Diddy trial live updates: New video shown of Sean Combs throwing vase at Cassie's head
This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. Jury inSean "Diddy" Combs'federal sex-crimes trialheard testimony from a witness alleging the music mogul dangled her over a 17-story balcony and a forensic video expert who showed the much-discussed 2016 hotel footage ofCombs attacking Cassie Ventura Fine. Bryanna "Bana" Bongolan, a designer and friend of Ventura Fine, alleged on June 4 that she "was held over a 17-story balcony" by Combs in September 2016. She testified that the rapperthrew her on balcony furniture, and she was left with a bruise on the back of her leg, as well as neck and back pain. "I'm the devil, and I could kill you," Combs allegedly told Bongolan on a different occasion. Frank Piazza, a forensic video expert, walked the jury through a compilation video that he made, which showed the much-discussed 2016 hotel footage ofCombs attacking Ventura Fine. However, the compilation also included a reflection in a mirrored wall showing Combsthrowing a vase toward Ventura Fine's head. On June 4, the prosecution also admitted 10 videos that show sexually explicit content. The videos were shot in October 2012, October 2014 and December 2014. Piazza enhanced the video on most of them and the audio on one of them. While jurors will see the videos, reporters in the courtroom will not be allowed to see the footage. Combs, 55, wasarrested in September 2024and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. For years,Combswas the embodiment of untouchable celebrity – a near-billionaire mogul who crisscrossed the globe in private jets and chartered yachts, hosting drug- and sex-fueled parties from Cannes to St. Barts to Las Vegas. To accomplish that, Combs enlisted anentourage of paid support staffand enablers who lived a life most mortals could only dream of – lavish, nonstop and, like Combs himself, at the white-hot center of fame, money and power atop the entertainment world. Now, inside a hushed Manhattan federal courtroom, that fantasy world is crashing down with the testimony of some of the very same people who made it all happen. One by one, the people who once orbited Combs − assistants, stylists, gofers and security guards − are pulling back the curtain on his carefully erected empire. They describe a Promethean lifestyle powered by wealth and fame and propelled relentlessly forward by a combination of intimidation, manipulation, violence – and even rape. Diddy on trial newsletter:Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges. AsCombs' sex-crimes trial stretches onin New York, another woman is expected to take the stand to testify to abuse and coercion at the hands ofthe music mogul. The witness, who is going simply by "Jane," will remain anonymous – a request granted by Judge Arun Subramanian, who has explicitly warnedjurors and court attendeesagainst sharing information that could reveal her identity. Jane is following in the footsteps of"Mia," a former employee of Combs,who hasaccused the rapper of assaultand also testified under a pseudonym. Jane, a single mother who prosecutors claim was roped intoCombs' empire of sex parties and abuse, faces an uphill battle, though, in keeping her true identity hidden. After her testimony wrapped up this week, several outlets publishedMia'sreal name online, a practice generally avoided by newspapers and magazines at the urging of the courts. Prosecutors also alerted the judge that an individual inside the courtroom this week had broadcast the proceedings into his phone, usingMia'sname and later outing her again on his YouTube channel. The person was banned from the courtroom. Bongolan alleged Combs came up from behind her and "lifted me up and put me on top of the rail," Bongolan told prosecutors. She said she was "scared" and "trying not to slip" while pushing back on Combs. "For a split second, I was thinking I was going to fall," she said. Bongolan estimated that she was dangling for about 10 to 15 seconds. She said she heardVentura Fine, who sounded like she was in "disbelief," ask Combs, "Did you just hang her over the balcony? Her girlfriend is in the house." Combs then "swiftly left," she said. After she returned home fromVentura Fine's apartment, Bongolan took a few photos of her bruises, which were shown to those in the courthouse alongside metadata confirming they were captured Sept. 26, 2016, at 9:45 a.m. The images showed a massive pink, brown and black bruise on the back of her leg. There was also a piercing laceration in the middle of the bruise, where something had poked her skin or cut her, as well as checkered imprints within the bruise. Frank Piazza, a forensic video expert, walked the jury through a compilation video that he made, which showed the much-discussed 2016 hotel footage ofCombs attacking Ventura Fine. However, the compilation also included a reflection in a mirrored wall showing Combsthrowing a vase toward Ventura Fine's head. Discover WITNESS:Access our exclusive collection of true crime stories, podcasts, videos and more Combs' trial is expected to last for approximately eight weeks in total. Judge Arun Subramanian, who's presiding over the sex-crimes trial in New York, has said he's hopeful proceedings will wrap up by the July 4 holiday. The disgraced music mogul is already in custody, and, despite repeated attempts at bail,has remainedconfined to the Special Housing Unit in Brooklyn'sMetropolitan Detention Center. He has been in jail since his arrest on Sept. 16, 2024. Diddy has seven children, six of whom are biological. Diddy had his first biological son,Justin Combs, with fashion designer and stylistMisa Hylton. Diddy adoptedQuincy Brown, the son of ex-girlfriend and modelKimberly Porter, who died in 2018 after a battle with pneumonia. The former couple also shared three other children:son Christian "King" Combsandtwin daughters D'Lila and Jessie Combs. Diddy has another daughter,Chance Combs, whom he shares with businesswoman Sarah Chapman. His seventh and last child, daughter Love Sean Combs, was born in October 2022 with model and cybersecurity specialist Dana Tran. No, despite recently handing down a flurry of pardons, including one for reality starsTodd and Julie Chrisley,Trumpdid not include Combs on that list. But thatdoesn't mean he can't. Could Trump pardon Diddyand end his trial? 50 Centis looking to givePresident Trumphis two cents aboutCombs. In anInstagram post on May 30, the "In da Club" emcee said he would reach out to Trump after the president said he would "look at the facts" in Combs' case, suggesting a pardon could be on the table. Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling lawsuit that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry. He wasarrested in September 2024and later charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The rapper has pleaded not guilty to all five counts against him. Racketeering is the participation in an illegal scheme under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Statute, or RICO, as a way for the U.S. government to prosecute organizations that contribute to criminal activity. Using RICO law, which is typically aimed attargeting multi-person criminal organizations,prosecutors allegethat Combs coerced victims, some of whom they say were sex workers, through intimidation and narcotics to participate in"freak offs"— sometimes dayslong sex performances that federal prosecutors allege they have video of. The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings. USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom.Sign up for our newsletterfor more updates. Contributing: USA TODAY staff If you are a survivor of sexual assault,RAINNoffers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) andHotline.RAINN.organd en EspañolRAINN.org/es. If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Diddy trial live updates: Court sees Bryanna Bongolan injury photos
Diddy trial live updates: New video shown of Sean Combs throwing vase at Cassie's head This story contains graphic descriptions that som...
