Latest news with #Combs
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3 hours ago
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Diddy beat one criminal trial after testifying. Will he make the same gamble again?
Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs haven't said if he will testify at his federal sex-trafficking trial. Legal experts warn that testifying could open him to damaging cross-examination. Combs took the stand at his 2001 guns and bribery trial and was acquitted. Sean "Diddy" Combs made a bold move when he testified at his Manhattan gun and bribery trial more than two decades ago. Combs, who was facing up to 15 years in prison on state charges related to a 1999 Times Square nightclub shooting, ultimately walked away a free man. "I thought I was being shot at," Combs, then 31, told jurors, turning the tables by playing the victim rather than the aggressor. "My hands were up." Back then, the jury believed the hip-hop mogul, listening to his life story, laughing at his jokes, and ultimately awarding him a full acquittal. "God has blessed me," the rap entrepreneur told jurors. "She's my mother — it's like a full-time job," he said when asked to name Janice Combs' profession, eliciting warm laughs from female jurors. If Combs decides to testify in his Manhattan federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial, now in its sixth week, he might not be as lucky. Combs' team of attorneys has yet to hint at whether the graying, now-55-year-old will take the witness stand. But lawyers who are not involved in Combs' case told Business Insider that testifying could backfire badly and expose the onetime near-billionaire to potentially damaging cross-examination from the prosecution. "It's a very risky move," attorney and former federal prosecutor Mark Chutkow said, adding that it would likely have to be a last resort, "Hail Mary situation" for the defense to put Combs on the stand. Chutkow, who has handled racketeering and sex trafficking cases during his time leading the criminal division of the US attorney's office in Detroit, called it "very rare" for a criminal defendant "to succeed in the way they envision when they testify." If Combs does take the stand, damaging new information may emerge, and prosecutors will surely revisit the most damning evidence presented so far, including the infamous hotel-beatdown video showing him kicking and dragging R&B singer Cassie Ventura, said Chutkow. "That videotape of him beating Cassie Ventura will be one of the first items that they will cross-examine him with," Chutkow said. "And how does one explain that away? You can't really explain it away, and if you even try, you're going to only dig yourself deeper into a hole." Defense attorney Michael Bachner, who was part of Combs' legal team during the music tycoon's 2001 Manhattan trial, told BI that he'd be "shocked" if Combs took the stand again. Combs' lawyers have already "done a good enough job raising doubts" among the eight-man, four-woman jury, said Bachner, a former prosecutor. The rapper's defense attorneys have tried to use their cross-examinations of his two sex-trafficking accusers — Ventura, the prosecution's star witness, and another ex-girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym "Jane" — as jealous at the time and financially motivated now. Combs' attorneys have argued that the sex he engaged in with the women was consensual. While Ventura and Jane both testified about being beaten and forced into dayslong, drug-fueled sex performances with male escorts referred to as "freak offs" or "hotel nights," Combs' defense has pointed to affectionate message exchanges with him. "Their defense is, 'Ladies and gentlemen, Sean Combs has already told you what this is about. You saw his emails and texts. You saw what he was saying contemporaneously, what was being said back and forth,'" Bachner said. "So there's no reason for him to take the stand here." Spencer Kuvin, an attorney who has represented multiple accusers of late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, agreed that by testifying, Combs risks damaging his case. "The pro of testifying is that he will be able to humanize himself with the jury and possibly be able to try and convince the jury about the consensual nature of his actions," Kuvin said. "The downside of testifying is the ability of cross-examination beyond the limited testimony he will try to offer." The defense does not need Combs to take the witness stand in order to pursue their argument that while Combs was, at times, a violent drug user with an unconventional sex life, he was not involved in sex trafficking or racketeering, said former Manhattan federal prosecutor Sarah Krissoff. "The defense was able to get this narrative in during the cross-examination of the government's witnesses," Krissoff, a white-collar defense attorney. Still, Krissoff said, "At the end of the day, it is Combs' decision whether or not he wants to testify." "The court will make sure that Combs understands that it is his decision, not his lawyer's decision," she said. Attorneys for Combs did not respond to a request for comment regarding whether he will take the witness stand. Prosecutors will soon rest their case after they called more than thirty witnesses over the course of six weeks to testify against Combs. The defense is expected to start presenting its side to the jury next week. The defense plans to call two employees of Combs Global, his lifestyle and music empire, to testify next week on his behalf, lead attorney Marc Agnifilo told the judge Monday. A forensic psychiatrist is also on deck to testify as an expert witness for the defense. "His children might be introduced because they can introduce him and show that he's not the monster that has been portrayed by the prosecution, but is a devoted, caring, loving father," said Chutkow. "Oftentimes that kind of character evidence comes in without a lot of searing cross-examination," he said. "So it's a safer way for the defense to soften the portrayal that the prosecution had earlier made." If convicted of the top charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy, Combs faces up to life in prison. Read the original article on Business Insider
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5 hours ago
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Diddy Assistant Claims He Was Fired For Forgetting Mogul's Fanny Pack
