Nada Tawfik
Appearances
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Now, Daniel describes being absolutely shocked when all of a sudden a liquor bottle, Diddy throws it from across the room right toward Cassie, and then he comes running towards her, grabs her by her hair, drags her into her bedroom, and tells her, when I tell you to come, you don't wait, you just come when I tell you.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
broke in, and when they found they weren't there, went off again to look for Cassie. And they depict how when he finally found Cassie, that he brutally beat her, flung her around like a rag doll.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And he says he then heard, after the doors closed, Diddy slapping her, beating her, yelling at her, and Cassie screaming out, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And he says he was just kind of frozen in place. He didn't know what to do. And prosecutors asked him, why didn't you intervene? Why didn't you go inside? And he said, look, I know this is somebody with a lot of resources.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Quite frankly, I was afraid for my life. Now, that drew a lot of objections from the defense, but the judge allowed that testimony. And he again reiterated that he was scared in that moment for Cassie, feeling like she was in a dangerous situation, but he didn't feel it was safe enough for him to intervene.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, it's interesting because he kind of talks about throughout that he tried to kind of stay in text communications with Cassie just to make sure she's OK. But that particular instance, you know, he had already described how Cassie was tiny compared to Diddy. He already described how Diddy would lose his temper in those moments and it would shock him.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
So that imagery of Cassie running to him, jumping in his lap and just visibly shaking and him trying to console her. She basically told him, don't worry about me, I'll be fine. And he said he just couldn't convince her to leave him. But he very much thought that she was in danger if she stayed in that relationship.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, it was very brief to start just in terms of having him reestablish certain things that he said in his original testimony. And then they tried to go after his credibility a little bit through that line of questioning. But look, it was very much just touching the surface. I think when court resumes tomorrow, there will be much more on a cross examination. And we'll see.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
We'll see whether they go even harder and pinpoint any place where they can have jurors find reasonable doubt.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And they used that one night to paint the picture of what they say happened over 20 years, not just to Cassie, but to another woman named Jane, who they say the jury will hear from, and also an employee named Mia that they say the jury will hear from. And they say he was somebody who referred to himself as a king and expected to be treated like one, had impossible demands.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
So really setting the tone of the kind of character they want them to see. really graphic testimony just about how this was not a case about celebrity sexual preferences, that this was about coercion and control. They say that Cassie, that only one person had power in that relationship, and it was Diddy, not her.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
that he forced her into these freak-offs that she didn't enjoy at all, but she felt she had no choice. That in one instance, she almost felt like she was choking because he had a male prostitute urinate in her mouth. I mean, just to give you a sense of some of the graphic detail that we're going to be hearing over these next few weeks.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And essentially, they say that this went on for years and years because he had financial control of her life, that she felt she couldn't escape, again, that she was physically abused throughout this relationship. So much really hinges on Cassie and the testimony and, of course, that video, that CCTV footage from that L.A. hotel in 2016.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
We're going to be hearing from the prosecution they introduced that.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, what's really important with Jane is they say this all happened not even a year ago, this relationship with Jane. As you say, single mother, she wanted to have a relationship with him, but it wasn't so public in the way it was with Cassie. Now, prosecutors said that she will testify that shortly into their relationship, he asked her to take part in these freak-offs.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And she initially agreed, but was surprised that he wanted to set one up They say that it was his employees that got the drugs and that Jane, at one point after taking the drugs and being forced to have sex with a male prostitute, that she actually threw up because she was so disturbed by it. She didn't like it at all, they said.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And they said that Diddy told her, you're not going to mess up my night. Get back in here and finish.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And also with Jane, they try to, again, depict that there was a pattern here, that he also was physically abusive with her, saying at one point during an altercation between the two that they both got upset that he grabbed her by her throat and picked her up in a choke fold and then threw her to the ground.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
So another case where they're trying to depict how, again, this was something that he did not just with Cassie, but with other women.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, I mean, that's a real interesting piece of this, right? Because they say that these women felt like if they didn't do exactly what he said, that there would be consequences. And so... He allegedly forced them to source the male escorts to plan out certain details. They say there was a very kind of strict way he liked things. He wanted dark hotel rooms. He wanted the women in lingerie.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
He wanted them in high heels. They talked about the baby oil, the drugs, and how this would go on for days and they would have to recover with IVs to rehydrate. But again, this element of the women being forced to orchestrate this all to kind of do what he said to please him.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, in 2009 there was an incident they also described in their opening statements where Diddy allegedly threw Cassie in a vehicle and stomped on her face repeatedly. So they described how brutal this was for Cassie and how it left a big bruise on her face.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
what did he do they say he was so concerned about maintaining his reputation he was seen in public really as this charismatic lovable figure right very at odds with the character they were depicting these opening statements and they say that what he did at that point was force her into a hotel room
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And he had a staff member stand guard outside for days until her bruise got better so she wouldn't be seen in public at that time with that bruise when people knew they were together in a long relationship.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
i think mostly everyone who's aware of this case if not everyone has seen again the hotel cctv footage in 2016 of diddy beating cassie now they say take that instance diddy got his chief of staff got his bodyguard showed up at the hotel tried to get one security guard with a wad of cash to try to buy the video from him then went to a different security guard and they said showed up with a brown bag filled with a hundred thousand dollars
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
and successfully bought that footage. So just showing, again, how there were people around him that would do whatever he asked, that he had the wealth and power to protect himself. And when you think about that power dynamic, again, going back to this idea that Cassie didn't have the power in the relationship. He was the one who had it. But it is a...
