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Daily Mirror
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
P Diddy's unsettling response to 'freak-off' tapes in private part of court
Sean 'Diddy' Combs watched a number of 'freak-off' clips, featuring his ex Cassie and a sex worker, in a private side room of the court during his ongoing trial. Sean 'Diddy' Combs licked his lips and rubbed his hands together after watching a 'freak-off' tape in a private side room of the court during his trial on Tuesday. The 55-year-old disgraced music mogul asked for extra time to watch the tapes of his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura, having sex with male escorts while he watched. The rapper asked to watch the clips before testimonies began on the day, but when it got to the 9am start time, he still hadn't come out. The judge told the court he asked for '10 minutes to review the materials', with Diddy coming out from the side door in the court just before 9.15am. Upon walking out the side door, he licked his lips and rubbed his hands. Prosecutors played segments of three videos, which he had to watch in a private room as his monitor is viewable by the public, taken from a Diddy-linked account on a mobile phone that Cassie gave to authorities. One video was from October 14, 2012, the same day prosecutors said Diddy had a 'freak-off' in New York City with Cassie and sex worker Sharay Hayes, also known as The Punisher. Before seeing the clip, jurors were shown an invoice for the stay at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Manhattan which was booked under Diddy's alias, Frank Black. On the invoice, a note said the guest requested to have the room at 3 in the morning. Jurors were also shown the messages between Cassie and Hayes. She wrote in one message: "Can we actually do 3 a.m. at the Trump hotel, Columbus Circle?" Hayes said: "Great. I'll text when I'm on my way," before telling her his fee of $200. Jurors also watched segments of clips from October 20, 2012 and December 4, 2014. Defence lawyers said the videos proved the rapper was having consensual sex rather than committing crimes. Diddy currently facing a number of serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He was arrested in September and strongly denies all allegations made against him. He has been in prison since his arrest, and a number of bail requests have been rejected. The potential penalties for these allegations are severe, with Combs facing anywhere from 15 years to a lifetime behind bars if found guilty.
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First Post
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Jurors see clips of ‘freak-off' sex marathons central to Sean ‘Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking charges
Prosecutors played portions of three sex videos recovered from a Combs-linked account on a cellphone that his former longtime girlfriend Cassie provided to authorities, giving jurors a close-up view of the encounters they've heard about repeatedly since testimony began May 12 read more The jury at Sean 'Diddy' Combs ' sex trafficking trial got a glimpse Monday at some of the 'freak-off' sex marathons at the heart of the case, with prosecutors showing excerpts of explicit videos that the hip-hop mogul recorded during the drug-fueled sessions. Prosecutors played portions of three sex videos recovered from a Combs-linked account on a cellphone that his former longtime girlfriend Cassie provided to authorities, giving jurors a close-up view of the encounters they've heard about repeatedly since testimony began May 12. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD One video was from Oct. 14, 2012, the same day prosecutors say Combs had a 'freak-off' in New York City with Cassie and sex worker Sharay Hayes, known as 'The Punisher.' Before playing the clip, prosecutors showed jurors an invoice for an Oct. 14, 2012, stay at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Manhattan that was booked under Combs' alias, Frank Black. A note on the invoice said the guest requested to have the room at 3 a.m. Prosecutors also showed jurors text messages in which Cassie, the R&B singer whose real name is Casandra Ventura, arranged the Oct. 14 meetup with Hayes. In one message, she wrote: 'Can we actually do 3 a.m. at the Trump hotel, Columbus Circle?' Hayes replied: 'Great. I'll text when I'm on my way,' and told her his fee for the encounter was $200 cash. Jurors were also shown excerpts of videos taken on Oct. 20, 2012, and Dec. 4, 2014. Collectively, the clips shown to jurors were several minutes long and although at least one juror winced at a video, their reactions mostly were muted. Defense lawyers have said the videos prove Combs was engaging in consensual sex rather than crimes. Because of their graphic nature, the excerpts were available for viewing only for jurors, the prosecution and defense teams and Combs, all of whom wore headphones to hear the audio portion. Reporters and members of the public were not allowed to see or hear the videos. The videos were the most notable part of an otherwise dry day in court as prosecutors wind down their case with so-called summary witnesses — government agents who are reading aloud heaps of text messages, travel records and other document-based evidence. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD After six weeks of witnesses and evidence, prosecutors said they plan to rest on Wednesday. After that, Combs' lawyers said they'll start calling witnesses. Earlier in the trial, a forensic video expert retained by the prosecution to enhance the videos identified them by date. During that testimony, a prosecutor described the videos as 'sex videos.' Until Monday, jurors had only seen still images taken from the 'freak-off' videos. