What’s happening today

• In a text message entered by the prosecution from Cassie Ventura to Sean Combs on May 2, 2017, she said she didn’t deserve to be beaten by him. “That’s not love, that’s possession,” Ventura wrote to him, in apparent reference to the infamous 2016 videotaped beating.
• Brendan Paul, Combs’ former personal assistant, testified that during his employment he was instructed to buy thousands of dollars’ worth of various drugs for Combs’ use.
• Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey said Tuesday that the government will likely rest its case Friday, though that was before court was adjourned early Wednesday morning due to a sick juror. Combs’ defense team said it needs two to five days to present its case, but that timeline isn’t set in stone.

Deliberations could be within sight

U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian has ordered prosecutors and defense attorneys to begin preparations for deliberations, which could start next week.

He wants the government to prepare a laptop with exhibits and for both sides to confer on potential redactions from the transcript of testimony jurors want to hear again.

“The Court recognizes that the parties will likely be unable to meet and confer on such redactions for the entire transcript,” the judge wrote. “However, the parties should do so for the witnesses that they believe the jury will most likely ask for.”

Court is now in session

Court is now in session, marking day 27 of Combs’ trial.

Judge denies defense application related to Juror No. 7

Judge Arun Subramanian said the defense application related to a juror has been denied. The defense application came up earlier this week regarding a man who was Juror No. 7 at the time. 

Subramanian said the juror was questioned.

In a trial, a juror defense application is when a defendant’s lawyer requests to have a juror excused from the jury.

Court will give proposed jury charge today

Today the court will provide the defense and prosecution with the proposed jury charge — guidelines by the judge to the jury before deliberations. 

Judge Arun Subramanian said the proposed charge will have instructions regarding potential modifications the defense and prosecution may have, and both parties will have the opportunity to ensure nothing is missing. 

Former Diddy assistant Brendan Paul takes the stand

Paul wore a blue suit, white shirt and no tie as he took the witness stand for direct examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik.

This portion of testimony is expected to last about 90 minutes.

Paul was hired to work on food and physical conditioning

Paul said Combs’ team seized upon his background as a college basketball player, having him work on food and workout planning for the music mogul.

Paul played two seasons at the end of the Syracuse Orange bench from 2018 to 2020.

Paul told ‘to get in to get out’

The job would be time-consuming, Paul testified. He said he was told to “get in to get out” and forget about any personal life.

The witness said he was told to break up with any girlfriend he might have and say goodbye to his family for this 24-7 job as Combs’ assistant.

He ended up working for the music mogul from late 2022 until March 25 last year. The former college basketball player started at $75,000 a year and topped out at $100,000 by January last year.

Paul recalls days without sleeping and using drugs

Paul testified that the longest he went without sleep working for Combs was three days with a few naps. 

“I was young so I was able to handle it,” he explained, noting he’d take “adderall and rare use of cocaine.”

He noted that prior to working for Combs the only drug he consumed was smoking weed. 

Combs didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer

Paul testified that his job was to “make sure” Combs was happy and carry out all requests to his satisfaction because the music mogul didn’t take “no” for an answer.

Combs compared his staff of assistants to SEAL Team 6, demanding they move with no failures, according to Paul.

Witness fired multiple times

An impulsive Combs fired Paul multiple times, including once for forgetting to bring his boss’ Lululemon fanny pack.

Chief of staff Kristina Khorram told Paul just to keep a low profile and it’d blow over, according to the witness.

He recalled seeing Combs a few days later “and he said just say ‘hey.'”

Paul testifies he was given directions about what drugs to buy

The witness recalled being asked to buy thousands of dollars worth of drugs.

Marijuana, cocaine, pink cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine were all on his shopping list, Paul said.

He recounted meeting up with dealers named Guido, One Stop, Baby Girl and Ovi.

Paul testifies he did drugs with Combs ‘to prove my loyalty’

Paul testified that Combs asked him to try drugs and he did it “to prove my loyalty.”

“I felt euphoric but did not feel the full effect. He asked if it was good. … I said yes and then I kept working,” he said. 

Packing list for ‘hotel nights’

Paul testified he had a long list of items he needed to pack for Combs on the defendant’s “hotel nights.”

He said he needed to make sure Combs had his toiletries, lights, candles, incense, condoms, liquor, soup, Astroglide and a Gucci pouch that contained drugs, the witness said.

Paul said he also had to pack $5,000 of cash for Combs.

Paul testifies he didn’t snitch about who asked him to carry drugs

When Paul was arrested for cocaine possession, the witness said he refused to tell authorities why he was carrying those drugs.

Even through the drugs were not his, Paul said he didn’t give up any names.

When the prosecutor, Slavik, asked why he wasn’t initially helpful to law enforcement, Paul said: “Loyalty.”

Cross-examination starts

Cross-examination has started with Combs’ attorney Brian Steel questioning Paul.

Paul says he was ‘absolutely’ not a drug mule

Paul was asked directly if he was some sort of drug mule and responded, “Absolutely not.” 

