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Live updates: Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial continues after Cassie Ventura's testimony | CNN

Published 1 day ago9 minute read

Live Updates

Sean "Diddy" Combs watches as his former girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura testifies at his sex trafficking trial in New York City, New York, U.S., May 13, 2025 in this courtroom sketch. REUTERS/Jane

Diddy Trial: How the "Racketeering Conspiracy" charge could play out

07:16 - Source: CNN

Diddy Trial: How the "Racketeering Conspiracy" charge could play out

07:16

• The jury has been dismissed for the day in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex-trafficking trial. When court resumes tomorrow, George Kaplan, a former assistant to Combs, will continue testifying.

• Kid Cudi — the rapper who had a brief relationship with Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend — is expected to testify after Kaplan. Ventura, who is the prosecution’s star witness, testified last week that she endured physical and sexual abuse from Combs and detailed how he orchestrated drug-fueled sex performances called “Freak Offs.”

• Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison.

: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Kid Cudi attends the premiere of "Knuckles" on April 16, 2024, in London, England.

Prosecutors plan to call five witnesses after George Kaplan tomorrow.

Prosecutor Maurene Comey said she expects them to be relatively short witnesses and signaled that they could finish the day early.

Kid Cudi — the rapper who had a brief relationship with Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend — is scheduled to testify after Kaplan tomorrow morning.

The jury was dismissed for the day. George Kaplan, a former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs, will continue testifying on direct examination Thursday at 9 a.m.

Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey said she has about 30 minutes of questioning left for Kaplan on direct examination.

George Kaplan, a former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs, recounted two times he said he picked up drugs on Combs’ behalf, once in Miami and once Los Angeles.

He said both times, Combs gave Kaplan cash and a number to call, and then Kaplan arranged to pick up the drugs.

One time, he picked up MDMA, and the other time he didn’t know what substance it was, he testified.

Former Sean “Diddy” Combs executive assistant George Kaplan continues to talk about his role in setting up, and cleaning, Combs’ hotel rooms.

The rooms usually were reserved under the name “Frank Black,” which was a reference to the late rapper and Bad Boy Records artist Notorious B.I.G., who had a nickname of “Frank White,” Kaplan testified.

Kaplan’s understanding was that Combs would have guests or a female partner join him in the hotel rooms, Kaplan said.

After Combs would leave a hotel room, Kaplan would enter and pack up Combs’ belongings and tidy the place up, Kaplan testified.

Kaplan said he came to understand part of his role was protecting Combs’ image. “Protecting him and protecting his public image was very important and that was something I was very keen on doing,” he said.

Typically there’d be Gatorade bottles, liquor bottles and baby oil strewn around the hotel room after Combs left, Kaplan said.

On one occasion he cleaned up a “brown crystallized powder” off a countertop, Kaplan testified. Kaplan didn’t know what it was, but cleaned it up just in case, he said.

George Kaplan, a former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs, traveled to various destinations with Combs, including New York, Miami, Atlanta, DC, and Orlando.

He would either fly on Combs’ private jet with him or fly in advance on a commercial flight to ensure that Combs’ lodgings were “set up properly.”

Kaplan testified that the first time he was told to set up a hotel room for Combs, he was given a bag and told to unpack it. The bag had clothes, a speaker, candles, liquor, baby oil, and lubricant in it, he said.

After that first time, he said he would often buy the same supplies with his corporate credit card. He said Combs or Kristina Korram, Combs’ former chief of staff, would usually instruct him to set up a hotel room.

George Kaplan, a former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs, testified that his former boss threatened his job almost monthly.

Combs would remark that he wanted to be surrounded by the best and “those around him at the time were not performing at that level,” Kaplan recalled. Sometimes, Combs was angry and other times motivational when he said it, Kaplan said.

During Kaplan’s first week of working for Combs, he assigned Kaplan to find a one-gallon BPA-free water bottle at Whole Foods. The store didn’t have it, so he brought back two half-gallon bottles instead.

Combs angrily told Kaplan he did not bring him what he asked for.