Originally appeared on E! Online Brendan Paul has entered the witness box. Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former assistant revealed he was fired multiple times during 'intense' workdays, according to NBC News reporters in the courtroom. 'In late Oct 2023, I forgot his Lululemon fanny pack,' Paul—who worked for Combs for 18 months from 2022 to 2024—told the jurors June 20. 'He said, 'I don't want to see your face. Call Kristina Khorram [Combs' former Chief of Staff] and say you are fired.' He was disappointed, and his tone was angry.' He recalled Khorram telling him to 'lay low' for some time and that 'everything will be fine.' A few days later, he testified, the Bad Boys Records founder saw him and said, 'Hey.' Similar to other former employees, Paul admitted he was often sleep-deprived as he worked for Combs. 'I was young, so I was able to handle it,' the 29-year-old shared. 'I would take Adderall and rare use of cocaine.' More from E! Online What Happened to Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Chandi Dayle? Americas Sweethearts Bahamas Scandal Explained Tech Founder Pledges to Leave $17 Billion Fortune to All 106 of His Children Machine Gun Kelly Reveals Why He and Megan Fox Named Their Daughter Saga Blade 'A lot to get done, but we managed,' he continued. 'We would make sure he was happy. He does not take no for an answer. He said he wants us to move like Seal Team 6, nothing taken by surprise.' Following Paul's testimony on day 27, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Joseph Cerciello will be a summary witness for the prosecution. It's been a tense few days in court as Juror No. 6 was removed June 16 —despite the defense's concerns over eliminating one of two Black individuals on the jury—which was followed by worries that another male juror may have spoken improperly with a former colleague about the case. Combs has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, as well as transportation to engage in prostitution. For more live updates on Combs' trial, keep reading. (E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.) Judge Cancels Court on Day 26 of Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial Over Sick JurorSecond Sean 'Diddy' Combs Jury Member Faces Possible DismissalKanye West Supports Sean 'Diddy' Combs With Courthouse VisitSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says Mogul Was Upset After She Attended Another Man's 'Freak Off'Prosecutors Seek Removal of Juror in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' TrialSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Has Heated Exchange With Defense Team During Cross-ExaminationSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says She Wondered What Was 'Driving Him' SexuallySean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Mentions Koby Bryant, Shaquille O'Neil and Michael Jordan During TestimonySean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says Mogul's Chief of Staff 'Influenced a Great Deal' of Their RomanceJudge Denies Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Defense Team's Second Motion for a MistrialSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Details Hourslong 2024 BeatingSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says Attack By Rapper Left Her 'Golfball-sized' WeltsSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Details Homeland Security Raid at Her HomeSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says He Threatened To Release Sex TapesSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says She Fainted After Reading Cassie Ventura's LawsuitSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says She Threw Up 3 Times During 'Hotel Night' Without DrugsSean 'Diddy' Combs' Legal Team Makes Second Request For MistrialSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says He Is Still Paying Her RentSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Testifies About Physical Toll of 'Hotel Nights'Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says He Surprised Her With an Escort On Her BirthdaySean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Details Alleged Birthday 'Hotel Night' Session in Emotional TestimonySean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says Longest 'Hotel Night' Lasted Over Three DaysSean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says He Didn't Want to Use Protection During 'Hotel Nights'Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Ex Says Her First 'Freak Off' Opened 'Pandora's Box' For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
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5 hours ago
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Judge Dismisses Sean Combs Juror Over Inconsistent Statements
Follow all of our Sean Combs trial coverage Sean Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial entered its sixth week Monday with the judge dismissing a juror whose credibility was contested after he gave inconsistent statements about where he lives. More from Rolling Stone Wife of Weezer Bassist Appears in Court, Wins Delay in LAPD Shooting Case Kneecap's Mo Chara Granted Unconditional Bail at First Hearing on Terror Charge Tyler Perry Sued for Alleged Sexual Assault, Battery by 'The Oval' Actor The juror, a 41-year-old Black man who works for New York's Department of Corrections, initially said he lived in the Bronx. He later casually mentioned to court staff during trial that he had moved to New Jersey to live with his finacée and child. When the issue was brought to the court's attention, the man said the move to New Jersey 'may not be permanent' and that he still had a New York driver's license and received his mail in the Bronx. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said 'the record raised serious concerns as to the juror's candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury.' (According to CNN, the man said during jury selection that he was a fan of 1990s hip-hop but that he didn't know much about the case.) 'Even if this juror had an excuse or explanation for the inconsistencies in the record, that would be yet another set of shifting answers on basic questions about the juror's residence. This would only heighten the specter that the juror's trying to shade answers in an effort to remain on the jury,' Subramanian said Monday as he issued his final decision. 