Witness Saw Cassie Ventura’s ‘Purple Eye’ After Altercation (Live Updates)

Secret Realities

Florez Affirms About Cassie Ventura Run-in: Combs Had ‘devilish Stare’ And Stack Of Cash

Florez affirmed he had actually reacted to a call reporting a female in distress on the hotel’s 6th flooring, where Ventura was “in the corner, hood on, concealed” and appeared “terrified,” NBC News reported, and Combs was being in a towel with a “devilish look.” Florez stated Combs approached him with a stack of cash, informing him: “Do not inform no one,” however Florez declined the evident kickback, AP reported. District attorneys revealed the jury video from the occurrence, consisting of one video in which Combs is revealed approaching Ventura in a corridor and knocking her to the flooring before kicking her and dragging her back into their hotel space. Florez affirmed he did not call the authorities since Ventura did not address his concerns and consistently mentioned she wished to leave, the New york city Times reported. Throughout interrogation by Combs’ legal representative Brian Steel, Steel asked Florez why he neglected some details from an event report he submitted after the attack that he discussed in his testament, consisting of a description of Ventura having a “purple eye.”

Diddy’s Defense Lawyer State He Is Violent However Not A Sex Trafficker

Geragos rejected Combs’ violent habits makes up acts of sex trafficking or other federal criminal activities. “He is physical, he is a drug user, you might understand of his love of child oil. Is that a federal criminal offense? No,” Geragos informed the jury, NBC News reported. Geragos dealt with the hotel monitoring video of Combs assaulting Ventura, calling his actions “indefensible,” “dehumanizing” and “essentially every bad word you can think about,” however stated it is “not proof of sex trafficking,” CNN reported. Geragos argued Ventura was a “ready individual in their sex life” while with Combs and declared Ventura left Combs on her own terms when she recognized she would “never ever be his better half, never ever be his love of his life,” CNN reported. Geragos stated Ventura was “envious” of the relationship in between Combs and his late ex-girlfriend, Kim Porter, with whom Combs had 3 kids. Geragos likewise depicted Combs’ other sexual partners as consenting grownups and rejected they were victims of trafficking.

District Attorneys Allege Diddy Ran ‘criminal Business’ With Freak-Off Celebrations And Violence

Lawyer Emily A. Johnson provided the opening declaration for the prosecution, implicating Combs of running “a criminal business.” Johnson explained one night in which Combs apparently discovered Ventura was seeing another male while they were together, so he employed a worker to get into the male’s home, the New york city Times reported, though the worker did not discover the male. Rather, Combs apparently beat Ventura “completely.” Johnson explained Combs’ “freak off” celebrations, which she states were likewise described as “wild king nights” or “hotel nights,” declaring Combs’ business would spend for celebrations and hotel spaces in which Combs would apparently require ladies to take drugs and make love with male escorts in encounters Combs often tape-recorded, the AP reported. Johnson explained numerous declared occurrences of Combs devoting acts of violence, consisting of an event in 2009 in which he apparently stomped on Ventura’s face, and another in which Combs got an unnamed lady in a chokehold and kicked her to the ground before drugging her and persuading her into taking part in a freak-off, the Times reported.

What Do We Understand About The Jury?

The 12 jurors are made up of 8 guys and 4 ladies, the New york city Times reported, with 6 alternates made up of 4 guys and 2 ladies. Defense lawyer representing Combs opposed a few of the struck jurors to the judge, declaring the district attorneys struck 7 potential Black jurors, totaling up to a pattern, the AP reported. Subramanian declined the defense’s claim, mentioning the prosecution provided “race neutral factors” for why each juror was struck which the defense did not offer proof of discrimination. The jurors vary in age from their 30s to their 70s, period tasks consisting of a researcher, massage therapist, deli clerk and financial investment expert, and they come from Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester County, the Times reported. A few of the jurors stated they have actually seen a video of Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel, which is anticipated to be revealed at trial. The defense formerly struck a juror who stated the video made Combs appear like an “upset, hostile individual,” the Times reported.

How Is Combs Reacting In Court?

Combs reached the court house sporting gray hair, which is no longer black as he does not have access to hair color in prison. He is using a light gray sweatshirt and a white collared t-shirt with khaki trousers, the Washington Post reported, and he blew kisses to his household, who are seated in the 2nd row behind him, while strolling into the court house. Throughout the jury choice procedure, Combs has actually put on black-framed glasses and has actually been actively browsing a blue note pad and whispering with his defense lawyer, the Post reported.

What Is Sean “diddy” Combs Charged With?

Combs deals with 5 federal charges: 2 counts of sex trafficking, 2 counts of transport to participate in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy. The 4th and 5th charges, one extra count each of sex trafficking and transport to participate in prostitution, were included by district attorneys in April in a superseding indictment worrying a supposed unnamed victim, described as “Victim-2.” Combs has actually pleaded innocent to all charges.

What Do We Understand About Diddy’s Defense?

Combs’ legal representative, Marc Agnifilo, has actually shown at pre-trial hearings he would depict the rap magnate as a “swinger” in his defense, which he argues is not a criminal activity. “It relates to the offender’s intent that there’s a way of life called swingers, call it whatever you will, that he remained in, that he may have believed was proper,” Agnifilo stated at a hearing in April. Agnifilo likewise stated at a hearing he would depict Combs’ relationship with Ventura, whom he dated off-and-on in between 2007 and 2018, as equally violent with “striking on both sides,” after the court enabled a hotel monitoring video that reveals Combs assaulting Ventura to be played throughout trial as proof.

Combs Turned Down Plea Offer After String Of Allegations And Civil Fits

Combs informed the judge he declined a plea handle court previously this month, though information of the offer are unidentified. Combs had actually likewise tried to postpone the trial by 2 months so his legal group might have extra time to prepare, though Subramanian declined his legal group’s demand. While waiting for trial, Combs has actually been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a prison understood for bad conditions that has actually likewise housed disgraced crypto executive Sam Bankman-Fried and presently homes Luigi Mangione, implicated of the killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. Combs’ legal concerns started with a suit submitted by Ventura in November 2023, in which she declared he raped her and subjected her to years of physical abuse. The match was settled the next day for a concealed quantity, though Ventura’s suit began a barrage of fits submitted versus Combs, a number of which supposed sexual attack and sex trafficking. Combs has actually rejected all accusations made versus him. Federal representatives robbed Combs’ homes in March 2024, and he was detained by authorities in September 2024 after being prosecuted by a grand jury.

Additional Checking Out

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Underway: Here’s What To Learn about His Federal Charges (Forbes)

Sean Combs Demanded Human Trafficking By Male Who States He Was Sexually Attacked In 2015: Here Are All The Significant Accusations Versus Diddy (Forbes)