“He was very close to my face,” Kaplan said.

George Kaplan, a former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs, communicated with Combs daily, exchanging texts, calls, and emails multiple times a day about things he needed, which could include “clothing or potentially food from somewhere or drugs or liquor or an iPad or a speaker.”

Sean “Diddy” Combs hired a licensed security group in the second half of 2015, his former executive assistant George Kaplan testified.

This group was more professional and more polished than Combs’ former longtime security guards, and seemed to have a lot of “real-time training,” Kaplan said.

George Kaplan started at Combs Enterprises in 2013 as an executive assistant to the Chief Operating Officer.

About 10 months later, he was promoted to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ executive assistant. He reported to Kristina Korram, Combs’ former chief of staff, who he said essentially ran his life.

George Kaplan, a former assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs, said his day would typically start around 9:30 a.m., and he would make sure the chef and housekeeping staff were ready for the day.

He said he would also make sure Combs’ bathroom was set up with his toiletries and medications.

The earliest he could ever remember finishing a day was around 5 or 6 p.m., and the latest he could ever remember was around 7 a.m., Kaplan said.

He said typically worked 80 to 100 hours a week and was paid about $125,000.

George Kaplan arrives at Manhattan federal court on Wednesday.

George Kaplan, a former executive assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs, is now taking the stand. He is the 12th witness called by the prosecution.

Kaplan had received a subpoena to appear. Earlier today, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right to not testify on the grounds of potential self incrimination. But Judge Arun Subramanian signed an immunity order that requires Kaplan to testify.

Psychologist Dawn Hughes has finished her testimony, and she’s now off the stand.

In her final question on redirect, Assistant US Attorney Mitzi Steiner confirmed that psychologist Dawn Hughes has been retained as an expert witness by one of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense attorneys in another case.

On recross-examination, defense attorney Jonathan Bach confirmed that Hughes had worked with defense attorney Brian Steel in the past, but she didn’t testify as a trial witness in Steel’s case.

Defense attorney Jonathan Bach has finished cross-examining psychologist Dawn Hughes.

Assistant US Attorney Mitzi Steiner is back up for a redirect examination of Hughes.

On redirect, Steiner confirmed with Hughes that the psychologist evaluated only court filings that were related to her testimony, and any filings she reviewed were redacted so that she couldn’t read any facts of the case.

Defense attorneys and prosecutors have been having a couple lengthy side bars over defense attorney Jonathan Bach’s cross-examination of psychologist Dawn Hughes.

Bach asked her about six meetings she had with prosecutors concerning her testimony, some of which have been since the trial started.

Hughes has maintained that prosecutors have not discussed specifics of the case with her.

Psychologist Dawn Hughes confirmed that she’s never testified in the defense of a man accused of a sex crime. “I don’t evaluate offenders,” she said.

With Judge Arun Subramanian having ruled that he can do so, defense attorney Jonathan Bach is now asking psychologist Dawn Hughes about training she gave to domestic-abuse victim advocates who may need to testify in court.

When asked, Hughes said she believes the group she was speaking to received a grant from the Department of Justice under the Violence Against Women Act.

Psychologist Dawn Hughes and the jury are returning now to continue the proceedings.

Defense attorney Jonathan Bach says psychologist Dawn Hughes is someone who makes most of her money as a professional witness and comes to the stand with a certain “perspective.”

He said it’s very relevant to the defense, telling the court that expert witnesses are very “dangerous” because they come in with “an aura of authority.”

Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey said a document of bullet points from the presentation shouldn’t be shown to the jury because it could be confusing and cause a sideshow.

Judge Arun Subramanian said the document won’t come in, but Bach can ask Hughes more about the training she gave. “The document, now that I’m looking at it, doesn’t say really anything about anything.”

The defense team wants to ask expert witness Dawn Hughes about a webinar presentation she gave in 2015 about preparing for court testimony.

The prosecution said they don’t believe the presentation shows any evidence of potential bias from her.

Defense attorney Jonathan Bach said the webinar was training for advocates of domestic abuse victims.

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