A resort safety guard on Tuesday advised the jury in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking and racketeering trial that the rap mogul paid him $100,000 in an try to safe his silence and bury a video that’s now the central piece of proof within the felony case that threatens to ship him to jail for all times.
Within the video captured in 2016 by safety cameras on the Intercontinental Lodge in Los Angeles — and proven to the jury in the course of the testimony of three completely different witnesses — Combs is seen kicking and dragging his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Ventura, a musician who testified as the government’s star witness, stated she was making an attempt to flee Combs and one among his drug-fueled orgies, referred to as “freak-offs.”
“Once I selected to go away, I grabbed what I may and I obtained out,” Ventura testified in the course of the second week of the trial. “Sean adopted me into the hallway earlier than the elevators and grabbed me up, threw me on the bottom, kicked me, [and] tried to pull me again to the room.”
Lodge safety guard Eddy Garcia testifies throughout Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, June 3, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Combs has pleaded not responsible to the fees within the case. His attorneys have stated that Combs takes “full accountability” for the home violence captured within the video however argue that the rap mogul has not dedicated the intercourse trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution alleged by federal prosecutors.
Lodge safety guard Eddy Garcia testified Tuesday that Combs frantically labored to ensure the CCTV video by no means noticed the sunshine of day, paying $100,000 to acquire what Combs thought was the one copy of the recording.
“He was involved this video would get out and it might smash his profession,” Garcia testified. In accordance with Garcia, Combs promised “he would maintain me” and ended up paying $100,000 in money to the person he later known as “Eddy my angel.”
When the video was obtained by CNN final 12 months, the condemnation was swift and led to Combs providing a public apology, saying he was “actually sorry” for his conduct and that he “sought skilled assist” after the incident.
Prosecutors have argued that Combs’ $100,000 cost to Garcia was a bribe and one of many underlying crimes on the coronary heart of their allegation that the hip-hop celebrity is responsible of racketeering conspiracy. They allege that Combs realized the episode may reveal years of felony conduct and may pull again the curtain on how the mogul used his enterprise empire to coerce girls into intercourse, threaten them into silence, and defend his public status.
The trial is about to renew Wednesday when three extra witnesses are anticipated to take the stand.
Frank Piazza, a video knowledgeable, is anticipated to be the primary witness adopted by Bryana Bongolan, who has alleged Combs threatened to kill her by dangling her over a balcony within the presence of Ventura. Bongolan made comparable allegations in a civil case, which Combs has denied.
Sean “Diddy” Combs listens as resort safety guard Eddy Garcia testifies throughout Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, June 3, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
A girl being referred to as “Jane” is anticipated to take the stand on Wednesday afternoon and to testify for so long as 5 days, in accordance with prosecutors. Jane is anticipated to be the third and ultimate alleged sufferer to testify towards Combs.
Safety guard testifies about Combs’ alleged effort to bury assault video
Garcia testified Tuesday that he heard in regards to the assault shortly after he clocked in for his shift on the InterContinental Lodge on March 5, 2016. Garcia advised the jury he understood legislation enforcement was not contacted on the time as a result of Ventura didn’t request medical or police consideration.
About an hour into his shift, Garcia defined to jurors that he obtained an sudden name on his work cellphone from Combs’ assistant Kristina Khorram, who requested a replica of the safety video. Regardless of telling her she would want to contact resort administration or get a subpoena to view the footage, Garcia testified Khorram arrived within the resort foyer an hour later to observe the recording.
“She was asking in regards to the video and if there was any method she may see it,” he stated. “She needed to know what they had been coping with.”
Garcia stated he apologized and stated he couldn’t present it to her, although he testified he warned her, “Off the file: it is dangerous.”
That night, Garcia testified he as soon as once more acquired a name on his private cell from Khorram. He advised the jury inside seconds, a noticeably “nervous” Combs got here on the opposite finish of the road, making an attempt to elucidate his actions.
Sean “Diddy” Combs listens as resort safety guard Eddy Garcia testifies throughout Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, June 3, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
“He requested me if I knew who he was. I stated sure,” Garcia stated. “Mr. Combs sounded very nervous. Simply was speaking actually quick. Was simply saying that he had just a little an excessive amount of to drink and that I knew how issues was with girls when one factor led to a different.”
Garcia testified, “He acknowledged that I gave the impression of a great man, that I gave the impression of I needed to assist, that one thing like this might smash him. He was involved this video would get out and it might smash his profession.”
He stated he additionally remembered Combs telling him, “he would maintain me.” After Garcia knowledgeable Combs that he would settle for $100,000 in trade for the video, Garcia testified that Combs “sounded excited” and “referred to me as ‘Eddy my angel.'”
