Trump bombshell drops in Diddy trial during 'freak off' testimony
Sean ' Diddy ' Combs' trial for sex-trafficking and racketeering is on its sixth day in New York City .
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Published: 13:11 BST, 20 May 2025 | Updated: 16:28 BST, 20 May 2025
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial for sex-trafficking and racketeering is on its seventh day in a New York City federal court.
The music mogul, 55, has remained engaged with his lawyers, keeping a calm demeanor, as his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura and former protégé Dawn Richard took the stand against him.
Richard testified that Combs made the threat the day after she witnessed the Bad Boy Records founder punch and kick Cassie after taking a swing at her with a skillet. Richard said he told her and another woman who saw the attack that 'we could go missing' if they didn’t stay quiet
Prosecutors showed the jury images of bruises and cuts on Cassie's bodies after several alleged assaults by Diddy. They also exhibited images of the alleged 'freak offs' to the court.
On Tuesday, Diddy's former assistant David James will conclude his testimony after revealing that the Trump hotel in New York was the mogul's favorite. He will be followed by male escort Sharay Hayes, known as the 'Punisher', Cassie's mother Regina Ventura and the mogul's former chef Jourdan Atkinson.
Diddy's lawyers have argued that he is guilty of - which he is not charged with - but innocent of sex trafficking and racketeering.
Trump Hotel was Diddy's favorite, says mogul's former assistant
The mogul's former assisstant David James told the court that he often had to bring Diddy's supplies to different hotels all over the world.
He said the Trump International hotel in New York was the mogul's 'favorite.'
'Trump International, they knew me very well, they gave me with a key,' James said when asked how he prepared the hotel rooms for Diddy's arrival.
All the explosive testimony from inside Diddy courtroom on Daily Mail's podcast The Trial
To hear all the explosive testimony from singer Cassie Ventura and the other witnesses in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial, tune in to Daily Mail's hit podcast The Trial.
From sworn testimony to video evidence and the rapper's every subtle move, our team of journalists take you inside the courtroom of the world's biggest celebrity case.
Daily Mail has been following Diddy's downfall from the very beginning. Join us as we hear from experts involved in the case, and members of the rapper's inside circle.
Next witness, The Enforcer escort, takes the stand
Cassie Ventura mentioned Sharay Hayes, a male escort known as 'The Punisher' as one of the men she and Diddy would employ for the freak offs.
Sharay Hayes, also known as 'The Punisher', operates a male dancing service in New York City.
He also previously struggled with erectile dysfunction, detailing his battle with 'sex, self-worth, and mental health' in a book titled In Search of FREEZER MEAT: A Story of the Male Mental Health Crisis Caused by Erectile Dysfunction and the Only True Cure No One is Talking About...a Penis Implant.
Diddy 'demanded ketchup for every meal'
During cross-examination, Diddy's former assistant David James told the court that the mogul demanded he had ketchup for all of his meals.
'Ketchup was a big item he always needed for his food. It was to create a consistent environment which held,' David said on Tuesday.
'Ketchup in the UK is not similar to the Ketchup in America,' David told the court.
'[Diddy] would be not happy.'
The court also heard that Diddy likes to put 'applesauce on cheeseburgers.'
Diddy's kids are not in the court room this week
Six of seven of Diddy's kids showed up to court last week, but none were present on Monday or Tuesday.
The mogul's sons three sons endured all of the harrowing testimony by Cassie last week, but his twins girls and eldest daughter Chance stopped attending mid-week.
Twins Jessie and D'Lila put their father's legal woes aside for the evening as they danced the night away in matching dresses for their high school prom night.
It's not clear why Diddy's sons did not show up to court on Monday as they did throughout last week.
Diddy's ex assistant shares details of Suge Knight incident
Witness David James told the court that he quit as Diddy's assistant after an incident involving the mogul's rival Suge Knight in 2008.
James said Diddy's friend D-Roc noticed Knight at a famous diner in LA and approached him.
Knight then allegedly asked D-Roc: 'What you doin' in my city?'
Diddy's team then went back to the mogul's house.
Diddy then allegedly grabbed three guns and instructed James to drive back to the diner.
'This was the first time as his assistant that I realized my life was in danger. I told them I want to leave but give six months notice so I could train the next assistant,' James told the jury on Tuesday.
Usher, Ne- Yo, dragged into Dawn Richard's testimony
Richard said on the stand Monday that Diddy punched Cassie in the stomach during a private argument at a West Hollywood restaurant in 2010.
She claimed several celebrities were at the dinner, including Usher, Ne-Yo and superstar music executive Jimmy Iodine.
'Mr Combs punched Cassie in the stomach,' Richard told the jury.
