Woman Sneaks Into Court Screams “Diddy, They’re Coming After You!” & Tells Officers To Pull Out Guns

Speaker 1 Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc with an all-star ensemble cast for his most dangerous case yet.

Speaker 1 When young priest Judd Duplentisi is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it's clear that all is not well in the pews.

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Speaker 1 Bada bing, bada boop. I think the digital footprint associated with the Sean Combs case is massive.

Speaker 1 But also, while it's ongoing, there's new little tidbits, little nuggets that are being added to this massive collection of data on a daily basis.

Speaker 1 The Combs sons walk into the courtroom, and side note, I just thought this was kind of goofy, but Christian King Combs had Instagram storied, and it's him in the van with his brothers listening to music while they're headed to court.

Speaker 1 And in the, which is already kind of a crazy thing, but that's okay. In the corner of this Instagram story, however, are the words, one word, early and a bird emoji.
Early bird.

Speaker 1 Okay, I don't know if he's trying to say early bird gets the worm. I don't know what he's early for because he was very late to court.
They're pretty late to court almost every single day.

Speaker 1 So I don't know what the early bird is. Wait, so they show up like in the middle? Yeah, sometimes the witness is already testifying and they'll show up.
Oh.

Speaker 1 So I'm not entirely sure what the bird was for, but nevertheless, nobody in the courtroom is thinking about that because there have just been too many crazy things.

Speaker 1 This feels like the least of everybody's worries. Another morning, more recently, another disturbance takes place inside the courtroom.

Speaker 1 And I feel like I was telling you guys, a lot of strange things have been happening in the courthouse. And this, this is just another one of them.
Okay. So every single day, Diddy has four U.S.

Speaker 1 marshals that sit around him watching his every single move.

Speaker 1 Before Before he even gets into the courtroom, the marshal that we've nicknamed Messi because he is truly like the spitting image of Messi, the soccer player,

Speaker 1 he goes in and he sweeps his hand all through Diddy's chair.

Speaker 1 It's like one of those wooden leather cushioned chairs with armrests, nothing special, but he will lift it up, scope it out under, he'll touch all the legs, he'll push on the cushion, he'll swipe the cushion with his hands on all sides.

Speaker 1 He's looking for hidden contraband, weapons, anything abnormal, and they they never find anything, of course. But they've also never really

Speaker 1 put their hands on Diddy until that day. So sure, the marshals, they might give him like a fist bump or two, depending on the mood that Diddy's in.

Speaker 1 Sometimes Diddy will even hand Messi a post-it note and a few nods will be exchanged. I think he's probably asking for the bathroom or something.
Diddy is escorted in on this particular day.

Speaker 1 The judge then comes out and sits on the bench. Everybody instinctively stands.
Judge Arun, Father Arun, humble, he says, please be seated. I don't think he likes when people stand for him.

Speaker 1 I think it's a thing that you have to do. And I think he's accepted it's part of the process, but he preferably doesn't like it.
Like with his energy.

Speaker 1 He's always like, please be seated. Unless you'd like to stand.
Yeah. I think it's just very formal and he just wants to get straight into business.
So he's already into it.

Speaker 1 Let's start with GX10C 114. It's 8.30.
Usually it's about 30 minutes before the jurors are escorted in. So the prosecutors and the defense, this is when they argue.

Speaker 1 This is like when the lawyer Olympics come out and they're arguing their case, they're pleading their case, and the judge is like, I'm sick of every single person in this room.

Speaker 1 When all of a sudden, as they're discussing all of this, you just hear screaming, it's not fair, Diddy. They're making fun of you in every courtroom.

Speaker 1 A woman is standing up and yelling from the last pew of the public section at everyone in the courtroom, the prosecutors, the defense, all the clerks in the bullpen, they rubberneck.

Speaker 1 They're like 180 degrees. They whip their neck around to the back of the gallery where the yelling is coming from.
Everyone except Diddy's marshals. They're on their feet, shot up out of their seats.

Speaker 1 They're putting their bodies between Diddy, who's also turned around in his chair, staring at this woman. And they're just trying to block him.

Speaker 1 I don't think they're necessarily protecting him because Messi does have his hand on Diddy's shoulder. As I'm like, don't try to get up.
Don't try to do anything. Like no swift movements.

Speaker 1 At this point, there are now three courtroom officers in uniform with badges, with bulletproof vests. All of them are retired NYPD.

Speaker 1 So the court officers, they wear like the bulletproof vests and everything. Officer Riz, yes.

Speaker 1 Is Officer Riz? Oh, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah. So the marshals, on the contrary, they're always in suits.
Oh. They're in like fitted suits and they're pretty, pretty in shape, okay?

Speaker 1 Not that the court officers are not, but like they have different attire. And I think

Speaker 1 I think the vests are a lot more intense, for sure. Right.
They're next to this woman.

Speaker 1 and when she first stood up and started yelling, I think, you know, I think Officer Riz, his main thing is everybody's here for a reason, and he tries to keep it as peaceful as possible.