'In other words, there's nothing the juror could say at this point that would put the genie back in the bottle and repair the damage to his credibility.' Combs sighed in court after the judge ruled. The reaction was noticeably muted compared to Friday, when he was visibly angry, vigorously shaking his head, and whispering to his legal team. Combs' camp emphatically fought the juror's removal, calling him one of only two Black men on the jury. On Friday, Combs' attorney, Xavier Donaldson, said it would be a 'step backwards' to remove the man. In a letter to the court filed Sunday night, the defense team said Combs wanted a mistrial if the juror was excused. The lawyers said prosecutors used seven of their nine peremptory strikes to remove Black jurors from the prospective panel before the final jury was selected. They argued that removing the seated juror over his residency issue after five weeks of trial would be 'discriminatory.' 'The fairness of the trial depends in part on having jurors with backgrounds similar to Mr. Combs share their perspectives on the evidence with other jurors from diverse backgrounds during deliberations,' the 14-page letter, authored by Combs' attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, said. 'Removing this particular juror will deprive Mr. Combs of that important perspective and it is no answer to simply say that there are other Black jurors, or other males, on the jury.' On Monday, Judge Subramanian said it would be 'improper' to consider the race of the juror while determining whether to excuse the man. The judge said he took the weekend to consider the issue and that he was comfortable with his decision, considering the alternate jurors were selected in a fair process agreed to by both sides. The alternate juror who filled the excused juror's seat is a 57-year-old male who appears to be white and lives with his wife and children in Westchester County, according to NBC News. On Monday, the defense contested another juror, though Subramanian said there was no connection between that juror and the one already dismissed. Combs, 55, was arrested in September and has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. If convicted as charged, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Combs' lawyers deny the music mogul was the head of a criminal enterprise allegedly designed to fulfill his sexual desires and protect his reputation. Instead, they've described Combs as a 'swinger' who indulged his 'kinky' proclivities with his longtime girlfriends. Combs has acknowledged he kicked and dragged Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura in the hallway of the InterContinental hotel in 2016, but he denies he coerced her or another recent ex-girlfriend, 'Jane,' into sex trafficking. Throughout the trial playing out in lower Manhattan, prosecutors have alleged Combs used force, fraud, or coercion to manipulate Ventura and Jane into drug-fueled, highly orchestrated sex marathons with male escorts that Combs directed and recorded. The encounters were known as 'freak-offs,' 'hotel nights,' and 'king nights,' according to testimony. For the first time Monday, jurors were shown freak-off videos, which were admitted under seal and not shown to the gallery. The explicit videos were introduced using a summary chart that detailed 71 alleged instances where Combs booked hotel rooms for freak-offs with Ventura between August 2009 and June 2017. The chart contained names of the male escorts and corresponding travel information if they were flown in from out of state. Summary witness SDNY special agent DeLeassa Penland said the data was compiled through bank statements, hotel and flight records, text messages, and videotapes. The videos were introduced in the context of confirming certain male escorts were in the hotel rooms for some of the alleged freak-offs with Ventura. Putting on headphones, many of the jurors watched a few moments of the 11-minute to 40-minute videos, with intent expressions and holding their chin in their hands. Earlier in the day, Ananya Sankar, a paralegal specialist with the U.S. Attorney's Office, was called to the stand. Sankar walked jurors through a lengthy chart showing texts and communications between Combs' former chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, and other staffers or even Combs himself. In the messages, extracted from seized devices, Khorram and others allegedly discussed prepping hotel rooms for freak-offs and dropping off supplies, including drugs and large sums of cash to pay male escorts. (Khorram has been described as a 'co-conspirator' but has not been called to testify.) In one exchange shown to jurors, Combs' former assistant Ryan Lopez texted Khorram, 'LOL. Think I saw one of the cowboys today. You can spot them in the lobby like an escort.' Khorram texted back with four laughing face emojis, later asking, 'BTW, how long is he going to stay awake?' Prosecutors positioned the December 2019 exchange as clear evidence Khorram knew Combs used an escort service called 'Cowboys 4 Angels' to hire paid male sex workers for his freak-offs with Ventura and Jane. 'Hotel called, Paul coming up,' Khorram texted Combs in another exchange dated Nov. 14, 2021. (Jane previously told jurors that 'Paul' was an escort they used for 'hotel nights.') In a subsequent exchange on March 3, 2022, a travel assistant sent Khorram flight information for Paul. Prosecutors also allege Khorram was aware of Combs' violence towards Ventura. In a text exchange dated May 2, 2017, Ventura described Combs attacking her. 'No one deserves being dragged by their hair,' Ventura wrote. 'I locked the door for my safety.' In April 2018, Ventura texted Khorram, 'I can't do the violent, scary, kick me out of my own house stuff anymore.' Jurors also saw photos dated December 2023 that showed a text exchange from another device. The photos, which would have been snapped a month after Ventura filed her bombshell sex trafficking and rape lawsuit against Combs, depicted Jane telling Combs she felt 'extremely exploited, heartbroken and manipulated' by the music mogul. Shortly after the photos were taken, Jane texted Khorram directly, jurors heard. 'He just threatened me about my sex tapes that he has of me on two phones. He said that he would expose me and send them to my child's father,' Jane wrote. When Combs' defense lawyer Teny Geragos had her turn to question Sankar, she highlighted an exchange between Khorram and Jane from June 13, 2022. In one message, Jane sounds eager to travel and join Combs at a hotel. 'Pulling up to airport, yay,' she wrote. 