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, I'm not sure I've ever seen a case actually where in the opening the defense asks the defendant to stand up and look at the jury. And so you had Sean Combs in a gray sweater with a white top under it, his hair, you know, visibly grayer than we remember him in his, you know, bad boy days, stands up and looks to the jury and
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Essentially, what the defense is trying to say is we're not going to shy away from anything that he has done. They admit to domestic violence. They admit to the fact that he was a jealous boyfriend, that he was with many women at once, that he committed infidelity. But what they say, essentially, is that none of that is sex trafficking.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
So there were terms and phrases they used often, painting the alleged victims as strong, capable women that had a choice, that this was the choice they made to stay with him. And then when they decided to leave him, that was their choice as well, saying that they're not going to shy away from the fact that there was jealousy in the relationships.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
But they say there was no coercion, that it was all consensual. So, again, trying to basically say to the jury he's a flawed man, and that's not a crime. If domestic abuse was what was charged here, that would be one thing. But what he's being charged with is sex trafficking and RICO charges, and they say the evidence just will not prove that.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, they said, look, we know he's a fan of baby oil, even in a flippant way. And the reason they brought that up is because they said the press has painted this in a completely different light than the reality. So they wanted to kind of in a way, almost make light of what the jurors have heard in the press before.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, it was interesting because they started off with this dramatic flare pointing right to Sean Diddy Combs and painting him really as, you know, this larger than life icon. But saying that behind that there was another side to him, one where he used his celebrity, his power, really his entire business to force victims into unconsensual sex.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
So, you know, they say, look, it's important to remember that, yeah, he's a fan of baby oil. There's no crime there. Yeah, the way he likes to have these sexual encounters might not be to your taste. It might even make you uncomfortable. But look, there's nothing illegal about that. And yes, these were toxic relationships.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
You're going to see and hear voice notes and text messages with him and these women. Again, you might think he's a jerk, they said. You might think he's a mean guy. So again, trying to paint him as a flawed individual, but not someone who should be held criminally accountable.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, so they're saying essentially that the press hasn't put out the whole story, that this was a toxic, dysfunctional relationship, and almost putting the blame a little bit on Cassie. They're saying what you didn't get out of that video was that when he was running after her, what he was after was his phone.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
and that Cassie had stolen his phone from him, and that once he got it, he kind of sat down and put his head in his hands and kind of realized what he had done. And they're saying that, to them, is evidence that this isn't about sex trafficking, that he didn't grab her and try to bring her back to the hotel room because of sex trafficking, that it was about him wanting his phone.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
So, again, painting this as a domestic violence incident and saying that all of it was because of the jealousy in the relationships, saying, that him and Cassie that day had a fight about kind of seeing, you know, stuff in the press she didn't like, and it was all about jealousy. And again, that this was a situation where it was a personal dispute between two people.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Prosecutors aren't wasting any time getting to some really impactful witnesses. And this was Daniel Phillip. He worked in the adult industry and said he met Cassie in 2012 when his boss told him that he got a request to have somebody go dance at a bachelorette party. And he couldn't find anybody else, so Daniel agreed.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
What Daniel didn't expect when he arrived was that the job would be quite different. He didn't realize he was meeting Cassie at the time. She answered the door at the Gramercy Hotel, where he was instructed to go, in red lingerie, a red wig, big glasses and heels. And she asked him if he would be up for having a little fun with someone she described as her husband.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
She said that he wanted to do something special for her, that he wanted to have Daniel rub his wife in baby oil and just see where the night went. He says when he went into the room, he saw the husband. Again, he didn't know at the time it was Sean Combs in a corner with a baseball cap and a bandana kind of covering the lower half of his face.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And they started off by painting the picture of one night where they said he was essentially in a rage. He was on the hunt for his girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie. And they say he kind of got wind that she was going to be with another man. And he went to one of his employees, grabbed them out of bed, forced them to go with a security guard in their SUV to the man's home.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And he said that within minutes of kind of rubbing baby oil on Cassie, they had sex. And he said that in the corner was this man ejaculating while watching them have sex. He said he left quickly after that. But then he said Cassie got in touch with him, asked him for certain explicit photos, and asked if he would be open to doing it again after handing him a lot of money.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Now, he said after that, he went back. And this happened a few times over the course of several years. He said this went on until about late 2013, early 2014. I should just first note that he's asked when was the first time he knew it was Diddy. And he said, actually, the first time he opened his mouth. He says he was very aware of Diddy from all of his music, all of his kind of press interviews.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And so he was aware. But the time where he could really for sure say it was Diddy was when Cassie told him that actually we're switching locations. Come meet us at this different hotel in half an hour. He says when he arrived, Diddy actually answered the door fully clothed in a suit and a peacoat, no mask. And so that's when he knew it was Diddy.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And he said from that point on, Diddy didn't wear the bandana or try to hide his identity after that.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
You know, Diddy would sometimes say, you're not using enough baby oil, use more baby oil, go slower, or tell him... don't come yet, but there were times where he said the requests were slightly odder than even that. He said that one time Cassie was the one who asked him to urinate on her and that Diddy and her instructed him on how to do it. So that was kind of one of the more graphic details.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
But then as testimony went on, you also saw the prosecution trying to get into why he stopped engaging with them. And that was quite telling.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
Yeah, that's right. He said that once he saw Diddy beat Cassie, he could no longer you know, perform and be engaged. Because before, he said, even if they hadn't paid him, he was excited to be part of their world. He was enjoying that kind of activity with them.
