A woman’s piercing screams at Sean “Diddy” Combs disrupted the Manhattan federal courtroom on Day 15 of his sex trafficking and racketeering trial, setting a volatile tone for a day of damning testimony. The unidentified woman, a known Diddy supporter often seen chanting “Free Diddy” outside the courthouse, shouted, “Diddy, they’re coming after you!” and “It’s not a f***ing game!” before Judge Arun Subramanian ordered court security officers to forcibly remove her. Having watched proceedings from an overflow room, she had previously been warned for similar outbursts, highlighting the intense emotions surrounding the case.
Now in its fourth week, the trial took a critical turn with testimony from Eddy Garcia, a former security officer at Los Angeles’ InterContinental Hotel, who detailed a 2016 incident captured on surveillance footage. The video, previously shown to the jury, depicted Diddy brutally assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, by kicking, punching, and dragging her in a hotel hallway.
Garcia, who invoked his Fifth Amendment right on Monday but testified under an immunity agreement, said he initially didn’t recognize Diddy or Cassie in the footage. He told prosecutors that law enforcement was not called because Cassie “did not request it,” a decision that sparked murmurs in the courtroom. This incident has been a key part of the trial, with revelations about the shocking LA hotel security email shakes day 2 of Cassie’s testimony and recent CNN footage also surfacing.
Garcia’s testimony revealed a calculated effort to suppress the incriminating video. He described receiving multiple calls from Diddy’s chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, who claimed Diddy was intoxicated during the assault and demanded the footage. Garcia refused, stating she needed to “talk to management or file a subpoena.” Khorram then put Diddy on the phone, and Garcia testified that the mogul sounded “nervous,” speaking quickly and stuttering. Diddy admitted the video could “ruin his career” and offered to “take care of” Garcia if he secured it, which Garcia interpreted as a financial incentive.
In a clandestine meeting at a high-rise hotel, Garcia handed Diddy a USB drive containing the video in exchange for $100,000 in cash, delivered in a brown paper bag. Diddy required Garcia to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA), which stipulated a $1 million penalty for any breach. The NDA, presented to the jury, was read aloud, stating: “Recipient agrees to pay Company the sum of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) as liquidated damages in the event of a breach of this Agreement.” Garcia admitted he signed it without reading it and believed the USB contained the only copy, though he wasn’t certain. He later split the money, giving $50,000 to his supervisor, Bill Medrano, and $20,000 to security officer Henry Elias. Garcia used his $30,000 share to buy a used car in cash, avoiding bank deposits and tax reporting. This follows earlier reports of Cassie’s $10M deal with InterContinental Hotel before the trial.
Garcia further testified that Diddy requested identification from Garcia, Medrano, and the responding security guard, Israel Florez. Garcia sent photos of their IDs to Diddy via text, with records showing 24 contacts, including entries labeled “Eddy My Angel” and “Eddy My Angel friend Inter-Continental.” He also recounted a call where Diddy instructed Cassie to say she wanted the video to “go away” to avoid bad publicity during a movie release. Garcia’s supervisor, Medrano, allegedly agreed to provide the video for “fifty,” which Garcia believed meant $50,000, though this exchange was not completed.
The prosecution then called Derek Ferguson, Diddy’s former CFO from 1998 to 2017, to unpack the mogul’s financial dealings. Ferguson testified that he managed Diddy’s personal and business finances, including Citibank, HSBC, and Signature Bank accounts. He confirmed Diddy’s use of an American Express card for both personal and professional expenses, with companies footing the bill.
Ferguson detailed Diddy’s ownership of Bad Boy Productions and partnerships with Arista, Warner, and Diageo for Ciroc vodka, noting their profitability. He also testified about properties in the Hamptons, New York, Miami, and Alpine, New Jersey, held in LLCs like 207 Anderson LLC for anonymity, liability protection, and tax benefits. This testimony comes after explosive Cassie cross-examination and other key moments in the trial, including Day 12 and Day 13.
Ferguson revealed specific transactions, including a $20,000 transfer to Cassie Ventura and another to her mother, Roderick Ventura, in December 2011. He described internal transfers of $190,000, $575,000, and $100,000, typically authorized by the comptroller, though he couldn’t recall specifics. Ferguson also managed petty cash accounts and cash advances for staff without credit cards, but he denied knowledge of Diddy’s security team carrying cash for him. He noted supporting others from Diddy’s personal earnings and overseeing accounts like Janice Combs Music Inc., which licensed Diddy’s name and likeness. This trial has also seen random celebrity names surface and discussions around how high heels from a raid could help convict Diddy.
Under cross-examination by Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, Ferguson, a Harvard MBA graduate from the Bronx, emphasized the structured nature of Diddy’s businesses. He explained that Arista’s 50% ownership of Bad Boy Records limited Diddy’s autonomy, countering narratives of unchecked control. Ferguson’s tenure ended in 2012 when he became chief growth officer at Revolt Media and TV, after which his direct communication with Diddy dwindled, though Diddy texted him in 2024. Attorney Nicole Westmoreland also joined Diddy’s legal team.
The defense, led by Jason Driscoll, objected to some evidence as hearsay, but Judge Arun Subramanian overruled, allowing a compilation video and other materials to be presented. The prosecution plans to call another witness, referred to as “Jane,” for two days of cross-examination starting late tomorrow, indicating the trial’s intensity will only escalate.