'They were having a private conversation, we were all sitting eating at the tables together. Some of Bad Boy label mates, some celebrities were in the room.
'They were secretly arguing [and] he punched her in the stomach.
Richard added: '[Cassie] immediately bent over and he told her to leave, I could see him point out and she went out.'
Diddy kept 'embarrassing' video of assistant to assert control, court hears
Diddy's former assistant David James said he once took ecstasy and went to a Diddy New Year's Eve party.
'I was also drinking Ciroc that night,' he said.
'Normally I’m very straight edged, don’t have much emotion. I was dancing, Diddy bopping all around the party... I was just vibing, enjoying myself.'
A few days later, Diddy confronted him with a video of him dancing at the party, James claimed.
'[Diddy] said I’m going to keep this footage in case I need it. It was so out of character for me it would be embarrassing if he released that footage to the public.'
'This is Mr Combs' kingdom'
Diddy's former assistant David James told the court he applied to work for the mogul because he wanted a career in fashion.
James was emotional, crying, as he described his first days working for Diddy.
He said one of the executives at Bad Boy Entertainment told him his job was to please the mogul.
'I remember sitting at her desk and there was a picture of Mr Combs on the wall,' James told the court Monday.
'She pointed at the wall and said this is Mr Combs kingdom. We’re all here to serve him.'
Suge Knight incident comes up again during Diddy trial
Diddy's former assistant is being questioned about an incident Cassie Ventura mentioned during her time on the stand involving Suge Knight.
Cassie claimed Diddy one left her during a freak off at his Los Angeles home to confront rival record executive Suge Knight at Mel’s Drive-In, a landmark diner nearby.
'R-Rock came in and said Suge was down at a diner. Sean drove over there.... I cried, said don't do something stupid,' Cassie said.
'It was like I wasn’t even there. They put on a bunch of black clothes, went in the safe, grabbed guns.
'Next thing I knew they were in the SUV just whipping down there. I saw them get dressed and leave the house.'
Knight, 59, was the CEO of Death Row Records while Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 54, was the CEO of rival company Bad Boy Entertainment.
Their beef began in the mid 90s as East Coast and West Coast rappers became entangled in a heated battle that shook up the hip-hop scene.
Diddy's medicine bag: Viagra, diet pills and drugs with Obama's face on them
Diddy's former assistant told the court the mogul always traveled with a medicine back that contained about 30 pills.
'Some Advil, Tylenol,' David James said.
'He had water pills to help him lose weight, viagra, pills that helped increase his sperm count.'
James said Diddy would take percocets throughout the day and ecstasy at night.
When asked, James said one of the ecstasy pills Diddy took 'was in the shape of former president Obama's face.'
Cassie Ventura's mom Regine arrives to court to testify against Diddy
Regina Ventura arrived in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday to take the stand for the prosecution against Diddy.
She walked into the courtroom with her husband, Rodrick Ventura.
She is expected to testify about witnesses Diddy's alleged abuse and threatening of Cassie, his ex-girlfriend and main accuser.
Diddy's former assistant David James resumes his testimony
Cassie named David James as one of the assistants who facilitated the alleged Freak Offs.
James worked as a personal assistant for Diddy from May 2007 to May 2009, the court heard on Monday.
Diddy's former assistant David James told the court he applied to work for the mogul because he wanted a career in fashion.
James was emotional, crying, as he described his first days working for Diddy.
He said one of the executives at Bad Boy Entertainment told him his job was to please the mogul.
'I remember sitting at her desk and there was a picture of Mr Combs on the wall,' James told the court Monday.
'She pointed at the wall and said this is Mr Combs kingdom. We’re all here to serve him.'
Suge Knight claims Trump will pardon Diddy
The imprisoned co-founder of Death Row Records made the bombshell allegations on Wednesday, hours after Diddy's ex Cassie Ventura addressed the duo's feud during her testimony in his criminal trial.
Horror images of Cassie's lip injury after infamous 2016 filmed assault shown to the jury
'That's me, a selfie of me with a fat lip,' the singer replied when asked about a photo entered as evidence last week.
The image, taken after Diddy assaulted Cassie in the hallway of an LA hotel, was released to the public on Monday.
Cassie said she took it while on an Uber on her way home following the filmed 2016 assault.
She said she texted Diddy saying: 'I have a premiere for the biggest thing I’ve ever done in my life on Monday. You are sick for thinking it’s OK to do what you’ve done. Please stay away from me.'
The rapper reportedly then claimed he was getting arrested.
Cassie said her then-best friend, model Kerry Morgan, became upset when she saw her face and called police.
Cassie said she chose to not report who had assaulted her when police showed up because she wanted to protect Diddy.
'In in that moment I didn’t want to hurt him that way. Just too much going on. A lot for me in that moment. I wasn’t ready.'