Diddy On Trial
Jurors in Diddy trial shown video of Cassie assault
And then things started changing when he saw one time he was on the couch, Cassie was at her computer, and Diddy, he said, was in Cassie's bedroom. Now, Diddy apparently called out to Cassie to come into the bedroom, and she allegedly told him, just hold on a second, my personal information's on the computer.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, und wiederum, das ist richtig, die Verwaltung geht vor der Verteidigung. Sie sagt, ja, sie war mit ihm nochmals intim. Sie sagte, dass sie am Abendessen eines Freundes waren. Sie hatten einen schönen Abend. Alles war sauber, er war glücklich. Und sie endete, in sein Haus zu gehen. Und sie fragte sie, warum... konnte sie wieder intim mit ihm sein.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie sagte, wir waren seit mehr als zehn Jahren zusammen. Wir waren sehr verbunden. Man kann nicht nur diese Gefühle auslösen. Sie konnte ihn nicht nur plötzlich hassen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, du weißt, das ist der Punkt, an dem sie wirklich beginnt, auf dem Stand zu weinen. Und es wird einfach ein bisschen zu viel. Und so kurz wie letztes Jahr, 2023, sagt sie, dass sie ihr eigenes Leben nehmen wollte. Und sie hat das für die Jury detailliert, wie das gespielt hat.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie hat nur darüber gesprochen, dass sie ständig diese traumhaften Flashbacks zu ihrer Beziehung mit Diddy hatte und wie es zu viel wurde und Wie sie zu Hause war, ihre Kinder schliefen und sie sagte ihrem Mann Alex, du kannst das ohne mich tun, du brauchst mich nicht.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie, du weißt, hat an diesem Punkt etwas mehr Details, aber sagte, dass es ihr Mann war, der sie stoppte und sie bemerkten, dass sie richtige Hilfe brauchen musste. Sie brauchte Therapie.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, Cassie war klar durch die Therapie gegangen. Sie wollte klar auf dieses Kapitel in ihrer Leben einsteigen. Sie sagte, sie habe Diddy das Buch gesendet, weil sie wollte, dass er versteht, wie sie sich fühlte. was sie durch diese Beziehung fühlte und was sie zu ihr gesagt hat. Sie hat es ihm geliefert, aber sie hat es sogar zu einem Assistenten geliefert, um zu sehen, ob er es gelesen hat.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und sie haben es in ihrer Erzählung nicht sehr ernst genommen, indem sie gesagt haben, dass sie es nicht erkannt haben, dass es von ihnen war, dass sie es nur als Lüge gedacht haben. Und so details Cassie, wie sie dann entschieden hat, okay, ich werde einen Zivilsuit anrufen und ich werde es für viel Geld machen, 30 Millionen Dollar, und vielleicht wird das seine Aufmerksamkeit bekommen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und sie sagte, dass das letztendlich das war, was sie tat. Und in einem Tag, wie wir bereits wissen, hat Diddy beschlossen, diesen Zivilsuit zu bestrafen. Und er hat es für 20 Millionen Dollar gemacht, aber ohne irgendwelche Verletzungen zu verurteilen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Oh, absolut. Die Verteidigung sagte, seht euch Cassies Kommunikation in der realen Zeit an. Sie hat eine Wahl gemacht, mit ihm zu bleiben, trotz des domestischen Verbrechens. Sie wollte mit ihm bleiben. Wir werden das durch ihre Kommunikation beweisen. Und ihr werdet sehen, dass sie an der Zeit beschlossen hat, diesen Zivilsitz zu verabschieden. Es war, weil sie finanziell beschäftigt war.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie hat mit ihrer Mutter zurückgekehrt. Und das war ihr Motiv. Und das ist alles wiederum die Verteidigung, um diese deutliche Angst in den Jury-Mind zu bauen und es in der Art und Weise zu beurteilen, warum sie so eine hohe Anzahl gefragt hat. Sie haben die Entscheidung gemacht, dass sie das da draußen haben wollten.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, sie hat gesagt, dass sie die Scham, die Leidenschaft nicht mehr tragen konnte. Sie hat gesagt, dass die Art und Weise, in der sie gefolgt wurde, um Menschen zu behandeln, als ob sie sie zur Verfügung stellen würden. Sie hat immer noch diese Art von Leidenschaft. Für Cassie ist es klar, dass das die richtige Sache war. Es war die richtige Sache, um das zu tun.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
We got some more graphic detail in Cassie's testimony. She took us right back to that night with the hotel security footage capturing Diddy beating her in the hotel room. And the jury saw selfies that she took of herself. And in the selfies she's wearing a hood, she's wearing black sunglasses and you can see her swollen fat lip.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie beschreibt, wie die Sonnenblasen ihr schwarzes Auge schlossen, aber dass sie das Selfie, als sie in einem Uber war, zurück nach ihrem Wohnzimmer ging. Und ein Freund hat sie dort kennengelernt und hat tatsächlich die Polizei angerufen. Aber Cassie sagte, dass sie einfach nicht fühlte, dass sie ihnen erzählen konnte, wer das zu ihr getan hat.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und sie geht weiter und fragt wirklich in mehr Details über die Freak-Offs. Es gab einen wirklich erstaunlichen Punkt am Morgen, wo... Sie hat einen Binder gegeben und sie muss eins nach dem anderen durch die Männer-Eskorte gehen. Und sie hat gesagt, sie fühlte, es war ihr Arbeit, die sie hatte. Sie war erwartet, diese Eskorte für diese Freak-Offs zu hirten.