Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial recap day 14: Former assistant says she was kidnapped, forced to take lie detector tests

The third week of testimony in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial resumed on Tuesday with emotional testimony from the rap mogul’s former private assistant, who testified concerning the violence and threats she stated she witnessed on the job.

Crying at factors on the witness stand, Capricorn Clark informed jurors that she was informed she can be “thrown into the East River” if she failed a lie detector check concerning the theft of Combs’ jewellery, that she was compelled to accompany Combs to confront rival musician Child Cudi, and the way she witnessed Combs beat his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.

The extreme testimony was difficult by an emotional cross-examination, as protection attorneys questioned Clark about her want to reconcile with Combs and proceed working with him.

“You wish to work with him once more?” protection legal professional Marc Agnifilo pressed after displaying messages the place Clark sought to reconcile with Combs.

“I needed to work within the music business,” Clark replied.

Combs faces the opportunity of life in jail if convicted on sex-trafficking and racketeering expenses. Prosecutors allege he used his music empire — together with his huge wealth and management over his staff — to run a legal enterprise that used violence and threats to coerce girls into intercourse after which implement their silence. The trial has already seen the onetime cultural tastemaker and music business titan diminished to a drug-addled abuser who led a intercourse life replete with voyeurism, orgies and prostitutes.

Combs has pleaded not responsible, and his legal professionals have argued that Combs’ actions, whereas outdoors the mainstream, have been a personal matter and never legal in nature.

“In the event you do not persuade him, I’ll kill all you m————-.”

Final week, rapper and actor Child Cudi — whose authorized identify is Scott Mescudi — informed jurors that he believed Combs broke into his dwelling in a spasm of jealousy after he realized Mescudi had been courting Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Ventura.

Mescudi provided few particulars concerning the alleged break-in, telling jurors he rushed over to his dwelling after being tipped off by Clark. As soon as there, he testified he solely discovered traces of Combs’ alleged actions, together with discovering Christmas presents tampered with and his canine locked in his rest room.

Taking the stand on Tuesday, Clark testified about that episode, which she stated started within the early morning hours of Dec. 22, 2011, when a livid Combs arrived at her condo with a handgun.

“He stated, ‘Why did not you inform me?’ I stated, ‘I do not know what you are speaking about.’ He stated, ‘Who’s Scott?’ I stated, ‘I do not know Scott.’ He stated, ‘Child Cudi,'” Clark recalled.

When she protested, Clark testified Combs, gun allegedly in hand, informed her, “I do not give a f— what you wish to do, go dress.”

Clark stated she was compelled to affix Combs and a bodyguard named Ruben to drive to Mescudi’s dwelling. Whereas Combs and Ruben allegedly entered the home, Clark stated she referred to as Ventura to inform her concerning the break-in, warning Mescudi that he would possibly “get himself killed” if he tried to intervene.

Later that day, Clark testified that Combs ordered her and the bodyguard to select up Cassie and persuade Mescudi to not inform police Combs was concerned within the break-in on the home.

“In the event you do not persuade him, I’ll kill all you m————-” Clark recalled Combs telling her. When she returned with Ventura, Clark stated Combs, standing in his gown and underwear, started kicking Ventura.

She testified that Combs kicked Ventura repeatedly, “and every kick she would crouch into an increasing number of a fetal place” till she was all the way in which to the road.

Requested why she didn’t intervene, Clark responded that Combs informed her, “If I leap in, he was going to f— me up too.”

Breaking down on the witness stand, Clark informed jurors she later referred to as Ventura’s mom and urged her to report Combs to the police. “He is beating the s— out of your daughter. Please assist her. I am unable to name the police, however you may,” she recounted to the jury.

Ventura’s mom testified final week that after she realized about Combs’ risk to launch two intercourse tapes of her daughter, she took out a house fairness mortgage to pay Combs $20,000, which was ultimately returned to her.

Cross-examining Clark, Combs’ attorneys tried to solid doubt on the previous assistant’s recollection of the occasions and urged she accompanied Combs and Ruben willingly.

“You went since you have been afraid he was going to do one thing silly?” Agnifilo requested. “I went as a result of he informed me he did not care that I did not wish to go,” Clark responded. “I didn’t wish to go and it was not my selection, sir.”

“They will throw you within the East River.”

Clark informed jurors that working for Combs was fast-paced, intense and required loyalty. Inside her first 12 months working for Combs, she stated she was compelled to take a collection of lie detector checks to show she was not concerned with the disappearance of three items of high-end jewellery Combs had given her.

After she reported the jewellery lacking, Clark testified that she was locked contained in the unfinished company headquarters of Combs’ Dangerous Boy Leisure by a bodyguard nicknamed “Uncle Paulie.” Taken to the sixth ground of the constructing, Clark stated she discovered “a heavy-set gentleman who was chain-smoking cigarettes and ingesting black espresso.” She stated the person informed her, “I had been dropped at the constructing to take a lie detector check to determine what occurred to this jewellery.”

If she flunked the check, she testified that the person informed her, “They will throw you within the East River.”

“I used to be petrified,” Clark stated.

Clark stated “Uncle Paulie” took her 5 days in a row to the identical abandoned location inside 1710 Broadway in Manhattan, close to New York’s well-known Carnegie Corridor, for lie-detector checks.

“I needed to show my innocence. I did not just like the threats,” Clark testified.

When she was allowed to return to work, Clark informed the jury that Combs by no means talked about the lie detector checks or inquired the place she had been.

Throughout a cross-examination that hopscotched from time interval to time interval, Capricorn Clark testified she didn’t know the connection between Sean Combs and the massive man she remembered repeatedly administering the lie-detector check. She testified that Combs suspected her of stealing the jewellery, which had been loaned to Combs for his well-known annual July 4 white occasion within the Hamptons.

“You do not know what relationship he has to Mr. Combs?” protection legal professional Marc Agnifilo requested. Clark responded that she didn’t know.

“I felt that I used to be considerably of a protector for Puff.”

Whereas prosecutors sought to make use of Clark’s testimony to spotlight how Combs used his wealth, energy, and staff to steer a legal enterprise, protection attorneys tried to undercut that narrative by highlighting messages that urged Clark was desperate to work for a person who held a singular place atop the worlds of music and tradition.

Clark once more broke down in tears and sobs when confronted by a number of emails she had despatched to Combs. One, in 2014, stated, “Hopefully you will forgive me quickly. It has been lengthy sufficient. I really feel such as you’ve forgiven everybody else however me.”

A second one, in early 2015, stated, “Sending you blessings and love for a brand new 12 months.”

Extra tears flowed when Agnifilo confirmed Clark an e mail she despatched to Combs on his birthday, Nov. 4, 2015. “My hope for this 12 months is that you just make good in your promise to recover from issues and truly be my pal once more.”

Protection legal professional Agnifilo saved asking why she needed to work with Combs once more.

“I needed my life again, sir,” Clark defined.

“You wish to work with him once more?” Agnifilo requested.

“I needed to work within the music business,” Clark replied.

Federal prosecutors, resuming their questioning after the cross-examination, urged Clark returned to work for Combs as a result of he stymied her makes an attempt to work elsewhere within the music business.

“He held all the ability because it associated to me,” Clark testified by sobs.