'I'm excited to surprise him.' In a subsequent message in the series, Jane suggested to Khorram that Combs' security should bring $5,000 to $10,000 in cash to the room, ostensibly to pay for a male escort. A centerpiece of Combs' defense is that Jane and Ventura repeatedly consented to the freak-offs and sometimes managed paying the escorts themselves. In yet another exchange, longtime Combs spokeswoman Nathalie Moar texted Khorram on Aug. 18, 2016, informing her that TMZ was about to run a story about Combs allegedly snatching Ventura's phone and taking off running down a street in Beverly Hills. 'The only reason it's running is because of police report,' Moar allegedly texted Khorram in the messages shown to jurors. Moar said she was communicating with Ventura as well, claiming Ventura was 'worried' about the TMZ story and wanted to get an 'advance' copy. 'I told her that cannot happen,' Moar wrote, referring to Ventura. After Khorram was named as a co-defendant in multiple civil lawsuits, she released a statement in March. 'For months, horrific accusations have been made about me in various lawsuits regarding my former boss,' she said. 'These false allegations of my involvement are causing irreparable and incalculable damage to my reputation and the emotional well-being of myself and my family. I have never condoned or aided and abetted the sexual assault of anyone. Nor have I ever drugged anyone. The idea that I could be accused of playing a role in – or even being a bystander to – the rape of anyone is beyond upsetting, disturbing, and unthinkable. That is not who I am and my heart goes out to all victims of sexual assault. I am confident that the allegations against me will be proven to be untrue.' Before court ended for the day, jurors saw a text exchange between Combs and Ventura regarding an alleged freak-off with four male entertainers in Jan. 9, 2013. 'Would you want to celebrate Christmas and have a freak-off tonight or Friday?' Combs asked Ventura before sending another message saying he had her present. After more than two dozen witnesses, the government said they will rest later this week. On Tuesday, they plan to call one of their final witnesses, Combs' former recent assistant Brendan Paul. The former Syracuse University basketball player was the lone person arrested during the simultaneous raids on Combs' homes in March 2024. As Combs was about to take off on a private plane bound for the Caribbean with his daughters and entourage, Miami police detained him and said they found cocaine traces and marijuana candy in Paul's baggage. His case was ultimately dismissed after he completed a drug diversion course. In a sneak peek at how the defense plans to proceed, defense lawyers said Monday they plan to call Vashta Wilson, a former vice president of human resources for Combs, and Stephan Lind-Orjala, who's listed online as a facilities manager at Combs Enterprises, as witnesses. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
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5 hours ago
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‘Will Sean Combs Testify?' and Other Burning Questions We Still Have
Follow all of our Sean Combs trial coverage With Sean Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial entering its sixth week, much of the closely guarded case is now public record. Jurors have sat through days of highly emotional testimony from the two principal alleged victims, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura and a recent ex-girlfriend testifying under the pseudonym 'Jane.' More from Rolling Stone Matthew Perry's Ketamine Death: Second Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty Judge Dismisses Sean Combs Juror Over Inconsistent Statements Sean Combs Trial: Possible Juror Dismissal and Mogul's 'Threatening' Voice Notes In disturbing detail, the women described Combs feeding them drugs and stage-directing them through days-long sexual marathons with male escorts. The women said Combs threatened to release their intimate videos or yank financial support if they resisted. Both described Combs turning violent, breaking down doors, and giving them black eyes. Jurors listened as one former assistant said Combs kidnapped her at gunpoint and another said he raped her in a staff bunk bed at his home. They heard Kid Cudi describe Combs as a 'Marvel supervillain' who broke into his house, opened his holiday gifts, and allegedly later firebombed his Porsche in 2012. They watched a hotel security guard describe how Combs handed him $100,000 stuffed in a paper bag to buy and bury video of Combs viciously beating Ventura at L.A.'s InterContinental Hotel in 2016. While prosecutors have pieced together most of the evidence they say should land Combs in prison for life, Combs' defense has yet to take center stage – and many questions remain. Rolling Stone reached out to experts and pored over transcripts to get some clarity on some of the biggest, still-lingering unknowns. Throughout the trial, Combs has been visibly engaged, leaning forward, passing notes to his lawyers and even nodding so 'vigorously' in the direction of jurors, the judge threatened expulsion from the courtroom. Combs also has a history of speaking up when the legal chips are down. He testified in his own defense at his 2001 trial over charges he brandished a gun during a shooting in a Manhattan nightclub, leading to an acquittal. After CNN released damning video last year showing him kicking and dragging Ventura at the InterContinental, he responded within 48 hours, releasing a lengthy video apology, making 'no excuses.' He clearly likes to share his thoughts. 'I'm sure Sean Combs wants to testify. I'm also sure his lawyers are telling him that would be a terrible idea,' David Ring, a plaintiff's lawyer who represented Evgeniya Chernyshova, the Italian actress whose testimony led to Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction in California, tells Rolling Stone. Experts say Combs taking the stand is 'extremely risky' because it could open the floodgates to testimony about a long list of alleged prior bad acts that otherwise would not come in. In her opening statement, defense lawyer Teny Geragos sounded fully resigned to any charm offensive being pointless. 'Sean Combs has a bad temper,' she told jurors, predicting they would consider him a 'jerk' and say to themselves, 'Wow, he is a really bad boyfriend.' The defense position, she said, was that 'he is not charged with being mean,' he's charged with running a racketeering enterprise (a charge Combs denies.) 'Usually, when you're a celebrity, you get on the stand and the jury falls in love with you. They are not going to fall in love with him. It's too late for that,' Ring said. 