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und eins nach dem anderen geht sie durch die Männer, einige der Namen, die sie erinnert. Sie geht durch, wo sie in den Freak-Offs teilgenommen haben, welche Städte, was wirklich das Herz der Angelegenheit von den Verurteilten geht, über die Sie berichtet wirklich, wie sie sich durch all das fühlte.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie sagt, es gab Zeiten, in denen sie auf Ketamin, dem Drogen, war, weil sie sich von diesen Freak-Offs entlasten wollte. Sie wollte sie nicht machen. Und sie war auf anderen Drogen und begann, Opioide zu nehmen, wurde an sie entlastet, weil sie es vergessen wollte. Die Freak-Offs. Sie hat Schmerzen im Mund, Gastrointestinal-Issuen, UTIs.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und auch mit diesen Urinär-Track-Infektionen, hat sie gesagt, dass Didi sie fordern würde, die Freak-Offs zu fortsetzen. Also wirklich eine tiefere Verständnis von dem, was Cassie sagt, dass sie durch diese Jahre durchgegangen ist.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Yeah, that was a really interesting point because they actually displayed in court the text message between both of them. And in it he is begging her, call me, call me, I have six kids. He tells her, he says, you know, they're going to arrest me, call me, call me. Und sie antwortet nicht zu mehreren dieser Botschaften, aber er hat sich immer auf die Botschaften geäußert.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und an einem Punkt sagt sie ihm im Grunde genommen, bitte lasst mich allein bleiben. Ich weiß nicht, wie Sie denken, was Sie getan haben, ist okay. Lasst mich allein bleiben. Und er sagt, wenn Sie nicht aufhören, hören Sie meine Stimme nie wieder. Bitte telefonieren. Ich würde Ihre Telefonnummer nie vergessen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Es gibt einen Beispiel, wo sie einen Kampf am Cannes Film Festival hatten. Und während des Kampfes hat er sie tatsächlich aus dem Boot, auf dem sie stehen, ausgeschlagen. Sie hatte nicht ihr Passwort, sie hatte keine Schuhe.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und auf dem Flugzeug nach Hause, natürlich war sie immer noch mit ihm überrascht, sagt sie, aber er hat eine Art und Weise gefunden, neben ihr zu sitzen und hat ihr gesagt, dass sie sich beheben musste. Und um das zu tun, hat er sich essentiell auf... Ja, genau. He threatened to release the freak-off videos. And prosecutors asked her about why that would have been such a horrific thing for her.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
And she says, you know, I didn't want my mother to see it. The videos, you know, she talked about how it would have portrayed her. She says it made her look like a slut. So for a woman, obviously with a career, she said it would have been damaging to her career, her reputation. dass sie die Freak-Offs nicht machen wollte und niemanden darüber wissen wollte.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, es gibt einen Textmessage-Exchange vom 26. Januar 2016, wo Diddy tatsächlich sagt, wir müssen eine richtige Freak-Off haben. Er sagt, ohne K in der Textmessage und sagt ihr, bitte nicht verrückt. She explains through questioning by prosecutors to the jury that K is for ketamine and that she took it because she kind of wanted a time out from the freak-offs.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
She said it was her preferred drug because it helped her disassociate. It gave her this, what she called a K-hole, where she was so high that she couldn't do anything. She couldn't have those sex acts. And she said, you know, that's essentially why Diddy didn't like her taking it.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, es gab einen Satz, in dem sie über ihren 29. Geburtstag spricht. Einen Geburtstag, an dem sie gesagt hat, dass sie ein Überraschungsessen in einem Restaurant in Los Angeles mit ihren Freunden hatte. Sie dachte nicht, dass Diddy gehen würde. Sie dachte, dass es nur Zeit wäre für sie und ihre Freunde. Sie wollte nachher in einen Club gehen und Karaoke spielen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie sagte, als sie in den Club gegangen sind, wollte er einen Freak-Off machen. Aber sie sagte ihm, dass sie es nicht machen wollen. Sie wollte mit ihren Freunden Karaoke spielen. Aber sie sagte, auch wenn sie da waren, als sie mit ihren Freunden da war, dass er sie immer wieder rausgezogen hat und versuchte, einen Freak-Off zu machen. Und sie sagte, sie wollte nicht den Bedürfnis dafür haben.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie wollte nur ihren Geburtstag feiern. Aber sie sagte, sie gab es, weil er sie so viele Male rausgezogen hat. Und er war da mit seiner Sicherheit. Und sie hat einfach gemerkt, dass er nicht stoppen wird.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, du weißt, es ist interessant, als sie zuerst kam, gab es ein paar Momente, bevor die Frage begann und ich konnte wirklich ein bisschen nervöse Energie spüren. Du weißt, sie war in der Schuhe, natürlich ist sie sehr visuell krank, klar bis zum Ende ihres dritten Termins, aber sie war in ihrer Schuhe, sie hat ihr Jackett entfernt, sie hat mit ihren Haaren gespielt.