He said that he did personally handle minuscule amounts of drugs at a time and he understood those drugs were for Combs’ personal use.

Witness recalls his time as a student-athlete

For just a moment, the witness Paul was brought back to some more cheerful days of his life, as a walk-on for the vaunted Syracuse Orange basketball team.

Under cross-examination by defense lawyer Brian Steel, Paul was asked to confirm that he was an all-ACC academic team member in 2019-20 and that he played two minutes in the Orange’s final game of 2020, a March 11 victory over North Carolina at the conference tournament in Greensboro.

The Orange didn’t get to play the next game, as the tournament was canceled due to the Covid pandemic.

Paul testifies ‘Jane’ was not forced into ‘hotel nights’

The witness said Combs’ former girlfriend “Jane” was not forced into spending nights in hotel rooms with the music mogul.

Asked by the defense if Jane was ever sorry or not a willing participant, Paul said, “Absolutely not.”

The witness also denied that his work amounted to being part of a criminal enterprise.

Paul says March 2024 arrest on drug possession was a ‘mistake,’ drugs came from cleaning Combs’ home

Paul had been arrested in March 2024 at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport on charges of possession of suspected cocaine and suspected marijuana candy, according to a police report. His arrest happened on the same day federal agents conducted search warrants at Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles residences.

Prosecutors later decided to only charge him for possessing cocaine, and that charge was later dropped in December.

In his testimony today, Paul said he was arrested on possession of cocaine as he was on his way to a family vacation, and the drugs were found in his Goyard bag.

“I was sweeping his room and put it in my bag and forgot it while I was packing,” he explained.

When asked during cross-examination by Combs’ attorney Brian Steel, “It was a mistake?” Paul answered, “Yes.”

How does Paul feel about Combs? ‘It’s complicated’

Paul’s job with Combs landed him in handcuffs and now on the witness stand in a high-profile criminal trial.

Yet when asked by the prosecution how he felt about Combs, Paul didn’t have a quick and definitive response.

“It’s complicated,” he said.

Paul was allowed to leave the witness stand moments later.

Homeland Security Investigations special agent takes the stand

Special Agent Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations is now on the stand.

Ventura text said Combs was about ‘possession’ and ‘not love’

In a text message from Ventura to Combs on May 2, 2017, the former girlfriend said she didn’t deserve to be beaten by him.

“That’s not love, that’s possession,” Ventura wrote to him, in apparent reference to the infamous 2016 videotaped beating.

She told him that “as soon as you get f—– up you drag me down the hall by my hair.”

Combs text says Ventura wasn’t being grateful

Despite the brutal beating Combs inflicted on Ventura, the defendant still chastised her for not being grateful to him.

In that May 2, 2017, text, Combs told Ventura that “everyone else sees you acting like a b—-.”

 “If I did that for another girl she would’ve been so nice and happy,” Combs wrote, adding that “wish I didn’t waste my time and energy” on her.

That same day, Ventura appealed to Combs’ chief of staff, Khorram, for help: “Sure you don’t want to get involved but no one deserves to get dragged by their hair.”

The government entered these text messages into evidence in its ongoing bid to show how Combs allegedly had total control of his company and those around him to get whatever he wanted.

Prosecutor enters Ventura text messages about loving ‘freak offs’

Before the prosecution’s HSI agent took the stand, the defense entered a March 18, 2017 text message from Ventura into evidence.

“I love our FO’s, when we both want it,” she wrote.

The defense has taken every opportunity to show some element of dual consent when it comes to Combs and his girlfriends having sex.

Paul’s attorney says he was ‘never a drug mule’

Paul’s attorney issued a statement after Paul took the stand today saying his “testimony was crystal clear — he was never a ‘drug mule’ for Diddy or anyone else.”

“He was subpoenaed to come to court and tell the truth, which he did — word for word. Now that Brendan has finally had the opportunity to tell the full story about his employment, we are hopeful that the last 15 months of defamatory statements about him will cease,” said attorney Brian Bieber.

Combs checked out of Florida, California hotels with major damage

The defendant checked out of a Bal Harbour resort on Dec. 6, 2021 with $6,000 bill for damages, according to records shown in court.

He also left the London Hotel West Hollywood, where he stayed from Jan. 20-23, 2023, after doing $3,750 worth of damage, records showed. Those damages included fluid stains on wood floor, linens and other areas of the room.

Combs regularly checked out of hotels with four-digits worth of damage to rooms, earlier testimony has shown.

Judge sends jury home for the weekend

Testimony ended early today so that a juror could attend a graduation ceremony.

Judge Arun Subramanian again reminded the panel not to discuss this case with anyone or read anything about it.

Trial racing to the end

The defense hinted that its case could be shorter than anticipated, with its witness list possibly completed by Wednesday.

If the government rests on Monday as expected, Combs’ attorneys might be able to present their entire case on Tuesday and Wednesday, defense lawyer Brian Steel told the court.

This could potentially set the stage for closing arguments on Thursday, Judge Arun Subramanian said.

S: NBC News