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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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Wife of Weezer Bassist Appears in Court, Wins Delay in LAPD Shooting Case
Jillian Lauren, the bestselling author and wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, has been granted more time to review the 'voluminous' video showing the bizarre LAPD shooting that left her wounded in her own backyard. Officials say she fired first. Lauren, 51, has pleaded not guilty to charges she willfully fired at several police officers who were shouting at her over a fence while searching for hit-and-run suspects allegedly attempting to hide in her neighbors' backyards. No officers were hit, but several fired their own weapons at Lauren during the chaotic scene on April 8. More from Rolling Stone 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 Matthew Perry's Ketamine Death: Second Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty As Lauren stood in an L.A. courtroom Wednesday, her defense attorney, Georgina Wakefield, asked for a five-week delay before the court sets a key hearing expected to include the first live testimony in the controversial case. The judge was initially dubious. 'It sounds like a relatively straightforward case. Why do you need so much time?' Los Angeles County Judge Susan J. DeWitt asked from the bench. 'We're still working our way through the voluminous discovery,' Wakefield said. 'It's a lot of video camera footage. It's taking a long time to review. We're also evaluating potential motions we intend to file.' The judge asked Lauren if she agreed to the postponement. 'Yes, your honor,' Lauren responded. The judge then set a follow-up hearing for July 22 and told Lauren she had the right to a probable cause hearing within 30 days of that date. Lauren and Wakefield declined to comment as they left the courthouse. According to the LAPD, Lauren racked her gun and fired it during the alleged standoff with officers who were on the other side of a fence, searching for the hit-and-run suspects. Body-worn camera and home-surveillance video released by the LAPD on YouTube showed the minutes leading up to the alleged exchange of gunfire. In the nearly 22-minute compilation, multiple officers are heard repeatedly yelling at a woman, instructing her to drop her gun. The woman is not seen or heard in the video recorded by the officers. The fence was too high for the height of the body-worn cameras, and the scene appeared hectic, with the loud drone of a police helicopter overhead. Toward the end of the exchange, one officer identifies himself as 'police' while another shouts that he's with the California Highway Patrol. It's not clear if the officers' uniforms could be seen over the fence. A separate video from Lauren's home-surveillance system, also released by the LAPD, gave a different perspective. It shows Lauren exiting her house holding a black handgun and walking around the perimeter, looking around. The video appears to show Lauren manipulating and firing the gun, but it's recorded from a distance and has no sound. After what appears to be a slight recoil, Lauren walks away, looking relatively calm. According to the police body-worn footage, as soon as an officer warned, 'Oh, she racked it,' police opened fire, unloading a barrage of ear-splitting shots. In her home-surveillance video, Lauren does not appear to react to multiple shots or exhibit any injury in the seconds after she allegedly fired. About an hour after the shooting, Lauren exited her home and was arrested without incident. She was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound on her arm. She was later booked in absentia on suspicion of attempted murder and released on $1 million bail. Prosecutors ultimately charged her with firing a gun with gross negligence and assault with a semiautomatic firearm. In a 911 call also released by police, someone inside Lauren's home can be heard telling an operator that Lauren was apparently shot by one of the suspects of the manhunt. Lauren is heard talking in the background, explaining what happened. 'I had my gun, and he said, 'Put down that gun. Put down that gun.' I said, 'Put down your fucking gun.' And then he shot me,' Lauren says in the call released by the LAPD. 'There are three men out at the other side of this fence here.' According to police, investigators recovered a 9mm Glock handgun and a spent shell casing from Lauren's residence. Lauren and Shriner have not commented publicly on the incident. Lauren released her first memoir, Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, in 2010, and her second, Everything You Ever Wanted, in May 2015. Both books are New York Times bestsellers. A few days after the incident, Shriner performed with Weezer at Coachella. 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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Kneecap's Mo Chara Granted Unconditional Bail at First Hearing on Terror Charge
Kneecap's Mo Chara was released on unconditional bail at his first court appearance in London on terror charges tied to an incident where he allegedly displayed a Hezbollah flag at a concert. The preliminary hearing at the Westminster Magistrates' Court Wednesday June 18 was largely procedural. The Belfast rapper, real name Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, spoke only to confirm his name, and the judge scheduled his next court date for Aug. 20. If convicted, Ó hAnnaidh could face up to six months in prison, and a fine. More from Rolling Stone Wife of Weezer Bassist Appears in Court, Wins Delay in LAPD Shooting Case Tyler Perry Sued for Alleged Sexual Assault, Battery by 'The Oval' Actor Matthew Perry's Ketamine Death: Second Doctor Agrees to Plead Guilty The terror charge is based on footage from a November 2024 concert in London, where Ó hAnnaidh allegedly displayed the Hezbollah flag and yelled, 'Up, Hamas, up Hezbollah,' as well as, 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory.' Both Hamas and Hezbollah are banned in the U.K., and it is a crime to publicly support them. Ó hAnnaidh and Kneecap have repeatedly denied the allegations, stating previously that they 'do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.' They've