship, took drugs to disassociate herself from the physical and psychological pain she experienced during the 'freak offs,' and didn't disclose the full scope of the alleged abuse for years. The government also appears to be using the expert testimony to combat the defense's argument that Ventura was a willing 'freak off' participant who could have left anytime. The defense tried to undercut her testimony by pointing out that she could not speak to the specific facts of this case — and is being paid $600 per hour by prosecutors for her work. George Kaplan, a former executive assistant to Combs, took the stand on Wednesday afternoon. Kaplan was granted immunity by prosecutors for his testimony. Under direct questioning, Kaplan said that he typically worked between 80 and 100 hours per week for Combs, earning a salary of $125,000. He told the court that he fielded requests from Combs via calls, texts and emails multiple times a day. Combs's requests would range from 'clothing or potentially food from somewhere or drugs or liquor or an iPad or a speaker.' Combs had a temper and would often threaten his job, Kaplan said. He recalled an instance in which Combs asked him to get a one-gallon BPA-free water bottle at Whole Foods, but the store didn't have it, so he brought back two half-gallon bottles. Combs became angry that he did not bring back what Kaplan had asked for. 'He was very close to my face,' Kaplan said. Kaplan testified that he also set up hotel rooms reserved for Combs under the alias Frank White with supplies, including candles, liquor, baby oil and lubricant. He said he would often purchase the supplies with his corporate credit card. He would also have to clean up the hotel rooms after Combs left. Typically there'd be Gatorade bottles, liquor bottles and baby oil strewn around the hotel room after Combs left, Kaplan said. On one occasion, Kaplan said he saw 'brown crystallized powder' on a countertop. He said he didn't know what it was but cleaned it up just to be safe. Big picture: Earlier this week, David James, another one of Combs's assistants, also testified that he would stock hotel rooms with items for Combs before his arrival, including a Louis Vuitton bag containing 25 to 30 pill bottles, drugs such as ecstasy and Percocet, baby oil, lubricant, condoms and $10,000 in cash. Prosecutors appear to be using the assistant to contend that Combs used his Bad Boy Entertainment to set up the 'freak offs' in which he coerced women to participate. Scott Mescudi, the 41-year-old Grammy-winning rapper who performs as Kid Cudi, is expected to testify this week. Last week, Combs's former girlfriend Cassie Ventura testified that when he discovered she was seeing Kid Cudi, he lunged at her with a wine bottle opener, and threatened to release 'freak off' videos of her. Combs also threatened to 'hurt' both of them. According to Ventura, Combs told her that when she and Cudi were out of the country, he was going to blow up Cudi's car.
