There was explosive testimony within the Sean “Diddy” Combs intercourse trafficking trial on Thursday, as rapper Child Cudi took the stand.
Whereas spending a number of hours on the witness stand, Cudi advised the jury about two key experiences he thinks are tied to Combs.
That got here after Combs’ former assistant completed his testimony that he began on Wednesday, for which he had been granted immunity. Three others additionally testified, together with a make-up artist, a lodge supervisor and a federal agent.
Here is a recap of the testimony shared Thursday, and what to anticipate when the trial continues.
Who testified Thursday?
Former private assistant
The primary individual on the witness stand Thursday was George Kaplan, the previous assistant to Combs, who was persevering with his testimony that started Wednesday. He had beforehand been given immunity, after telling the Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday that he would invoke his Fifth Modification proper in opposition to self-incrimination.
Kaplan mentioned wanting the opposite manner after seeing Combs’ then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, overwhelmed and bruised. He mentioned he did the identical factor when he noticed Combs angrily throw apples at his different girlfriend, Gina.
Kaplan testified that he witnessed Combs be violent with Cassie solely as soon as, on a visit to Las Vegas aboard the rap promoter’s personal jet within the second half of 2015 when he heard glass breaking behind him. He mentioned he seemed over his shoulder and noticed Combs standing with a whiskey glass in his hand.
“There was tremendous commotion and a scuffle and then after the glass crashed, Cassie screamed: ‘Isn’t anybody seeing this?” he mentioned on the stand.
Kaplan testified that neither he nor any of the safety staff or Unhealthy Boy administration employees on the airplane did something to answer Cassie’s name for assist. A prosecutor requested why he did not step in to assist the ladies.
“I wished it wasn’t happening, and standing in the way of that, was not my way to succeed,” Kaplan mentioned, including that he didn’t reply to Cassie’s name for assist as a result of he was in his dream job and didn’t wish to wreck it and “couldn’t believe my good fortune to be working for such an icon.”
Requested if anybody on the airplane went to examine on Cassie, he mentioned no.
Kaplan testified that he ultimately grew fed up with the violence, and give up.
“I was unwilling to stand by the behavior,” mentioned Kaplan.
He mentioned he advised Combs that he wished to give up as a result of his father had been identified with prostate most cancers. Even so, he mentioned he nonetheless credit Combs for instructing him a piece ethic that has helped him achieve success in jobs since then. To some extent, the sensation is perhaps mutual: When Kaplan first entered the courtroom on Wednesday, Combs smiled.
Kaplan advised jurors that his tenure with Combs has “proven to be one of the most complicated pieces of my life.”
“I’m a young man and this is a God among men talking to me,” mentioned Kaplan, who served as an assistant for Combs and his Combs Enterprises firm from 2013 to 2015.
“He not only pushed me to my depth he pushed me to depths I didn’t even know I had,” Kaplan mentioned, explaining he “never worked harder in my life.”
Kaplan advised jurors that he “desperately did not want to come here today” however that he was pressured to testify as a result of federal prosecutors had subpoenaed him. He mentioned he did not have something in opposition to Combs.
A federal agent testified Wednesday about weapons, medication and intercourse provides discovered within the residence of Sean “Diddy” Combs in Miami throughout a raid. On Thursday, rapper Child Cudi is about to take the stand in Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial, the place he’s anticipated to testify about his automotive being firebombed after he briefly dated Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. NBC New York’s Erica Byfield stories.
Child Cudi
Child Cudi, whose actual identify is Scott Mescudi, took the witness stand round 10:45 a.m. He took his alternative to degree some severe accusations in opposition to Combs, pinning a house break-in and a automotive fire-bombing on the leisure icon.
Cudi advised that Combs got here after him after studying he had began seeing Cassie. The 2 first met in 2008, recorded some music collectively and dated in 2011. Cudi mentioned he was conscious Cassie had been concerned with Combs across the time they dated.
He testified that Combs entered his residence with out permission in Dec. 2011. Cudi was not residence on the time, however mentioned that as quickly as he heard about, he instantly known as Combs.
Cudi mentioned he had gone to a West Hollywood lodge with Cassie to get her away from the seething Combs when he acquired a name from Combs’ assistant, Capricorn Clark. He mentioned she advised him “Sean Combs and an affiliate were in my house and she was in a car and she was forced to go with them over there.”
So Cudi mentioned he acquired into Porsche 911 convertible and drove there, calling Combs alongside the way in which. Utilizing an expletive, he requested Combs why he was in the home. He mentioned Combs calmly replied, “I want to talk to you.”
Cudi mentioned he advised Combs he was on his strategy to the home, to which Combs mentioned: “I’m over here waiting for you.”