“He needed the video as quickly as potential,” Garcia advised the courtroom. He defined he was then given an deal with a couple of 20-minute drive from the InterContinental Lodge, the place he was to make the commerce.
Safety guard recounts getting $100,000 in money from Combs
As soon as he obtained to the designated location with a thumb drive containing what he stated was the one copy of the video, Garcia advised the courtroom that somebody who launched himself as Combs’ bodyguard introduced him as much as an condominium. He testified he recalled seeing Combs “smiling, excited” and searching glad.
“Eddy my angel, he was smiling. He stated ‘are available in,’ making me really feel snug,” Garcia testified Combs advised him, including that Combs instructed Khorram to make him a cup of tea.
After Garcia assured Combs the drive had the one copy of the video, the rap mogul allegedly contacted Ventura on FaceTime so she may talk that she, too, needed the video to go away.
She was sporting a hoodie, and the lighting wasn’t that nice,” Garcia stated of Ventura. “Earlier than he handed the cellphone over to me he stated, ‘Let him know that you really want this to go away too.'”
“And the way did Cassie reply?” prosecutor Mitzi Steiner requested.
“Once I obtained handed the cellphone, I stated, ‘Hello’, she stated ‘Hello’ and he or she stated she had a film popping out and it wasn’t a great time for this to come back out and he or she needed it to go away,” Garcia responded.
Garcia advised jurors that Combs demanded he signal a nondisclosure settlement, comply with a certification that there was just one copy of the video, and hand over his ID in addition to the identifications of his supervisor and coworker. Garcia then testified Combs left the room and returned with a brown bag and a cash counter, which Combs fed “stacks of $10,000 at a time.”
“In whole, on the finish it was $100,000,” he testified.
Garcia testified Combs and a bodyguard then accompanied him out of the suite and walked him to the valet the place his automobile was parked.
“He requested me how I’d spend the cash, and I stated I did not know,” Garcia testified. “He stated to not make any huge purchases.”
Just a few weeks later, Garcia testified he acquired a message from Combs. “Glad Easter, Eddy my angel. God is nice,” Garcia remembered the message, saying Combs “proceeded to ask if anybody had requested in regards to the video.” He stated he had heard nothing.
Jury sees alleged paper path of 2011 extortion cost
Following Garcia’s testimony about accepting a $100,000 cost from Combs, prosecutors referred to as Combs’ longtime worker Derek Ferguson to drill down into the monetary construction of Combs’ enterprise empire. Prosecutors have argued that Combs’ firms doubled as a felony enterprise that allowed the rap mogul to commit crimes for years with few repercussions.
Ferguson, who labored because the chief monetary officer for Unhealthy Boy Leisure for 12 years, walked the jury by Combs’ financial institution accounts, monetary preparations, how the companies managed money and the way workers had been reimbursed for bills charged to their company playing cards. A number of of Combs’ private assistants testified about being tasked with buying provides for freak-offs, together with gallons of child oil, sexual lubricant, medicine and alcohol.
Prosecutor Christy Slavik questions Derek Ferguson, the previous chief monetary officer for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ file label Unhealthy Boy Data at Comb’s intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, June 3, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Jurors additionally noticed paperwork exhibiting a collection of wire transfers in 2011 to and from Cassie Ventura’s mom. Whereas Ferguson stated he didn’t know the explanation for the $20,000 cost, jurors final month heard immediately from Regina Ventura, who testified that she and her husband took out a house fairness mortgage to fund the cost. She testified Combs demanded to “recoup” cash he had spent on Cassie Ventura “as a result of he was indignant that she had a relationship with Scott Mescudi.” Mescudi can be a well known rapper, performing beneath the title Child Cudi.
The jury noticed a Dec. 14 switch from an account set as much as handle Combs’ residence in Alpine, New Jersey, to Cassie Ventura for $20,000. On Dec. 23, the identical account took in $20,000 from Ventura’s father. 4 days later, on Dec. 27, the account transferred $20,000 for “return of funds.”
Regina Ventura testified that she determined to ship the cash as a result of she feared for her daughter’s security after Combs threatened to launch express movies of her. Combs finally returned the cash, she stated.
Throughout his cross examination, Combs’ legal professional Marc Agnifilo tried to make use of Ferguson’s 19 years of expertise working with Combs to forged doubt on the way in which the prosecutors have described Combs’ enterprise empire. .
“Did you see anybody assist Sean Combs commit crimes?” Agnifilo requested.
“No,” Ferguson answered.
“Did you see anybody assist Sean Combs commit acts of violence?” Agnifilo requested.
“No,” Ferguson replied
“Did you see anybody make the corporate stronger by threats of violence?”
“No.”
