Diddy trial recap: Kid Cudi set to testify after Combs’s ex-assistant recounted cleaning up baby oil in hotel rooms
Rapper Kid Cudi, who dated Cassie Ventura in 2011, is set to testify on Thursday in Sean Combs’s sex trafficking trial
Sean “Diddy” Combs’s ex-assistant George Kaplan testified today in the music mogul’s New York sex trafficking trial.
After Diddy's hotel room stays — which could span from 12 hours to days — Kaplan said he was asked to grab the rapper's belongings from the room and ensure it was in a "polished state." This usually included picking up empty bottles of Gatorade, liquor and baby oil, he testified.
It was "implied" that he was asked to complete this task to "protect Mr. Combs," because hotels would frequently sell videos and images of celebrities to embarrass them, Kaplan said.
Rapper Kid Cudi, who dated Cassie Ventura in 2011, is expected to take the stand Thursday.
Earlier today, forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes testified as an expert witness on sexual abuse. Homeland Security Investigations special agent Gerard Gannon also testified about the 2024 raid on Combs’s 20,000-square-foot Miami home. He said agents found AR-15 rifle parts, a handgun, 25 bottles of baby oil and MDMA on the property.
Combs is facing sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy charges. Combs was arrested in September 2024 as federal authorities alleged he threatened, abused, and coerced victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024. Combs has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
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Diddy had a 'guard shack' inside guesthouse, agent testifies
Sean “Diddy” Combs had a “guard shack” inside the guesthouse on his property, special agent Gerard Gannon testified.
Inside, agents found a loaded handgun, Gannon said. Yesterday, Gannon said agents also found AR-15 rifle parts inside Combs’s bedroom closet.
Music producer and five others inside Florida mansion when search began, special agent says
Special agent Gerard Gannon said six people, including an unnamed music producer and a property manager, were inside Sean “Diddy” Combs’s mansion when the 2024 raid began.
Agents searched them and did not find any weapons or paraphernalia.
Defense questions special agent on AR-15 parts
The defense questioned special agent Gerard Gannon about the AR-15 rifle parts investigators found in Sean “Diddy” Combs’s home.
Gannon confirmed the rifles were dismantled and therefore inoperable when they were found.
Forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes takes the stand
Prosecutors have called forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes to the stand.
Hughes specializes in “interpersonal violence” and “traumatic stress,” according to her website.
She has testified in several high-profile trials, including the defamation case between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in 2022.
What can Dawn Hughes testify about today?
Forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes is now on the stand.
Hughes is expected to testify generally about why victims remain in abusive relationships, how victims cope in these relationships and how trauma affects memory, according to CNN.
Judge Arun Subramanian previously told prosecutors she can’t testify about the credibility of accusers in this case, or the topic of coercive control.
Hughes has testified in about 60 trials over her career, she told the jury today.
Dawn Hughes says victims often stay in abusive relationships
Forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes is testifying generally about abusive relationships and how trauma affects memory.
Hughes is a “blind witness” and has not evaluated or interviewed anyone involved in the case.
She told the jury that it is common for victims to stay in abusive relationships. Abusers often use methods beyond physical violence to make victims feel they can’t leave, she added.
“It’s about the power and control that the abuser has over the victim,” Hughes testified.
Dawn Hughes testifies about sexual abuse and trauma bonds
Dawn Hughes, a forensic psychologist who has not treated or interviewed anyone in the case, is explaining sexual abuse and trauma bonds to the jury.
Hughes called sexual abuse a “private harm.”
“They experience a tremendous amount of shame, humiliation, degradation,” she testified. “They don’t want to talk about it. They don’t even want to think about it in their own brain.”
Hughes explained that abuse victims often have a “trauma bond” with their partner, which is an attachment that forms despite violence and abuse.
Abusive relationships tend to have loving and kind moments, too, Hughes said.
“The victim wants that, they want that back. So when that is shown to the victim, that’s very reinforcing,” she testified.
A lack of financial independence can also keep victims trapped in abusive relationships, she added.
Forensic psychologist says it can take 'months' or 'years' for victims to disclose abuse
Forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes said it’s common for victims to wait “months, even years” before disclosing abuse.
They’re more likely to disclose the abuse if it comes from a stranger rather than a partner, she testified.
Forensic psychologists explains why victims may have trouble remembering all the details of their abuse
Forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes told the jury that many victims have trouble remembering all the details of their abuse, according to CNN.
That’s because trauma impacts memory, she explained. Victims will usually remember the “core gist” of traumatic events, but the details may be unclear.
“That’s a very unique thing for each person and each situation they’re in,” she explained.
Hughes added that abuse can become routine for many victims, which makes it stand out less in their memory.
Hughes said victims often say something along the lines of: “I know I got punched a bunch of times, but can’t tell you when that was.”