'The jury already hates him. They might not convict him, but they hate him. So for him to get on the stand, it's not going to change their opinion of him.' If he does testify, experts said he likely would be on the stand for more than a week. The way the trial is running, such testimony would push any verdict beyond the Fourth of July. Jurors previously heard their service likely would wrap up in time for the holiday. When Combs' indictment was first unsealed last September, his online court docket referred to him as 'Sealed Defendant 1.' Many speculated that meant others would be charged but is still under wraps. That's not necessarily the case, experts tell Rolling Stone. Echoing Dave Chappelle's viral Saturday Night Live joke last January – where the comedian said he knew things were bad for Combs because 'they've got this guy in a RICO case … by himself!' – experts say it's not only possible, but even likely, Combs will be the only one charged. 'A lot of these people who are functioning as part of the government's theory – the allegedly corrupt enterprise – they worked under Combs. They allegedly were doing things at his direction,' Alyse Adamson, a former assistant U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, tells Rolling Stone. Adamson says it's possible, though looking less likely by the day, that prosecutors made still undisclosed, top-secret deals where people pleaded to lesser charges or avoided charges altogether in exchange for their cooperation. These deals can be common with co-conspirators whose testimony is needed or whose experience also involved being victimized by the main target of an investigation. (Two former assistants to Combs, George Kaplan and Jonathan Perez, already have testified under grants of immunity.) Adamson says many of the alleged crimes listed as predicate acts in Combs' indictment – such as bribery and arson – have charging windows that are now closed. It's possible prosecutors' only option was to bring an actual RICO charge to file anything against the people under Combs, she says, and maybe they lacked the evidence for that. 'Or maybe they've been interviewed, but they weren't granted immunity, so they're in a holding pattern because they're not going to get up on the stand,' Adamson says. (Those involved could invoke their Fifth Amendment right to not testify.) 'There has to be a conspiracy, but the government doesn't have to charge the other co-conspirators,' Ring says. 'I doubt anyone else will be charged.' Ring says Combs' security, his assistants, the people who allegedly carried drugs for him, and those that set up the freak-offs could all qualify as co-conspirators without being charged. He adds that charging them could actually backfire. 'When people cut a deal and then they take the stand, it's fair game for the defense to question their credibility because, hey, they took a deal and got something in exchange for their testimony,' he says. Khorram, also known as K.K., started working for Combs in 2013 and became his longtime chief of staff. In a 2021 Facebook post, Combs called her his 'right hand,' claiming he couldn't 'function without her.' Prosecutors didn't name Khorram in their opening. Instead, they were general, saying Combs relied on his inner circle, including 'chiefs of staff,' to run 'all aspects of his life.' On June 5, prosecutors got more specific, dubbing Khorram, 38, an 'agent and co-conspirator.' Jurors have heard Khorram's name over and over. Ventura said she communicated with Khorram 'every day,' adding that Khorram knew Combs was physically abusive. She said Khorram reached out directly after the InterContinental incident to say Combs was looking for her. Indeed, it was on Khorram's seized devices that investigators found the photo IDs for the hotel security guards linked to the $100,000 'bribe' from Combs. One of the guards testified it was Khorram who called repeatedly and showed up in the hotel's lobby looking for him before the deal was brokered. For her part, Jane testified Khorram encouraged her to smuggle Ecstasy pills for Combs in her checked luggage. 'It's fine. I do it all the time,' Khorram allegedly said. Jane also claimed Khorram booked her travel for the so-called 'hotel nights.' 'Her name has come up so much during the trial, if she's not put on the stand, the jury will be wondering, 'Where's Kristina?' Adamson tells Rolling Stone. 'She could have some of the highest evidentiary value here … in terms of proving the alleged conspiracy.' On Friday, prosecutors hinted they would rest their case this week without calling Khorram. They listed their final witnesses as Combs' former assistant Brendan Paul, a law enforcement officer, and three summary witnesses. 'If she's not called, it could be she's too risky [and] that prosecutors are worried her testimony would cut favorably to Diddy,' Adamson says. 'Or it could be that they're not giving her immunity, and she has a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.' Experts who spoke with Rolling Stone say that given Khorram's high-level position, it's also possible she's a target. 'Maybe she's been charged. and we don't know it, because it's sealed,' Adamson says. 'That's just in the range of possibilities – but less likely.' From the moment of Combs' arrest, his defense team has painted the government's case as a broad abuse of power, coming into his bedroom, scrutinizing his personal sex life, and deeming it as criminal. They've been open that Combs is polyamorous, engaged in 'kinky' sex, was a jealous lover, and part of a swingers' lifestyle. They also readily admitted there were episodes of domestic violence, particularly in Combs' decade-long relationship with Ventura. But they were adamant that Combs' conduct and perhaps taboo sexual preferences do not equate to the serious charges he's facing. 'Domestic violence is not sex trafficking,' Geragos said in her opening statement. That argument will likely be prominent as the defense presents its case later this week or early next week. Combs' defense team has also raised questions about his former girlfriends' roles in these 'toxic' dynamics. 'The alleged victims who will testify in this case are capable, strong, adult women,' Geragos said. 