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie nahm das Wasser, öffnete es und trinkte es. Ein bisschen nervöse Energie. Aber als sie die Fragen beantwortete, war sie sehr ruhig und komponiert. Sie hat sie klar beantwortet. Sie hat ein paar Tränen am Ende des morgens ausgeworfen. Man konnte also sehen, wie viel es auf ihr ging. Denn das sind sehr, sehr grafische und intimistische Details, die sie in einem vollen Stadthaus teilen muss.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und wie war Didis Reaktion auf Cassie im Stadthaus? Well, when Cassie walked in to take her seat on the witness stand, he didn't look at her. He looked straight forward. He is quite animated with his family again today, with his sons and his mother there behind him. He blew them kisses and, you know, a mouth to them. But when it came to Cassie, he didn't look in her direction.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Yeah, I think one of the more striking examples came when she was describing what happened after Diddy found out she had been seeing the rapper Kid Cudi. Und er hat das nicht sehr gut genommen. Und sie beschreibt das Nachhinein davon. Sie sagt, dass sie ein E-Mail zu ihrer Mutter am 23. Dezember 2011 mit den E-Mail-Subjekten Threats sendet.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und sie sagte, dass Diddy eigentlich sagte, dass er Kid Cudi und sie verletzen würde, dass er die expliziten Sex-Tapes der Freak-Offs verlesen würde. Und er sagte, dass er zwei Sex-Tapes verlesen würde, einen an Weihnachtsabend, einen bald danach.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie hat all das in der E-Mail zu ihrer Mutter veröffentlicht, dass er sagte, dass er sie und Scott verletzen würde, nicht mit seinen eigenen Händen, sondern dass er aus dem Land gehen würde. Wenn es passiert ist, haben die Jury das E-Mail gesehen und von Cassie gehört. Und nur um wieder zu verstehen, wie diese Blackmail-Gewähltheit, die sie gemacht hat, in der realen Zeit passiert ist.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Cassie sagte, dass sie Diddy physisch mit mehreren anderen gesehen hat, insbesondere ihrer Freundin Bona. Und sie hat dieses Bild von Diddy gedreht, um Bona unter ihren Armen zu holen und sie über den Balkon zu bringen und sie dann wieder auf den Balkon zurückzuwerfen, auf das Patio-Furniture. Es war also eine ziemlich beeindruckende Szene, die sie gedreht hat, aber es war eine sehr kurze.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, das ist richtig. Sie hat gesagt, dass sie über ihr 10 Jahre langes Verhältnis stark auf Opioiden verlangt hat. Sie hat im Jahr 2022 aufgehört. Aber Sean Diddy Combs hat ihr die Drogen gegeben. Sie hat sie auch selbst benutzt. Sie sagte, dass er Doktoren geben würde, um ihnen Skripte zu schreiben.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und sie würden die Namen, die auf diesen Skripten benutzt wurden, um keine roten Flaggen zu erheben. Also, wiederum, diese Idee, dass Diddy, egal ob durch seine Macht, seine Notarität oder seine Verbindungen, mehrere Doktoren geben konnte, um Skripte für Opioiden zu schreiben.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, das ist richtig. Sie wissen, dass die Verwaltungen meistens alles herausfinden wollen, bevor die Verteidigung eine Konsequenz startet, richtig? Irgendwas, das potenziell unverzweifelnd oder schmerzhaft zu ihrem Fall ist. Und sie wollen, dass ihre Beobachter extrem kreditabel aussehen. Sie hatten Cassie darüber gesprochen, dass sie in den Vergangenen physisch gewaltig war.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Und sie sprach über einen bestimmten Faktor an ihrer Bruders Geburtstagsparty. Sie sagte, dass sie trank war und ihre Mutter hatte herausgefunden, dass eine Frau sie in diesem Zustand filmte. Sie sagte, dass sie die Frau aus ihrem Auto entfernt und sie getötet hat.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, sie hat gesagt, dass das ein Foto von 2018 war. Und sie hat gesagt, dass sie viele unerlässliche Besuche von Diddy hatte. Und ihre Art und Weise war, sie würde zwei Pferde mit einem Stein töten. Sie hat gesagt, dass der Knife ein Weg war, einen zusätzlichen Lock auf der Tür zu haben, aber auch ein Waffen, wenn er vorbeikommt.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Ja, und nur um unseren Zuhörern zu warnen, das ist ziemlich grafisch, also nur um Aufmerksamkeit zu nehmen, wenn sie diese Details nicht hören wollen, aber Cassie beschreibt, dass sie nach einigen Jahren mit einer anderen Frau Ditty gesehen hat, sie endlich mit ihr getroffen hat und die Dinge beendet hat. Und an dem Abend, den du erwähnt hast, war es in einem Restaurant in Malibu im August.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie dachte, sie würden zusammenkommen für eine Verkaufsgespräch, so hat sie es gesagt. Sie sagte, er hätte versucht, sie zu überzeugen, mit ihm in Burning Man zu gehen, aber sonst war er nett, spielerisch, gab romantische Vibes, sagte sie. Aber sie sah ihren now Husband an der Zeit und sie dachte, es ging ziemlich gut.