claimed footage of the November 2024 concert was 'deliberately taken out of all context,' and suggested the terror charge is a reprisal for their outspoken support for Palestine, their calls for an end to the war in Gaza, and their criticism of the U.K. and U.S. governments for continuing to fund and supply arms to Israel. At Wednesday's hearing, prosecutor Michael Bisgrove insisted the case was not about Ó hAnnaidh's support for Palestine or criticism of Israel, adding that he is 'well within his rights to voice his opinions and solidarity, as is anybody else' (via The Associated Press). Rather, Bisgrove said the case is centered around the video of Ó hAnnaidh at the November 2024 concert. Ó hAnnaidh's lawyer, Brenda Campbell, countered that authorities charged the rapper outside the six-month statute of limitations for a terror offense. While the concert took place on Nov. 21, 2024, London Metropolitan police only became aware of the alleged incident in late April 2025, not long after Kneecap's controversial set at Coachella, where they displayed messages about the war in Gaza. The charge was brought May 21, exactly six months after the London concert. 'If we are right in relation to that, then this court has no jurisdiction and there ends the case,' Campbell said of the timeline. Ó hAnnaidh and his bandmates Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and DJ Próvai (JJ O'Dochartaigh) all arrived at the London courthouse wearing Palestinian keffiyeh scarves. They were greeted by a crowd of supporters outside, many of whom were waving Palestinian and Irish flags. On social media last night, Kneecap wrote, 'British courts have long charged people from the North of Ireland with 'terrorism' for crimes never committed. We will fight them. We will win.' 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. 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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‘The Oval' Actor Sues Tyler Perry For Alleged Sexual Assault And Battery
Source: Robin L Marshall / Getty An actor on The Oval , one of writer, director, and producer Tyler Perry's many television shows, has filed a lawsuit accusing Perry of sexually harassing him during production and using his leverage as a producer to silence him. According to AP News, actor Derek Dixon filed the lawsuit last Friday in the Los Angeles Superior Court and is seeking at least $260 million in damages. Dixon says he initially met Tyler Perry while working as event staff for one of the producer's parties. Perry took notice of Dixon and told him to audition for one of his productions. Dixon initially started working for Tyler Perry with a bit part in Ruthless , before being offered a more prominent role in The Oval . Dixon alleges that as his roles became more prominent in Tyler Perry's productions, Perry's sexual advances became more and more aggressive. 'Mr. Perry took his success and power and used his considerable influence in the entertainment industry to create a coercive, sexually exploitative dynamic with Mr. Dixon — initially promising him career advancement and creative opportunities, such as producing his pilot and casting him in his show, only to subject him to escalating sexual harassment, assault and battery, and professional retaliation,' the lawsuit says. The lawsuit includes screenshots of several text messages that Dixon alleges were sent by Perry. 'What's it going to take for you to have guiltless sex?' one of the messages says. Another series of text messages shows Perry allegedly expressing jealousy over seeing a picture of Dixon with another man. Dixon says he tried to rebuff the alleged advances while staying friendly with Perry, as it was implied his character would be killed off if he outright ignored them. 'Dixon did his best to tiptoe around Mr. Perry's sexual aggression while keeping on Mr. Perry's good side,' the lawsuit says. 'Mr. Perry made it clear to Dixon that if Dixon ignored Perry or failed to engage with the sexual innuendos, Dixon's character would 'die.'' The lawsuit includes screenshots of text messages allegedly from Tyler Perry implying that he used the threat of killing off a character as a way to keep actors in line. 'I swear to you, I KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS SH*T,' the text reads. 'I love killing a m*ther f*cker in a show that no one expects.' From AP News: The lawsuit says Perry eventually sexually assaulted Dixon on 'multiple occasions,' including an instance where he 'forcibly pulled off Mr. Dixon's clothing, groped his buttocks, and attempted to force himself on Dixon.' Dixon clearly told Perry 'No,' but was initially ignored until he was able to de-escalate the situation and change the subject, according to the lawsuit. The following day, Perry apologized, and told Dixon he would work with Dixon on a TV pilot Dixon was seeking to produce. The pilot, entitled 'Losing It,' was never sold, and Dixon believes it was only produced as a way to keep him silent about the alleged harassment. Dixon says he moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles as a way to put distance between himself and Tyler Perry, but he alleges that the harassment continued through text messages. He filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2024, and when that didn't result in any steps being taken by the show's producers, he quit. For his part, Tyler Perry has denied the allegations. 'This is an individual who got close to Tyler Perry for what now appears to be nothing more than setting up a scam,' Perry's attorney Matthew Boyd said in a statement Tuesday. 'But Tyler will not be shaken down, and we are confident these fabricated claims of harassment will fail.' Tyler Perry and BET, the network that produces The Oval , reached a new multi-year deal last year. BET has not commented on the allegations against Perry, and it's unclear how, if at all, this will affect the several shows he currently has in production at the network. SEE ALSO: Tyler Perry, Terri Vaughn Sued Over 'She The People' Netflix Series LA Fires: Tyler Perry Rips Insurance Companies SEE ALSO 'The Oval' Actor Sues Tyler Perry For Alleged Sexual Assault And Battery was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