'They all had the personal responsibility and the freedom to make the choices that they made.' Combs' all-star defense team has also grilled witnesses on their motives, particularly those related to financial gain. They've elicited testimony from several of Combs' former employees who praised the mogul's brilliance and 'can't stop, won't stop' work ethic, suggesting that due to the nature of Combs' around-the-clock schedule, his personal life inherently meshed with his business duties. They said the blurred lines don't constitute conspiring to run a criminal enterprise. While those are just some of the defenses Combs' side has offered during the prosecution's case, his team has kept a tight lid on who he might call to the stand. They've only revealed they plan on calling Dr. Sasha Bardey, a psychiatrist, to rebut the testimony of government witness Dr. Dawn Hughes, who testified about sexual abuse, coercive control, and intimate partner violence. Shortly before the expected eight-week trial commenced, a long-whispered-about woman identified as Victim-3 vanished from the prosecutors' case. The woman first emerged in a second superseding indictment against Combs in March. Unlike Ventura and Jane, Victim-3 wasn't connected to a specific sex trafficking charge. Instead, she was mentioned under the racketeering conspiracy count. The government alleged Combs lured the woman into his orbit 'under the pretense of a romantic relationship and used physical violence, threats, financial control, and coercion to allegedly compel her to engage in commercial sex acts, known as 'freak-offs.'' In late April, just a few weeks before the trial's start, the woman agreed to testify under her real name. But, on the eve of the trial, prosecutors reported difficulties in contacting the woman and her attorney, later stating that she would no longer testify. The government would confirm Victim-3 as Gina, one of Combs' girlfriends who has been in an on-off relationship with him since around 2015. Her name has continually surfaced during the trial, with Ventura admitting that Gina was a source of contention in her decade-long relationship with Combs, a refrain echoed by Jane, who dated Combs from 2021 until his September arrest. One of Combs' former assistants, George Kaplan, alleged he once observed a fight between Combs and Gina, in which Combs hurled apples at her, and Gina later yelled to be let out of Combs' Miami mansion in the middle of the night. But prosecutors lost their bid to include a text conversation between Combs and his former head of security, who issued a dire warning to Combs that he could go to jail if word leaked about an apparent violent incident between the couple in October 2015 in Atlanta. 'If anyone called the police, the police is a 100 percent going to lock you,' the security member allegedly texted Combs. 'Even if she begs them not to, it's the law. So once they put the cuffs on you, your life and career is over.' It's still unclear if another alleged victim, Victim-5, will take the stand. Prosecutors haven't mentioned the person in any publicly filed documents, but Combs' defense attorneys objected to portions of their testimony in a heavily redacted filing. The judge ruled any testimony from the alleged victim had to be narrowly tailored. As Combs faces up to life in prison if convicted, he's also facing another legal crisis on the civil front. In the wake of Ventura's pivotal November 2023 filing, a tidal wave of more than 50 women and men have claimed the larger-than-life mogul abused and sexually preyed on them over three decades. While more than a dozen of the civil suits include accusations of sexual assault that overlap with SDNY prosecutors' timeframe of the alleged racketeering conspiracy — 2004 until 2024 — the deluge of filings has barely played a role in the criminal case. Only the testimonies of fashion designer Bryana 'Bana' Bongolan and former Bad Boy artist Dawn Richard have come into the trial so far. Although both women alleged sexual misconduct by Combs, prosecutors essentially used their testimonies to boost corroboration of Ventura's claims that Combs would unleash brutal attacks on her. Richard testified that on her first day recording the 2010 Diddy-Dirty Money album, Last Train to Paris, she saw Combs attempt to hit Ventura with a frying pan before dragging her to an upstairs bedroom by the hair because he was upset about how she was cooling his eggs. Richard was not permitted to discuss her separate personal claims against Combs, claiming he sexually harassed and groped her and once ordered one of his executives to lock her in a freezing car for hours after speaking back to Combs. Bongolan, who forged a close friendship with Ventura in 2015, claimed she saw the lengths to which Combs would go to attempt to control Ventura, incessantly blowing up her phone and monitoring her location. She said she routinely observed bruises on Ventura and allegedly saw Combs once hurl a knife in his girlfriend's direction after showing up to her apartment unprompted. But unlike Richard, Bongolan was able to testify more about her personal experiences with Combs. She claimed he once called himself the 'devil' and warned he 'could kill' her. She claimed the powerful music executive almost dangled her over Ventura's 17th-floor balcony, yelling, 'You know what the fuck you did!' The government used the alleged incident as evidence that Combs' abuse of Ventura was boundless, spreading to her closest friends when he flew into a rage. They also suggested it reinforced Ventura's fear of Combs and kept her trapped in the decade-long relationship. Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
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Sean Combs' Ex-Assistant Testifies on Drug Buys, ‘Wild King Nights'