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Aber dann hat sie einen Pause auf dem Stand gemacht, eigentlich für einen Moment. vor der Beschreibung, was danach passiert ist. Sie sagte, sie ging ins Wohnzimmer, er kam rein und dann hat er sie auf dem Flur ihres Wohnzimmers verabschiedet. Und sie erinnert sich nur daran, weinend und zu sagen Nein. Sie sagt, es ist sehr schnell passiert, dass seine Augen schwarz wurden. Er war nicht selbst.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Sie sagt, es war, als ob jemand etwas von ihr genommen hätte. Und die Verwaltungen fragten sie, was er gemacht hat, als sie weinte. Und sie sagte, er hat weitergegeben. Und sie fragten, was er gemacht hat, als du gesagt hast, nein. Und sie sagte, er hat weitergegeben. Und danach hat er einfach aufgehört und ist weg, als er fertig war.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her
Also, es war ein sehr dramatischer Punkt, offensichtlich, der Testimonie von Cassie, die für das erste Mal beurteilt wurde, wirklich. Wir wussten ihre Angelegenheiten gegen ihn, aber, du weißt, hearing her talk about this for the first time.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Oh, absolut. Ich meine, es war einiges von, wiederum, durch ihre persönlichen Kommunikationen, weil das ist der Weg, wie sie versuchen, Didis Narrative inzunehmen, besonders wenn sie später entscheiden, dass er nicht den Stand nehmen wird. Also haben wir viele dieser Textmessungen gesehen, wiederum versuchen, es zu nutzen, um zu suggerieren, dass Cassie enthusiastisch über die Freak-Offs war.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Sie versuchten es auch nicht als Exploitation oder Sextraffik zu bezeichnen, sondern als eine sehr toxische Beziehung. Sie versuchten es zu zeigen, dass Diddy, dass sein gewaltiges Verhalten wegen seiner Drogenverwendung, wegen seiner Leidenschaft, Es gab einige Fälle, in denen er Cassie von Verletzungen befürchtete.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Er befürchtete, dass sie mit Chris Brown einmal tanzen würde, und wie das ihn in Rache gebracht hat. Und sie sagte, dass sie mit Chris Brown nicht tanzen würde. Und sie versuchten, sie so volatil zu vertreten, wie er sie war.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Yeah, it was really interesting because we got to hear a recording of Cassie from that time. This is back in March of 2014. And essentially, just to set the scene, it's in Atlantic City. She had just hosted a set of parties at different clubs. And she's meeting with somebody named Shugit, who apparently says that he has... ein Video von ihr, wenn sie Sex mit jemand anderem macht.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Und so konfrontiert sie ihn in diesem Rekord, indem sie sagt, wenn du ein Video von etwas hast, zeig es mir, wo ist es? Sei klar mit mir, hast du es? Das ist mein Leben. Und dann beginnt sie, mit ihm wütend zu werden, weil er ihr das Video nicht zeigen wird und nicht direkt mit ihr spricht. Und sie sagt, ich werde dich töten. Ich werde dich in den Dreck legen. Und ich spiele keine Spiele mit dir.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Ich werde dich töten. Es wird nicht von meinen Händen sein, aber jemand anderes wird es tun. Er wird es tun. Also, ich denke, der Punkt für die Defense, das zu spielen, war einerseits... Sie glauben, sie sei eine starke, fähige Frau, die ihre eigenen Entscheidungen gemacht hätte. Sie wollten sie also in einer Position von Stärke und Macht zeigen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Und zweitens, ich glaube, sie wollten die Jury denken, wann Diddy die Begriffe von ihr oder Kid Cudi gemacht hat, zum Beispiel. Und zeigen, dass vielleicht diese nur Individuen waren, die, wiederum, volatil waren und, wenn sie verärgert waren, solche Dinge gesagt haben.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Yeah, look, the defense puts out these series of text messages a year after they broke up, 2019. And they're trying to paint Combs as someone who had a lot of love for her. So that saying, you know, he would text her every month, wishing her well, congratulating her on her first pregnancy, telling her, I miss my best friend. And she would reply, hope you're taking care of yourself, miss you too.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
And in one message, for example, you know, he expresses that he Er hofft, dass sie ihn nicht hasst und dass sie einen Tag sprechen können. Und sie sagt, ich hasse dich nicht, ich habe es nie gemacht. Und sie sagt, sie würde gerne sitzen und sprechen und dass sie nicht an diesem wunderschönen Punkt in ihrer Leben wäre, ohne mit ihm zu sein.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Nun, sie haben sich nie wieder getroffen, um wieder zu sprechen. Und, du weißt, Kassi hat sehr klar durch ihr Testimonial gesagt, dass das nur Worte waren, dass sie immer nur wollte, um ihn glücklich zu machen, dass sie ja, sie hatte Liebe für ihn. Aber ja, sie wurde von ihm verabschiedet. Es kommt also wirklich darauf an, wie die Jury diese Botschaften lesen. Ist es eine vernünftige Angst?
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Glauben sie in seine Narrative, dass er sie wirklich liebte und diese Textbotschaften zeigen, dass er seine Dämonen hatte? Oder vertreten sie Cassie wirklich nur, um ihn auf Arm's Länge zu halten und glücklich zu sein?