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges after his September arrest at a New York hotel. He was denied bail multiple times and has remained incarcerated at a federal lockup in Brooklyn ever since. Other text messages jurors heard Monday included Combs' ex-girlfriend, identified by the pseudonym 'Jane,' complaining to him about sex marathons and to his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, about his threats to release explicit videos of her. Jane laid into Combs after Cassie sued him in 2023 for alleged sexual and physical abuse. He promptly settled. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jane, who dated Combs from 2021 until his arrest last year, told Combs she felt he exploited her with their 'dark and humiliating lifestyle.' A month later, Jane texted Khorram that Combs 'just threatened me about my sex tapes' and said he'd send them to her child's father. Jane told Khorram she needed her help because Combs was having one of his 'evil-ass psychotic bipolar' episodes. Before the jury entered the courtroom Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed a juror after concluding there were 'clear inconsistencies' in his answers last week and during jury selection about whether he resided in New York or with a girlfriend in New Jersey. 'Taking these all together, the record raised serious concerns as to the juror's candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury,' he said. Subramanian had first announced late Friday that he was dismissing the juror, but he left open the possibility that he would question the juror a final time after defense lawyers protested, saying that dismissing the Black juror and replacing him with a white man might spoil an otherwise diverse jury. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The judge said he had decided not to question him further because it could lead to 'another set of shifting answers. … In other words, there's nothing that the juror can say at this point that would put the genie back in the bottle and restore his credibility.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Diddy Employee Reveals The Notorious B.I.G.-Inspired Alias He Used To Book Hotels
'Freak-offs' have been a major focal point in the Diddy sex trafficking trial, especially the initial alleged details of what hotel rooms would be stocked with and look like afterward. His former employee recently testified about his experience booking lodging for the 55-year-old artist, and how the fake name he used was connected to The Notorious B.I.G. George Kaplan, Diddy's former assistant, told the jury on Wednesday (May 21) that he would often be told by Puff or Kristina Khorram, his chief of staff, to arrange stays for the controversial mogul on short notice. The former REVOLT chairman's preferred locations were allegedly in New York, Miami, or Los Angeles; namely, NY's Trump International Hotel & Tower or LA's The InterContinental, where he infamously assaulted Cassie in 2016. Diddy, like many celebrities, would use an alias given the alleged activity happening in the rooms and his general celebrity status. Kaplan revealed that his go-to fake name was 'Frank Black,' a play on the late Biggie's moniker 'Frank White.' The Bad Boy co-founder spent the years following Big's death constantly paying homage to him and divulging their relationship, so it is no surprise that he was top of mind in this regard. George Kaplan was also given specific instructions on setting up the hotel rooms; his testimony aligned with details of the lawsuits against Diddy. He would bring a bag with him full of 'clothes, a speaker, candles, liquor, baby oil and Astroglide,' and unpack it before the Press Play artist arrived. Kaplan revealed that he 'often' purchased these items with a corporate credit card, adding that he believed Diddy began to have him around more often when he gained more trust in him. Kaplan also revealed that he would pick up additional items for the mogul at his request, which included more clothing, food, and 'sometimes drugs.' The 'Last Night' artist apparently had a toiletries bag that was stocked with ketamine and Advil. Kaplan's account of what the rooms looked like when he went to clean them after Puff was finished was also accurate to the details of the lawsuits. He claimed that he would see empty bottles of Gatorade, alcohol, and baby oil. Prosecutors were interested in why Kaplan did the cleaning and not hotel staff, to which he replied, 'It was implied — protecting him and protecting his public image were really important.' Over the last few weeks, the jury has heard from Cassie regarding her experiences in the 'freak-offs,' sex workers, and now an assistant who helped put them together. One can only imagine what will be brought to light next. More from Clinical Psychologist Testifies During Diddy Trial, Speaks On Abuser-Victim Dynamic Meek Mill Reveals The "Craziest" Experience He's Had While At A Diddy Party Sex Worker Claims Diddy Dressed Like A Muslim Woman To Conceal Identity During "Freak-Off"
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former Diddy Employee Reveals the Alias He Used for Hotel Rooms — and It Had to Do with Biggie