Follow all of our Sean Combs trial coverage Sean Combs' former personal assistant, Brendan Paul, took the witness stand Friday as prosecutors' penultimate witness at the music mogul's sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial in New York. More from Rolling Stone Wife of Weezer Bassist Appears in Court, Wins Delay in LAPD Shooting Case Kneecap's Mo Chara Granted Unconditional Bail at First Hearing on Terror Charge Tyler Perry Sued for Alleged Sexual Assault, Battery by 'The Oval' Actor The ex-staffer, described in multiple civil lawsuits as Combs' drug 'mule,' worked for the Bad Boy Records founder from 2022 until he was separated from Combs on the tarmac of Miami-Opa Locka Airport and arrested on drug former Syracuse University basketball player, 26, had came to court Tuesday morning to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said he would sign an immunity order, compelling Paul's testimony. Combs was not in the courtroom for the exchange. Upon taking the stand, Paul said was he tipped to the job by one of Combs' former assistant, Elie Maroun, who gave him a blunt assessment of the job. 'He told me to get in, to get out; if you have a girlfriend, break up with her; and you're never going to see your family.' Paul added, that he took this to mean that working for Combs would 'require all of my attention.' Some of Paul's key duties, he testified later, involved buying thousands of dollars worth of drugs for Combs, as well as setting up for 'Wild King Nights,' the highly choreographed sexual encounters also known as 'freak-offs.' When it came to buying drugs for Combs, Paul said he purchased marijuana, cocaine, Tusi, ecstasy, and ketamine from dealers named Guido, One Stop, Baby Girl, and Ovi. He said he bought marijuana for Combs every two months, paying $4,200 for 16 ounces. He added that he bought hard drugs for Combs less than 10 times. He said he would pay between $300 and $500 for one to two grams of substances, while other times he would pick up packages without having to pay himself. Occasionally, one dealer delivered the drugs to Combs' home. Paul said that after procuring the drugs, he would give them directly to Combs, or put them in a Gucci pouch where the drugs were stored. Once, Paul testified, Combs had had him try some of his tusi. Paul said he did it 'to prove my loyalty,' adding, 'I felt euphoric but did not feel the full effect. He asked if it was good … I said yes and then I kept working.' During his cross-examination, Combs' attorney Brian Steel asked Paul outright if he was some kind of drug mule, to which Paul replied, 'Absolutely not.' He acknowledged handling small amounts of drugs for Combs, but said he believed they were for the mogul's personal use. As for the 'wild king nights,' Paul said he helped with set up and clean up on a few occasions, though testified that Combs' former chief of staff Kristina Khorram 'didn't really want [him] involved.' He said he only knew of Combs' ex-girlfriend Jane (the pseudonym used by one accuser, identified as Victim-2 in the indictment) participating in the freak-offs. Paul said that he understood wild king nights involved 'partying, alcohol, sex, drugs.' While these encounters first took place at hotels, Paul testified, that Combs started doing them elsewhere after Casandra 'Cassie' Venture sued Combs in 2023. (That suit was quickly settled, though Ventura was one of the prosecution's key witnesses during the trial.) On the occasions he helped set up for these encounters, Paul said the necessary supplies were listed in a shared Notes app document. He said the items he packed for Combs included everything from candles and incense to condoms and soup, as well as Astroglide, liquor, and the Gucci pouch with drugs. He also testified to once packing $5,000 in cash for Combs. (The male escorts hired to participate in the freak-offs were often paid in cash.) After the freak-offs, Paul said the rooms were in 'disarray.' He said he would pile up towels and sheets, throw out empty bottles of liquor and baby oil, all while wearing rubber gloves 'for sanitary reasons.' The jury was also shown a photo Paul had taken of one of these rooms. It showed towels and sheets laid out over the furniture and the floor, with one towel sporting a clear brown-ish stain. Paul said he took the photo to give Combs' travel manager a heads up that there might be charges for damages. When asked about the wild king nights by Combs' attorneys, Paul said he considered them to be an 'like an escape' for Combs during his personal time. Paul said that he typically worked 80 to 100 hours a week for Combs on a starting salary of just $75,000 a year (which was later bumped up to $100,000). During one stretch, he recalled, he stayed up for the better part of three straight days while Combs worked on his 2023 album, The Love Album: Off the Grid. Paul said he took prescription Adderall, and sometimes cocaine, to stay up during the long days. 'I was young, so I was able to handle it,' he said. At one point during his testimony, the jury saw a screenshot of an iPhone note detailing Combs' schedule in February 2023. Paul said Khorram created the schedule, which largely revolved around the women in Combs' life — who was flying in, who was flying out, who had a hotel room, who was going on vacation with Combs — with other work sprinkled in between. Paul said that his primary job was to 'make sure' Combs was happy. He recalled Combs saying he did not 'take no for an answer,' and told his staff to 'move like Seal Team Six.' Combs once fired him, Paul said, after he forgot to bring his Lululemon fanny pack when they went on a walk. 'I don't want to see your face anymore,' Combs allegedly told him. (Paul said Khorram told him to lay low until the incident blew over.) Paul was traveling with Combs and the mogul's twin daughters when federal officials surrounded the group as they were about to jet off to the Caribbean for spring break on March 25, 2024. Unbeknownst to Combs, federal agents had swarmed his homes in Los Angeles and Miami to carry out search warrants in connection to the Southern District of New York's sex trafficking and racketeering investigation into Combs. While seizing Combs' electronics, investigators also searched Paul's baggage, finding cocaine and marijuana candy, according to an arrest report obtained by Rolling Stone. Led away in handcuffs, Paul was the only person arrested as part of the raids. While on the stand, Paul recalled his initial encounter with law enforcement about the drugs, saying he declined to say who the drugs belonged to out of 'loyalty.' Later, during his cross, Paul said that his 'heart dropped' when the agent pulled the drugs from his bag, because he hadn't meant to travel with it. 'I was sweeping [Combs'] room and put it in my bag and forgot it while I was packing,' Paul said confirming that it was a mistake to pack it. Last May, Paul struck a deal with Miami prosecutors that sent him to pre-trial drug diversion as an alternative to prosecution. His charges were dropped in December after he completed the program. 