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
That's right. So prosecutors, for instance, asked her, okay, you talked about the $20 million civil settlement with Diddy. Would you give that money back if you could take away ever having to have gone through those freak-offs? And she said, absolutely. You know, it would be... Great to have my agency, my autonomy back. And they asked her how she felt, you know, going through those freak-offs.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
And they listed, again, the abuse, being forced to do the freak-offs while she had urinary tract infections, just everything she had testified about. And she said she felt worthless. And, you know, in those moments she started sobbing and she sucked in air and was tearing up and sobbing, but then kind of collected herself and went on. And it was just one of those human moments in court
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Ja, das ist richtig. Ich habe ihn tatsächlich gefangen, als er rausgekommen ist und gesprochen hat, bevor ich zurück in den Gerichtssitz ging. Und ich habe ihn tatsächlich gefragt, du hast sie gesehen, nachdem sie jeden Tag aus dem Stand gekommen ist. Was war es für sie, mit Diddy dort zu testifizieren? Und er hat gesagt... Er dachte, sie zeigte extreme Resilienz.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Er sagte, er hat mit vielen Leuten gearbeitet, die in ähnlichen Situationen waren, aber er war wirklich beeindruckt, dass sie über sehr grafische Details und das durchgehen konnte. Und dann hat er zwei Statementen gelesen, eine von Cassie und eine von ihrem Mann. Und ihr Statement sprach im Grunde darum, wie die Woche für sie extrem anstrengend war, aber es war ermutigend und hat ihr geholfen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Sie hat gesagt, dass je mehr sie sich von Verletzungen und Angst heilt, desto mehr beginnt sie sich zu erinnern und dass sie glücklich ist, dass sie dieses Kapitel veröffentlicht. her life to rest. And then she asked for privacy, which I thought was really interesting. She's kind of, you know, appealing to the public to just kind of leave her be at this point.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
And her husband said that he spent the past five days watching his wife bravely testify. And he said there's been speculation online about how I must have felt hearing everything. And he said, well, I had tremendous pride for Cass. Und er hat gesagt, dass sie von der Person, die sie verabschiedet hatte, verurteilt worden war.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Er ist so stolz auf sie und sagt, dass sie die eine ist, die sich selbst gerettet hat. Und dass sie ein sehr schönes Leben zusammen haben.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Yeah, we wondered if they were going to get to her today. But, you know, the judge is all about efficiency. He wants to keep this trial moving. So they did. They got Dawn Richard on the stand and just really... scratch the surface with her testimony. They went right into an incident where Don Richard observed Diddy allegedly beating Cassie in 2009 at his L.A. home.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
And Don said that he was often abusive with Cassie, that she witnessed that numerous times. And Don talks about how she was at his L.A. home with Kalina Harper, who was part of Diddy Dirty Money, the electro soul trio. Das dauerte bis 2011. Und sie sagte, sie waren auf dem Rekord, aber Cassie war in der Küche. Es war Nachtzeit, aber sie war ein paar Eier zu kochen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Und sie sagte, sie waren mit Cassie in der Küche und plötzlich kam Diddy angstig runter und sagte, wo sind die F-er, seine Eier, dass sie nie etwas richtig bekommt. Und er hat den schwarzen, flachen Backofen-Skillet genommen. dass sie die Eier kocht und versucht hat, sie über den Kopf zu schießen.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Und Dawn beschreibt Cassie einfach, dass sie auf dem Boden fällt, als ob sie den Schuss erwartet hätte, und sich in eine fetale Position schießt. Und sie sagt, dass... Für sie sah es so aus, als ob sie das schon vorher erlebt hätte. Als ob sie wusste, was in diesen Situationen zu tun ist. Danach sagt sie, dass sie am nächsten Tag nicht intervenieren konnte.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Sie sagte, dass sie nicht sicher war, was es für sie bedeuten würde. Sie war furchtbar. Sie war froh, dass es für Cassie auch schlimmer würde. Und dann beschreibt sie, was am nächsten Tag passiert ist. Und das ist, wo wir in Testimonien weggegangen sind. Und sie sagt, dass am nächsten Tag Diddy sie und Kalina zurückgekündigt hat, in den Rekordstudio, und dann die Tür geschlossen hat.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Er sagte, was sie sah, war Leidenschaft, was Liebhaber tun. Er sagte, es war in ihrem besten Interesse, nichts zu sagen, weil er ihre Gruppe nach oben bringen würde. Und er hat gesagt, dass die Leute, die Dinge sagen, missen. Also hat sie das als Threat genommen. Und es gab eine Abwechslung von der Verteidigung über diese Frage.
Diddy On Trial
Cassie: ‘I'd give back $20m settlement to undo freak-offs’
Und das ist, als der Gericht für den Tag beendet hat und diese Abwechslung diskutiert hat.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
for the family. One of them then, when he came outside of court, put on a shirt that had some wording on it saying that the media has it all wrong wording to really show what he feels about this case. And so it was certainly a packed courtroom. And when both the prosecution and the defense were ready to proceed, the court marshals did bring in Sean Diddy Combs, who
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And it was really striking to see how he looked at this hearing in particular.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Well, when he came in wearing a greenish tan prison jumpsuit, what immediately stuck out was his how much his hair had grayed. He had overgrown, very gray hair. He had put on some weight since the last time I saw him in court. And so it wasn't just me who was struck by that. Others, other press members felt he looked quite different as if the time had you know, in detention had really aged him.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Also, you know, he still came in smiling, waving to his family, hugging his lawyers, trying to put on kind of a brave face, if you will, in public. So very much smiling and blowing kisses to his family, putting his hand to his heart as he was led into court and also when he was let out.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And when you look at how much he has physically kind of aged, it was really noticeable to look at his son just seated a few rows back behind him, Christian Combs, who looks very much like his father. You know, he was dressed very well, had a shiny chain on, and you could just see that.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Well, since his arrest, I mean, we've had new allegations come out from prosecutors. Prosecutors had said all along they would continue to investigate and add to the indictment. And so the superseding indictment includes new allegations from prosecutors from January that accused him of coercing two additional women into commercial sex acts and of dangling a person over an apartment balcony.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And then the second set of new allegations in the superseding indictment are essentially allegations of forced labor under the racketeering conspiracy count in the indictment. And they say that he forced employees to work long hours under threat of physical and reputational harm. and forced at least one employee to engage in sex acts with him. So today was his chance to plead to that indictment.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
The judge asked him if he had seen the indictment. He said, yes, sir, I have. He was asked if he read the indictment. He said, yes, I have, sir. And he was then asked if he wanted the indictment read in court or to waive the reading of it. He said that it was fine to waive the reading of the indictment. And then finally, when he was asked how he pleaded, he said not guilty.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And at that point, he was seated. But it was also interesting that Diddy did choose to stand that entire time. The judge told him he could be seated while he asked him those questions, but he wanted to stand and give that to him. And then the hearing really did move on to, I guess, what you could call housekeeping issues ahead of any trial. They did iron out trial dates.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