However, Cudi mentioned, Combs wasn’t there when he arrived. As an alternative, he mentioned, he discovered Christmas presents he’d bought for his household had been opened and his canine was locked up in a toilet.
Cudi mentioned he acquired again into his automotive and known as Combs once more, asking him the place he was.
He mentioned, “I’m on my way, I’m on my way,” Cudi testified.
Cudi mentioned he wasn’t positive what was happening, so he determined to name the police.
A couple of month later, Cudi mentioned somebody torched his Porsche that was sitting in his driveway, with a Molotov cocktail tossed inside. The jury noticed images of the slashed material roof, wiped out driver’s aspect, and harm attributable to the hearth and smoke.
When requested by a prosecutor what his response was to his automotive getting torched, Cudi mentioned “What the [expletive]?” He then testified that “after the fire, I was like, this is getting out of hand, I need to talk to him.” Cudi mentioned he didn’t have conflicts on the time with anybody aside from Combs.
Ultimately agreeing to a face-to-face assembly with Combs and Cassie in Los Angeles, Cudi mentioned that when he walked in, “Combs was looking out the window with his hands behind his back looking like a Marvel super villain.”
Regardless of the motion film posture, Combs remained oddly calm all through the one-on-one assembly, Cudi mentioned, and even supplied him water on a few events. They ultimately stood and shook fingers, earlier than Cudi mentioned he requested Combs: “What are we going to do about my car?”
Cudi mentioned Combs gave him a “very cold stare” and responded: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Cudi was miffed. He determined to let it go, however recalled Combs noticing his hesitation. “I thought we were cool, is there a problem?” Combs requested.
Cudi mentioned he advised Combs he would take him at his phrase, and he ultimately made peace with the state of affairs. After that, there have been no extra break-ins at his home and no extra hassle along with his automotive.
Combs ended up apologizing a couple of years later, once they bumped into one another once more on the SoHo Home lodge, Cudi testified.
Cudi mentioned Combs, there along with his daughter, pulled him apart and mentioned: “Man, I just was to apologize for everything and all that (expletive).”
“After the apology, I found peace with it,” Cudi testified.
Questioned in regards to the break-in by protection lawyer Brian Metal, Cudi acknowledged that he had left the door to his residence unlocked and that there was no harm to the construction.
Cudi left the courtroom with out wanting within the course of Combs.
Cassie Ventura took the stand for the fourth and closing day on Could 16 to testify in ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial. NBC Information leisure correspondent Chloe Melas, who was contained in the courtroom, shares with Entry Hollywood how the jury heard a distinct aspect of Ventura because the protection offered audio proof of the singer screaming at a male acquaintance who she thought had a video of her collaborating in a “freak-off” with Combs.
Make-up artist
A make-up artist who helped lined Cassie’s accidents after alleged beating by combs additionally testified on Thursday. Mylah Morales testified that she noticed accidents on Cassie’s face solely as soon as whereas doing make-up for her between 2007 and 2021.
She mentioned it occurred in 2010 throughout Grammys weekend after Combs stormed into Cassie’s bed room at a lodge and he or she heard “yelling and screaming.” After an indignant Combs left the room, Morales mentioned, she went in and noticed Cassie.
“She had a swollen eye and a busted lip and knots on her head,” she mentioned.
When Morales noticed that, she instantly packed up her issues and acquired her out of the lodge, she mentioned. Morales mentioned her physician pal checked Cassie out the following day and beneficial she go to the emergency room, however Cassie didn’t go.
Resort supervisor
Frédéric Zemmour testified that Combs ceaselessly stayed on the L’Ermitage Beverly Hills utilizing aliases comparable to Frank White and Frank Black — names Cassie mentioned he used when checking in for “freak-off” sexual encounters.
Zemmour mentioned Combs’ visitor profile famous that he “ALWAYS spills candle wax on everything and uses excessive amounts of oil.” The profile instructed employees to “place the room out of order upon departure for deep cleaning.”
“Please authorize an extra $1000 when guest stays with us to cover any room damages,” Combs’ visitor profile mentioned.
Prosecutors highlighted a number of complaints about Combs’ stays within the lodge’s inside information, together with one from January 2010 wherein the housekeeping employees mentioned it noticed “large deposits of candle wax on carpets in living room area, and on the night stands in bedroom area.” Combs was charged $500 for the harm.
Laptop computer knowledgeable
A federal agent additionally testified about extracting information from Cassie’s laptop computer computer systems.
Who’s testifying subsequent?
The trial gained’t resume till Tuesday due to the Memorial Day vacation. On Tuesday, prosecutors say they’ll name Capricorn Clark, who was an assistant to Combs and a member of his advertising staff. They mentioned in addition they anticipate to name witnesses from the Los Angeles police and fireplace departments.
