A federal agent testified Wednesday within the intercourse trafficking path of Sean “Diddy” Combs, addressing the weapons, medicine and intercourse provides discovered within the music mogul’s Miami residence throughout a raid.
The main target for a part of the day was on the skilled testimony from the legislation enforcement official, however there was additionally salacious particulars shared by a former private assistant of Combs’, who mentioned it was his job to wash up after the alleged “freak-offs” at resort rooms. A forensic psychologist additionally spoke to the jury.
All of it got here forward of Thursday, when rapper Child Cudi is anticipated to take the stand. He’s anticipated to testify about his automotive being firebombed after he briefly dated Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Here is a recap of the testimony shared Wednesday, and what to anticipate on Thursday.
Who testified Wednesday?
Federal legislation enforcement agent
Homeland Safety Investigations Particular Agent Gerard Gannon shared particulars about what was discovered through the raid at Combs’ Miami residence in March 2024 — together with a number of medicine and rather more.
New proof photographs confirmed 25 bottles of child oil that feds discovered stacked up in his Miami master suite closet. Subsequent to these bottles have been 31 containers of Astroglide, a private lubricant. Each liquids have been used within the so-called “freak-offs,” investigators mentioned.
Gannon confirmed the federal investigation started the day after Cassie filed a lawsuit in Nov. 2023 alleging that Combs abused her for years and concerned her in tons of of “freak-offs” with him and male intercourse staff.
Gannon testified Wednesday that every one the fabric was confiscated through the legislation enforcement raid. On that day, the agent mentioned they used a SWAT-type car to crush Comb’s exterior gate. After that, 80-90 brokers then searched the 20,000-square-foot property.
A loaded hand gun was present in a visitor home, together with a field of bullets. Upstairs in the primary home, in the identical closet the place the caches of child oil and lubricant have been discovered, have been the higher components of two rifles, wrapped in a towel. The remainder of the rifle, magazines and ammo have been in a cardboard field, Gannon mentioned.
Brokers additionally found an enormous stash of tablets and powders. Testing later revealed them to be Xanax, ketamine and ecstasy. There was additionally a black straw and a $100 invoice, which officers mentioned had traces of cocaine and ketamine.
Final week, the jury noticed photos that confirmed the feds discovered related objects within the New York Metropolis abode Combs was staying in earlier than his arrest.
Forensic psychologist
Daybreak Hughes, a forensic psychologist, spoke to the jury round midday. She was serving as a blind witness, which means she would stay unaware of the precise information of the case. The protection fought to maintain her from taking the stand, however the choose allowed it.
Hughes about sexual abuse, how victims cope, reply and why many stick with their accomplice regardless of the abuse. She defined victims typically expertise a “low sense of self” and have a tendency to stick with abusers as a result of they yearn for love and compassion they skilled in a relationship’s early “honeymoon phase.”
Hughes additionally defined how a sufferer’s reminiscence can generally turn into jumbled — retaining consciousness of abuse, however mixing up particulars. Hughes, who was paid $6,000 by the prosecution to testify, didn’t look at or point out Cassie or Combs, however her testimony paralleled a few of what Cassie mentioned she skilled with him.
Former private assistant
The final individual to take the stand was one other former assistant to Combs. Throughout his testimony, George Kaplan advised jurors he was in command of cleansing up resort rooms after the hip-hop mogul’s intercourse marathons — tossing out empty alcohol bottles, child oil and medicines, tidying pillows and making it look as if nothing had occurred.
An implied a part of the job was that “defending him and defending his public picture have been necessary to him,” Kaplan mentioned.
Kaplan, who labored for Combs from 2013 to 2015, mentioned the Dangerous Boy Data founder would generally summon him to a resort room to ship a “medicine kit,” a bag stuffed with prescription tablets and over-the-counter ache medicines. He mentioned Combs dispatched him to purchase medicine together with MDMA, also called ecstasy.
Exterior the presence of the jury, it was discovered Kaplan acquired immunity to testify. That got here after initially telling the Manhattan courtroom that he would invoke his Fifth Modification proper towards self-incrimination. By the late afternoon, it grew to become clear by his physique language that Kaplan didn’t need to be on the stand.
Prosecutors contend Combs leaned on workers and used his music and trend empire to facilitate and canopy up his habits, generally making threats to maintain them in line and his misconduct hush-hush.
Kaplan testified that Combs threatened his job on a month-to-month foundation, as soon as berating him for purchasing the improper dimension bottled water. Combs’ longtime girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, testified that Kaplan stop after seeing Combs beat her.
Who’s testifying Thursday?
Kaplan is anticipated to proceed his testimony on Thursday, when the assistant to Combs from 2013 to 2015 finishes telling about what he skilled throughout 80- to 100-hour work weeks.
However he will not be the largest title set to take the witness stand.
Rapper and actor Child Cudi, whose authorized title is Scott Mescudi, is anticipated to testify about his transient relationship with Cassie in 2011.
In response to courtroom filings and testimony, the Cassie-Cudi relationship, which grew out of the 2 engaged on music collectively, despatched Combs into rages wherein he beat her. Prosecutors contend that Combs was so upset in regards to the relationship that he organized to have Cudi’s convertible firebombed.
Cassie testified that Combs organized for her to satisfy Cudi in 2011 to work on music. The 2 started relationship quickly after, and she or he mentioned she acquired a burner telephone to speak with Cudi in secret.
Cassie mentioned she and Combs had damaged up on the time, though they nonetheless engaged in intercourse events that Combs orchestrated. It was throughout one among these that Combs checked out her telephone and discovered of the Cudi relationship, Cassie testified.
In response, she mentioned he lunged at her with a corkscrew and kicked her within the again.
When Cassie and Combs have been overseas in 2012, Combs advised her that Cudi’s automotive could be blown up and Combs wished Cudi’s pals there to see it, Cassie testified.
She additionally mentioned Cudi came over her at her mom’s Connecticut residence round Christmas in 2011 and she or he broke up with him, fearing for each of their security.
Michael R. Sisak, Larry Neumeister and Maria Sherman of The Related Press contributed to this report.
