Warning: This article contains discussion of alleged violence which some readers may find distressing.
After a recess for Memorial Day, the continuation of Diddy's sex trafficking trial has begun.
The hip-hop music producer, real name Sean Combs, was charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion in 2024.
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Ever since Combs was arrested at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, New York last September, he has maintained his innocence and has denied all the charges against him.
Last week, his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, took to the stand to testify, where she spoke her alleged experience of the so-called 'freak off' sex parties and the abuse she claims Combs inflicted on her.
Jurors also heard from Ventura's mom Regina, Cassie's former partner Kid Cudi, Diddy's former assistants and federal agents.
On Tuesday (May 27), Capricorn Clark, Combs' former marketing director and personal assistant, took to the witness stand to give her testimony.
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During her testimony, she claimed that Diddy had 'kidnapped' her and, on other occasions, allegedly made threats to have her killed.
Capricorn also testified that she'd set up Diddy's hotel rooms for 'freak-offs', and the way he and Cassie would 'recover' from them.
Here's a recap of what she said in court on Tuesday...
Diddy's 'threats' and lie detector test
On her first day of working for him, Clark claims that Combs came to the realization that she had worked for Death Row Records, which was founded by Combs’ rival Suge Knight, which she alleged led him to issue a threat towards her.
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"He told me that he didn’t know that I had anything to do with Suge Knight and if anything happened, he would have to kill me," Clark told the court.
On another occasion, she alleges that Combs accused her of stealing after a bag containing diamond jewelry she was assigned to hold went missing before they got to the airport to travel from New York to Miami.
According to Clark, she was then forced to take a lie detector test for five days straight. She further claimed that she was told by the man conducting the test that if she failed 'they’re going to throw you into the East River'.
She added: "I was petrified."
"She was going to get us all killed"
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Clark worked for Diddy on and off for over a decade, returning after one alleged violent incident in 2006 as director of marketing for his clothing brand Sean John.
She claims the role paid better than her previous job and had less contact with Diddy. Clark worked as creative director for Cassie, too, but still reported to Combs.
She claimed Combs had approval over Ventura's work, schedule, hair and make-up and 'what we said yes to and what we said no to', Sky News reports.
Regarding rapper Kid Cudi, Clark recounted a 2011 incident in which Cassie brought Cudi to her apartment, which she claimed she 'didn't react well to'.
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Allegedly fearing retaliation from Combs - who paid for her phone - Clark suggested Cassie get a burner phone, saying Cassie’s actions 'were going to get us all killed.'
Alleged kidnapping and 'confronting' Kid Cudi
Clark also alluded to a supposed incident when Diddy allegedly kidnapped her in order to confront Cudi. On December 22, 2011, she told the court that Combs had appeared at her door furious and armed with a gun.
"He just said, 'Get dressed, we’re going to go kill Mescudi'," Clark testified. "The gun was in his hand."
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She says she told him she did not want to go, to which he allegedly replied: "I don't give a f*** what you want to do."
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo cross-examined Clark, suggested that she may have accompanied Combs to prevent him from doing 'something stupid'.
Clark denied this, however, responding: “I went because he told me it wasn’t up to me, but I didn’t want to go.”
She further testified that while in the car with Combs en route to Kid Cudi’s home, she made a covert call to Cassie’s burner phone and warned her: “Puffy has a gun.”
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Clark claimed that shortly after arriving, Cudi pulled up in a black Porsche, saw Combs and immediately drove off.
Combs then allegedly jumped into his car and chased after him, as Clark testified: “He looked at us, we turned away, then we heard sirens.”
During cross-examination, Agnifilo also questioned Clark about her previous testimony regarding an alleged arson, as Clark had earlier claimed that Cudi’s car was set on fire sometime after the confrontation with Combs.
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She admitted that she did not cooperate with Los Angeles fire investigators who'd later contacted her about the incident in 2012.
“I didn’t want to have anything to do with this any longer,” she told the court. Combs has never been charged with anything regarding the alleged explosion of Cudi's car, which supposedly occurred in 2012.
Combs' alleged abuse of Cassie
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After the alleged confrontation at Cudi's house, Clark claimed Combs 'came at' Cassie with '100% full force', repeatedly kicking her as she crouched 'more and more' into the foetal position and 'silently' cried.
She further alleged that Combs told her he would 'f**k me up too' if she attempted to intervene.
Later, Agnifilo pressed Clark on whether she had actually seen Combs physically assault Cassie following the events of December 22, and Clark stood by her account: “Yes, sir,” she said when asked if she was certain of what she witnessed.
Combs 'charged' Clark at Miami home
Elsewhere on the stand, Clark went on to claim the rapper lunged at her as she said 'I hate it here' in front of Combs' chef while at his Miami Beach home.
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"He immediately looked at me and said, 'You hate it here?' and he charged me," the former assistant alleged. "He ran towards me with his hands open and charged at my shoulders."
According to Clark, Combs then pushed her roughly 30 yards before demanding that she leave the residence.
'Freak-off' preparations
According to the former assistant, some of her job required setting up Combs' hotel rooms for the alleged 'freak offs'.
She claimed that some of things the rapper would use included a toiletry bag, baby oil and a small camera, as well as a bag of drugs that allegedly contained ecstasy.
Clark further testified that in order to help Combs and Ventura to 'recover' from the drug use, an IV drip containing something akin to serotonin supplements would be set up.
She also claimed that the rapper would often spend three to four days at the hotels.
What Combs' attorney has said
In response to the news of Combs' arrest last year, his attorney Marc Agnifilo told UNILAD at the time: "We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
"Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.
"To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."
The trial is expected to last around eight weeks. If convicted, Combs faces up to life in prison.
UNILAD has previously contacted representatives for Combs and Ventura for comment.
The trial continues.
Topics: Diddy, Cassie Ventura, Court, US News, Crime, Sex Trafficking
Ellie Kemp