The Sean “Diddy” Combs trial took a dramatic turn on June 4, 2025, as a former hotel security officer delivered jaw-dropping testimony, claiming the music mogul paid $100,000 in cash to suppress a 2016 surveillance video showing him brutally assaulting his then-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Day 16 of the U.S. v. Sean Combs trial in the Southern District of New York crackled with intensity, unveiling allegations of obstruction, extortion, and a chilling pattern of control that has kept spectators on edge. As the prosecution builds its racketeering and sex-trafficking case, the courtroom revelations painted a troubling portrait of Combs’ inner circle and the lengths they allegedly went to protect his image.
The day’s most shocking moment came from Eddie Garcia, a former security officer at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, where the 2016 assault allegedly occurred. Testifying under immunity, Garcia recounted a clandestine meeting with Combs and his associate, Christina Coram, in a Los Angeles condo.
“I was handed a brown paper bag with $100,000 in cash,”
Garcia told the jury, his voice steady but heavy with the weight of his admission.
“They wanted the video gone.”
The video in question, which prosecutors played in court, shows Combs striking, kicking, and dragging Ventura in a hotel hallway, a brutal scene that has become a cornerstone of the government’s case. This comes just days after the shocking revelation that high heels from a raid could help convict Diddy.
Q: What did Combs and Coram say when they gave you the money?
Garcia: They didn’t say much. It was clear what they wanted. Combs said, ‘Make it disappear,’ and Coram nodded. I knew it was about the footage from the hotel.
Q: Why did you need immunity to testify?
Garcia: I was involved in something that could be seen as illegal. I didn’t want to risk prosecution for helping cover it up.
Prosecutors are framing this payment as obstruction of justice, a key predicate in the racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs. The defense, led by attorney Teny Geragos, countered that the payment was meant to protect both Combs and Ventura from public embarrassment, not to thwart law enforcement.
“There was no active investigation in 2016,”
Geragos argued.
“This was about privacy, not obstruction.”
The jury, however, appeared riveted by Garcia’s account, scribbling notes as he detailed the cash exchange. This testimony also brings to mind the earlier revelations that Cassie’s $10M deal with the Intercontinental Hotel shocked fans days before the trial.
The courtroom drama didn’t stop there. Derek Ferguson, the former chief financial officer of Combs’ sprawling business empire, took the stand to reveal a murky financial transaction tied to Combs’ Alpine, New Jersey mansion. Ferguson testified about a $20,000 payment to Rodrick Ventura, Cassie’s father, followed by an identical sum returned to Combs. The prosecution alleges this was part of an extortion scheme, with Combs demanding the money in 2011 while threatening to release explicit tapes of Cassie. This follows other surprising developments, including how Mike Myers was linked to the CIA in the Diddy trial and how random celebrity names surfaced during Diddy’s trial proceedings.
Q: What was the purpose of the $20,000 payment to Rodrick Ventura?
Ferguson: It was logged as a personal transaction, but I later learned it was tied to a dispute with Cassie’s family. Combs called it a ‘loan,’ but it felt more like leverage.
Q: And the return of the $20,000?
Ferguson: It came back quickly, within days. It was unusual, like it was meant to send a message.
Prosecutors described this as one of the “mean-spirited” acts in Combs’ alleged pattern of coercion, accusing him of exploiting Cassie’s family for control. The defense, however, portrayed the transaction as a misunderstanding, with Combs’ attorney Alexandra Shapiro noting that the money was returned, suggesting no harm was done.
“This was a personal matter, not a crime,”
Shapiro told the court.
The prosecution bolstered its case with testimony from Frank Piazza, a forensic video analyst who examined the 2016 hotel surveillance footage. Piazza, qualified as an expert after testifying in over 50 cases, confirmed the video’s authenticity, despite technical issues like a mismatched frame rate.
“The footage is accurate,”
Piazza stated.
“It shows a male figure, identified as Mr. Combs, striking and dragging a female in the hallway.”
The courtroom fell silent as the video played, showing Combs in a towel, kicking Ventura on the ground, dragging her, and later throwing a vase in her direction.
Q: Were there any signs of tampering in the surveillance video?
Piazza: No. There were issues with the frame rate, 22 frames per second instead of 30, but we corrected for that. The events depicted are real.
Q: What about the cell phone video of the same incident?
Piazza: It was shot on an iPhone 6 at 30 frames per second and showed no signs of editing. It corroborates the surveillance footage.
The defense challenged Piazza on the video’s quality, pointing to “ghostlike” figures and time stamp discrepancies. “The system was cheap, wasn’t it?” Geragos pressed. Piazza admitted the hotel’s setup wasn’t top-tier but maintained the footage’s integrity. The exchange highlighted the defense’s strategy to cast doubt on the evidence, even as the video’s raw impact left jurors visibly shaken.
The day closed with the start of testimony from a witness identified only as “Jane,” a pseudonym to protect her identity. Her testimony, expected to span several days, promises to delve deeper into Combs’ alleged coercive control over women in his orbit. The prosecution also introduced Bryana Bongolan, a fashion designer and friend of Ventura’s, who recounted a terrifying encounter with Combs.
“He held me over a 17th-story balcony,”
Bongolan said, her voice trembling.
“I still have night terrors.”
Q: How would you describe Cassie’s relationship with Mr. Combs?
Bongolan: It was volatile. I saw her with a black eye once. She begged me to meet him, but I was hesitant because of what I’d seen.
Q: Did Combs ever provide you with drugs?
Bongolan: Yes. Ketamine, marijuana, cocaine, and something called ‘G.’ I got Oxy pills for Cassie, too. She paid me for them.
Bongolan’s testimony painted a picture of a controlling and volatile Combs, who once barged into Ventura’s home, threw a knife in her direction, and left only after she threw it back.
“I was scared to call the police,”
Bongolan admitted, echoing a recurring theme of fear among witnesses. This aligns with testimony from Diddy’s former assistant claiming LAPD let her go after a call with him during a traffic stop and an LAPD officer testifying in the Diddy trial about a 2011 incident at Kid Cudi’s home.
As the trial stretches into its third week, the case against Combs, who faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, continues to captivate. If convicted, he could face life in prison. The defense has fought vigorously, challenging witness credibility and the admissibility of evidence like explicit videos recovered from Ventura’s devices. Yet, the prosecution’s narrative of a powerful man using wealth and intimidation to silence victims is gaining traction, further detailed by ex-assistant Capricorn Clark’s testimony on abuse, drug use, and polygraph claims.
Courtesy: Inner City Press