Diddy's courtroom gesture to mom Janice as she leads family supporting him at trialDiddy arrives for the seventh day of his trial
Diddy took his seat by the defense on Tuesday in a blue sweater.
He shook hands with his attorneys as he came in the federal courtroom.
The mogul is allowed to wear his own clothes to the trial but with some conditions.
He can only have up to five pairs of pants, shirts and socks and only two pairs of shoes - with no laces.
Diddy's lawyers show texts where Cassie said she loved Freak Offs
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' legal team introduced salacious text messages from ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura that claimed the R&B singer 'loved' Combs' infamous 'freak-offs.'
Diddy's lawyer Anna Estevao used the messages in court on Thursday in an effort to paint Cassie, 38, as a willing participant in the drug-fueled sex sessions that could last up to four days.
'I love our FOs when we both want it,' she wrote in one missive, adding: 'I want to Freak Off right now LOL. I want to have fun with you.'
Diddy replied: 'Let me know if you want to have a late night. Jules is available. If you're not into that NP. We can just do a thing. Love you.'
Cassie simply replies with a 'love you' back.
Diddy asks: 'If you're not super horny wtf?'
'Horny. Of course I am,' said Cassie.
The most shocking allegations from the first week of Diddy's trial
The first week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial saw a litany of bombshell claims and evidence unveiled before the Manhattan courtroom in New York.
R&B singer Cassandra 'Cassie' Ventura delivered horrifyingly graphic testimonies alleging that the music mogul physically and psychologically abused her over more than a decade from 2007-2018.
The 38-year-old detailed the regular beatings she allegedly experienced, the rapper's use of blackmail and scare tactics to coerce and manipulate, depraved sex acts she claims she was forced to participate in - and the medical toll she suffered as a result.
Who is Kerry Morgan? Cassie's ex-best friend emerges as crucial figure in Diddy trial
The R&B singer told the court that her ex-boyfriend threw a wooden hanger at her then best friend, giving her a concussion.
Ventura also mentioned the alleged incident in the 2023 lawsuit she filed against Combs, where she accused the disgraced rapper of putting her through years of a 'cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking.'
The alleged incident between Morgan and Combs led to a settlement between the two, and Ventura also paid additional money to 'resolve the dispute between her close friend and her abusive and controlling boyfriend,' legal documents stated.
Following the alleged ordeal, the Me & U singer's relationship with Morgan, a model, became 'strained,' per the filing.
Former Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard's testimony against Diddy
Richard told jurors at Diddy's sex trafficking trial on Monday that the hip-hop mogul threatened to kill her if she told anyone she saw him physically abusing his longtime girlfriend.
Richard testified that Combs made the threat the day after she witnessed the Bad Boy Records founder punch and kick Cassie Ventura after taking a swing at her with a skillet. Richard said he told her and another woman who saw the attack that “we could go missing” if they didn’t stay quiet.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitzi Steiner asked Richard what she took 'we could go missing' to mean.
'That we could die,' Richard responded, saying she was shocked because all of this happened just as she was beginning to record with Diddy — Dirty Money, a musical trio with Combs and another R&B singer.
More horror images of Cassie's injuries shown to the jury
Cassie told the court last week that, while she was packing to go to Drake’s music festival in Canada, Diddy scuffled with her friends and threw her into a bed frame.
Cassie said she suffered a 'pretty significant gash' above her left eye. Diddy's security personnel brought her to a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills to get the wound stitched up.
Afterward, she texted Diddy a photo of her injured face and wrote: 'So you can remember.'
Diddy replied: 'You don’t know when to stop. You pushed it too far. And continued to push. Sad.'
Cassie then described a photo of her where she is with rapper French Montana at the festival in Canada.
Evidence photos show Diddy's hotel room set up for a Freak Off as feds closed in on him
Incendiary images shown in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial reveal the disgraced rap mogul was preparing for a hotel 'freak off' despite knowing he was about to be arrested, prosecutors say.
PICTURED: Cassie's bruising after alleged beating by Diddy
Cassie said last week that when she went home for Christmas in 2011 with bruises from an altercation with the hip-hop mogul, she lied and told her mother it was the first time he’d hit her.
'I couldn’t hurt her like that,' Cassie testified. 'And it was terrifying. It’s not normal, constantly being bruised up by the person you love — who says they love you.'
Jurors saw photos showing a large, dark bruise on Cassie’s lower back and other bruises on her shoulder and thigh that she said she sustained in the altercation.
New photos show how Diddy prepared for 'freak-off' despite feds closing in on him
Incendiary images shown in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' trial reveal the disgraced rap mogul was preparing for a hotel 'freak off' despite knowing he was about to be arrested, prosecutors say.
Cassie Ventura
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