They said that jury selection will begin on May 5th and that opening statements would take place later on May 12th. So those are some key upcoming dates. And then they just talked about some of the other issues. dates to trade discovery evidence, different papers, different videos, other pieces of evidence that they need to exchange. And that was really kind of the bulk of the hearing.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
It lasted about 45 minutes. Christian and the whole family was really looking forward and paying attention to court proceedings. There was one moment when there was a very detailed discussion about the CNN tape.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
You could tell that the family was uncomfortable and they just visibly looked a little bit annoyed with the thread of that conversation. The defense were saying that they were planning on submitting a motion potentially to try to block the CNN video from being entered. They said that they had put through a subpoena, that they had gotten the material they were after.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And so they were going to move forward with previewing some issues they felt there were with the video. They claim that the video was taken out of order, that the actions were sped up. And that it also covered up timestamps. And what we heard from the prosecution was that they see the CNN video as a key piece of evidence.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Well, look, it was a packed courtroom, as it often is with such a high profile case like this. You have in the You know, a courtroom, rich, dark wood paneled courtroom, blue carpet with several rows.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
They say the government will argue it is critical to their case and can be authenticated. They say the video that they have really is going to speak to what a lot of the women and witnesses will testify to. So that is an open issue.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
The judge, though, says he thinks that the two sides can come to some agreement to make sure that the video is reflective without having to compromise the prosecution putting it in. as a piece of evidence. Now, just to note that both Cassie and CNN have commented on Sean Diddy Combs' defense you know, claims.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Cassie's lawyer says that it's not surprising that they would make a disingenuous argument to exclude the disturbing video from being shown to a jury. But they say they are confident that the video fairly and accurately represents what happened and will be admitted in court so that he can be held accountable for his depravity.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And CNN also says that, you know, there was no video that they destroyed, that the original video is with the original source. So just, you know, a very kind of detailed discussion about what will be a key piece of evidence later in the trial.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Yeah, you know, he very much was just looking between the two parties as they were discussing it and the judge. He didn't visibly show any emotion to it. I think it was more notable to see a little bit of emotion more coming through from his family. And, you know, it's really interesting to cover these court cases because it really is...
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Something that is very well known in the court and we're told before proceedings begin that there can't be any outbursts. You can't have any visible reaction to what's being said. You can only observe what's happening in court. And so clearly, you know, his family has been observing that throughout all of these hearings. But they did show a little bit of discomfort when that topic was raised.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And you had about 60 people or so, four rows of press were there, three rows of members of the public, really people from law students who just wanted to kind of see the hearing to others who just found the case interesting. And obviously, the focus is always on who is going to come from the defense side.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
But as far as Sean Diddy Combs, he was just watching that debate unfold. But seeing, obviously, that his legal team was vigorously trying to do what they can to kind of cast doubt on that key piece of video.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Yeah, and it was actually really noticeable, Anthony Rico's absence, because, you know, in past hearings, Anthony Rico was the one who would stand up and, you know, just say that he thought it was important to notify the court that Diddy's family had traveled a long way to be there. So he really kind of almost played that PR role in a way.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
But today it was very much just right down to business instead with the lawyers. His legal team wasn't too combative at all with the government as they were discussing issues back and forth. They were speaking with Diddy often throughout the hearing to make sure he understood what was happening and what the judge was saying.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
But there was one tense moment, and that was when the government was bringing up something that was still under seal, so something that hasn't been publicly made available yet. to members of the press or anyone else.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And so his lawyer, Alexandra Shapiro, who represented FDX founder Sam Bankman Freed, she's a very well-known attorney, she actually stood up and said, look, I hate to interrupt, but judge, we shouldn't be discussing something that's still under seal. Why are we discussing this?
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
But the judge felt she was getting concerned without any real merit because, quite frankly, us in the press, I mean, we couldn't understand what they were talking about. They didn't go into any detail. But that was one, I think, notable tense moment in the courthouse from his lawyers.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
That's correct. So both sides have decided that jury selection will begin on May 5th. There was some debate about starting that earlier. The government had wanted that, but they have decided that they will go through about 300 jurors a day and that they hope that they can select a jury within three days.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
Well, yeah, the judge put forward kind of future dates. Ultimately, they have to turn over the rest of material and evidence by late March. The judge was suggesting that they have one final pretrial conference scheduled. on April 25th.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
You had several members of Sean Diddy Combs' family, Christian Combs, his son, who looks very much like him, his daughter Chance. His mother was also there wearing large sunglasses.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And then at that point, they can discuss what kind of questions, for example, should be in the jury questionnaire so that both sides can discuss what they want to ask jurors as they try to weed through and take out people that might not make up the most unbiased jury in their view. But otherwise, it very much seems like this case is on schedule moving forward. It didn't seem like there were any
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
obvious delays that either side were bringing up that could push this trial further than May as planned.
Diddy On Trial
Diddy in court says ‘not guilty’ to forced labour claims
And then there was an interesting woman alongside them, actually, Mervet Brito, who is a close friend of his, one of his previous PR executives, but someone who clearly wanted to come and show her support as well because she is known to still be close to him. And then alongside the family were two men who, when we asked who they were, they just described themselves as the support system.