'Mr. Paul is pleased to close this chapter of his life,' his defense lawyer, Brian H. Bieber, told Rolling Stone at the time. (The deal was offered because the substance amount allegedly found was not of a 'trafficking' level, a spokesperson for the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office told Rolling Stone at the time.) Bieber issued another statement to coincide with Paul's testimony today, saying, 'He was subpoenaed to come to court and tell the truth, which he did — word for word. Now that Brendan has finally had the opportunity to tell the full story about his employment, we are hopeful that the last 15 months of defamatory statements about him will cease.' After Paul's testimony ended, and before the next witness took the stand, the prosecution returned to Combs' relationship with Ventura. They entered several text message conversations into the record, which showed how Combs responded to Ventura when she pushed back against him, the freak-offs, and his alleged abuse. One exchange was from May 2, 2017 after Combs and Ventura allegedly got into a fight after appearing together at the Met Gala. Ventura texted Combs, 'You hurt me so bad. You took all your anger out on me per usual. You dragged me down the hallway by my hair.' She added, 'I felt like I was dead last night,' and, 'I was scared of your rage.' She then reminded Combs that one of his staff members 'had to tackle' during the altercation, before stating, 'That's not love that's possession… Your love me shouldn't equate to what you 'do for me.'' In response, Combs said, 'You were negative all night. You don't treat me like the king.' In another exchange a few months prior, in March, Combs texted Ventura about hiring someone for a freak-off. The next day, Ventura sent Combs several messages that appeared to allude to another altercation: 'WTF really?… You threw out all of my shit … You beat my head in. Combs responded, 'I need to figure out how to nut out this dick,' and alleged that Ventura had 'started all of this.' She replied, 'I guess I'm not down with abuse. You hit me in my head a good few times.' As Ventura described what allegedly happened to her during the freak-off, Combs accused her in turn of not giving him the chance to finish. 'You had me rub my dick for 10 hours and not let me finish,' he 55, was arrested in September and has pleaded not guilty to five felony charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors alleged that under the racketeering count, Combs possessed and distributed narcotics, including ecstasy, cocaine, oxycodone, and ketamine. If convicted as charged, Combs could spend the rest of his life in arrest came just weeks after music producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones, who worked closely with Combs on 2023's The Love Album: Off the Grid, sued Combs for sexual harassment and abuse in February 2024. In the lengthy filing, Jones accused Paul of being Combs' drug 'mule,' allegedly 'acquir[ing] and distribut[ing]' drugs to Combs and his associates. (Combs has denied the accusations in Jones' lawsuit, and the case is ongoing.) Paul's name has popped up a few times in the criminal trial. On Monday, a compilation of text messages between Paul and Combs' longtime chief of staff Kristina Khorram, as well as other personal assistants for Combs, showed how the lower-ranking employees were expected to set up 'King Nights' at a moment's notice and deliver drugs and cash to Combs whenever he beckoned. Another former assistant, Jonathan Perez, told jurors last Friday that his tenure with Combs overlapped with Paul. One of the assistants' main jobs, Perez said, was to make sure a black 'Gucci pouch' that was packed with 'cocaine, ketamine, molly, Adderall, [and] Xanax' traveled everywhere with Combs. One of the mogul's recent ex-girlfriends, a woman who testified under the pseudonym Jane, also mentioned Paul in her testimony. She told jurors that shortly before she endured her first so-called 'hotel night' without the aid of any drugs in mid-October 2023, Paul allegedly whispered words of comfort to her. Jane said Combs had been growing impatient while she and Perez were out picking up lingerie costumes for the looming freak-off. 'He said, 'I'm just here waiting for you. What the fuck is taking so long,'' Jane said. Combs barked at her over the phone. '[He] called me a bitch from there.' When Jane arrived at the L'Ermitage hotel suite, Paul 'looked really upset,' she said. 'I remember that assistant was shaking his head and just saying to me, 'You don't deserve to be called a bitch,'' she recalled. Earlier in the week, SDNY special agent DeLeassa Penland testified Tuesday about the accuracy of evidence compiled in a chart presented by prosecutors. The chart contained 71 alleged instances of Combs booking hotel rooms for freak-offs with Ventura between August 2009 and June 2017. The chart contained the names of the male escorts and corresponding travel information if they were flown in from out of state. Penland said the data was compiled through bank statements, hotel and flight records, text messages, and videotapes. During cross-examination, Combs' defense attorney Teny Geragos asked Penland why certain alleged freak-offs weren't included in the chart — like the December 2011 freak-off that Ventura said ended with Combs allegedly lunging at her with a wine bottle opener because he discovered her romance with musician Kid Cudi. Geragos also questioned why Combs' name wasn't always listed on certain dates when alleged freak-offs occurred. Although prosecutors showed a few brief clips of freak-off videos to jurors for the first time Monday, Geragos went more in depth, playing 10 different clips taken from multiple freak-offs between 2012 and 2014 for nearly 20 minutes straight Tuesday morning. Jurors awkwardly fiddled with their headphones, tapped their pens, and held their chins as they watched the videos. Combs largely seemed unfazed, taking glances at the jury. At one point, Combs seemed to bob his head as if he were listening to music. Paul is one of the government's last witnesses, and prosecutors are expected to rest after their last summary witness as soon as Monday. The jury has already heard from several former assistants, who, like Paul, testified that they were expected to act as drug and cash couriers for Combs. They detailed his jet-setting, 'can't stop, won't stop' work ethic, which they were also expected to adopt. Two former assistants, Capricorn Clark and a woman using the pseudonym 'Mia,' stated that they would often go days without sleeping and were on call nearly 24/7. George Kaplan, who also testified under immunity, seemed proud to have learned from Combs during his two years as Combs' assistant but admitted his breaking point came after seeing two alleged violent episodes involving Combs and two different women. 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