Another of Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistants testified on the eighth day of the music mogul's federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial Combs' ex-girlfriend, Casandra Cassie Ventura, testified for four days last week about how he physically abused her and forced her to perform sex acts with male escorts Combs pleaded not guilty to all chargesArranging trips for Sean 'Diddy' Combs was a massive undertaking, as the rap mogul had a long list of must-haves for his hotel stays, a former assistant testified on Wed., May 21. George Kaplan said he would often be given just a few hours' notice from Combs or his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, to ready hotel rooms in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Combs or Khorram would give Kaplan exacting instructions in how to set up the hotel rooms, Kaplan told jurors in Manhattan federal court on the eighth day of Combs' high-profile trial. Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Seen Kicking Cassie After Throwing Her to Ground in 2016 Hotel Surveillance Video Two of the tycoon's preferred places to stay were The InterContinental in Los Angeles — where Combs' beating of Casandra "Cassie" Ventura in an elevator bank was captured on surveillance video — and Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York City, Kaplan told jurors. To protect Combs from fans and prying eyes, hotel rooms would often be booked under the name "Frank Black," Kaplan testified. The alias was a play on "Frank White," a nickname for the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls — one of the first artists Combs signed to his Bad Boy Records label. Before Combs arrived at a given hotel room or suite, 'There was a bag. I unpacked it. Clothes, a speaker, a candle, Astroglide, baby oil, liquor," Kaplan testified. Related: What Feds Found in Diddy's Closet: Astroglide, Baby Oil… and a Rubber Duck? When asked who purchased those items, he responded, 'Often me,' with a corporate card, Kaplan testified. He said 'as he grew to trust me more, he had me around more.' Combs would frequently call Kaplan from the hotel room asking him to bring food, clothes and 'sometimes drugs," he said. 'I did it," he testified. Kaplan said Combs also kept a toiletry bag stocked with Advil and ketamine. 'I picked up drugs for him' he testified. Asked if he cleaned the rooms, Kaplan said on the stand, 'Yes. Bottles of baby oil, Gatorade. Once brown crystalized powder on the counter of the bathroom sink.' When prosecutors questioned why he, not hotel staff, did the cleaning, Kaplan replied, 'It was implied — protect his public image. I was keen on doing that.' Kaplan was the latest in a string of witnesses in Combs' trial where he is facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs pleaded not guilty to all could face up to life in prison if he is convicted on all counts. Since his arrest, he has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to Read the original article on People
Business Times
19-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Trump Organization eyes Trump Tower in Ho Chi Minh City, government document says
[HO CHI MINH CITY] Executives at Trump Organization, a privately owned business of US President Donald Trump, are going to visit Ho Chi Minh City to survey potential sites for a Trump Tower project, according to a Vietnamese government document seen by The Business Times. The delegation led by executive vice-president Eric Trump – President Trump's third eldest child – will arrive on Thursday (May 22), with plans to meet the city leadership at a dinner at a central hotel in the city. They are going to inspect sites at Thu Thiem, a peninsula that lies across the Saigon River from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. The city authority has recently earmarked vacant land parcels in this area to woo multibillion-dollar investments for the development of the country's new international financial centre. This comes amid the ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and Hanoi as the latter has sought to avoid a reciprocal tariff of 46 per cent – one of Asia's highest rates – imposed by the Trump administration and currently on hold until early July. Trump Organization is operating or licensing its name to dozens of Trump-branded properties around the world. These projects often encompass a mix of luxury residential, commercial, and hospitality developments. For example, The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Dubai, announced in late April under a licensing deal with UAE-based developer Dar Global, is an 80-storey skyscraper scheduled for completion in 2031. It is planned to feature luxury residences starting at US$1 million, a five-star hotel and a private members' club called the Trump. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up US$1.5b golf complex approved Another executive group led by Charles James Boyd Bowman, general director of the Trump Organization's Vietnam project, is set to visit Ho Chi Minh City on Monday (May 19), the internal document says. Earlier in March, Bowman met Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who urged the Trump Organization to consider Vietnam as a business base and broaden its investments into other localities, particularly in sectors aligned with Vietnam's priorities. Last Friday, state newspaper Tuoi Tre reported that the US$1.5 billion project co-developed by Trump Organization and Vietnam's real estate developer Kinhbac City had received approval from the Vietnamese government. The project, spanning 990 hectares of land in Hung Yen province near Hanoi, involves developments of golf courses, hotels, resorts, and a modern residential complex. Reuters reported in March that it would break ground in May, with a second golf and hotel project expected to be announced this year. Both are planned to be operational by mid-2027. Besides Vietnam, Trump Organization has partnered to develop golf resorts in Indonesia as its first venture into South-east Asia since 2014. South-east Asia is home to more than 1,000 operational 18-hole golf courses, with Thailand leading the pack with 306 courses, based on data compiled by consulting firm Asia Golf Journey. Among them, Vietnam and Indonesia currently have more than 80 and 180 courses, respectively.