Speaker 1 So I think that they could have been more forceful with her, but they're trying to de-escalate the situation with the least amount of resistance that is already being caused.

Speaker 1 But this woman has decided, no, maybe they're being too soft because that's what she's thinking, not me. But she has now upgraded to profanity.

Speaker 1 She has planted her feet in the middle aisle, and her body weight is leaning back away from the three officers who are trying to now grab at her because now she's escalating it.

Speaker 1 They were trying to be polite. They were trying to be like, okay, let's get out of the courtroom.

Speaker 1 Even a few journalists who were sitting close to her got up and moved because it's starting to feel a little dangerous, like a little, a little stressful, especially because she starts screaming, take out your gun, take out your gun.

Speaker 1 Wait, so she went straight from, what did she say beginning? She said they're making fun of you. This is unfair.
To Diddy, right? Yeah.

Speaker 1 And he goes straight to take all your guns? Yeah. The marshal has a hand on Diddy's shoulder just to make sure nothing happens.

Speaker 1 She's yelling this at the uniformed officers that are now like, okay, we should probably escalate. Judge Arun, who has never once addressed the gallery.
Like, never.

Speaker 1 Okay, so defense attorney, sometimes they'll walk in, they'll scan over the pews, see who's all here.

Speaker 1 Sometimes they'll even make small talk, like they'll open the bathroom door for you, and they're kind. The prosecutors, same thing.
Judge Arun, like, we don't exist to him at all.

Speaker 1 Anyone that's not the attorney, the defendants, or the jurors, or the witnesses, we do not exist. I mean, he'll talk to the court staff, he'll talk to the court officers and the U.S.

Speaker 1 Marshals, but everybody else, the public, the press, Diddy's friends and family, we don't exist.

Speaker 1 There has never even been a look over the pews. There has been nothing.
This is the very first time. He looks into the gallery, past everybody.
Please escort her out of this courtroom now.

Speaker 1 and his voice is clear it is firm there is no panic there's nothing he's like actually staring daggers at the gallery he's like staring at this woman like you guys need to get this woman out of my courtroom

Speaker 1 so the officers escort her out and then judge arun instantly goes back to business That's it. And she walked out.
She walked out. She did a few interviews outside.

Speaker 1 It seems, you know, I have a whole backstory, okay? But it appears that in the interview, she's saying that it's unfair that they are smearing a black man's legacy and that they're doing this.

Speaker 1 And she's saying he's perfection. Diddy is perfection.
This is a black man's legacy that people are laughing at. It appears that she was perhaps in the overflow rooms for the whole trial.

Speaker 1 This is the first time we've seen her in the actual courtroom, but I have seen her since like the first day.

Speaker 1 Now.

Speaker 1 I'm sure in the overflow rooms, they're making more comments. Because the overflow rooms, it's a TV, it's a screen, there's no judge.
They have court officers in there, but it's not disruptive.

Speaker 1 If you talk in there, the jurors don't hear it. It's not as intense in terms of court rules.

Speaker 1 So I have heard from other members of the press, like sometimes they prefer the overflow rooms because if they can't hear something, they can literally, hey, did you get what they just said?

Speaker 1 Whereas in the main courtroom, you cannot speak. So I've heard some of that.
So maybe she's heard people giggling in the overflow rooms. Maybe they have been making comments about the defendant.

Speaker 1 I'm not entirely sure but she's saying that they're making fun of you they're smearing a black man's legacy now these have now gone viral on tiktok these little interviews and people are commenting it's not about race some people are saying oh okay so he's perfection but like what about sa what about domestic violence and what's so interesting is side note there is a sketch about her The sketch artist?

Speaker 1 Like instantly as this is happening, you just hear like frantic, you know how I tell you when they get really excited, it's like shh, you just hear the noise of the sketch. Yeah, they sketched her.

Speaker 1 Now, I will say, when she was in the main courtroom, she had a scarf around her head, not for religious reasons, but because she's actually not allowed in the courtroom, apparently.

Speaker 1 She was trying to conceal her identity and made it to the 26th floor into the courtroom. And now, Diddy was all the way leaned to the side.

Speaker 1 His family has not arrived yet, and he just seemed intrigued by this woman. And so were we, because we saw this woman on the very first day, like this is during jury selection.
And I recall this.

Speaker 1 We see her outside of the courthouse as we're lining up to go into jury selection days to get into the courthouse. And she is wearing a uniform.
It's an MTA uniform for the transit system in New York.

Speaker 1 Now, another reporter starts talking to her and asking her questions about, like, what are you doing here? Because you're not part of the press.

Speaker 1 So, like, what made you want to spend your day in the courthouse listening to this specific case? And it's jury selection. Like, we're not even in opening statements.
Like what's the reason?

Speaker 1 Like you must have a very strong reason. Do you know anyone that's involved in the case?

Speaker 1 And she was explaining that she also had very tough life experiences and she can relate to some of the people in this case.

Speaker 1 And she's hinting at the fact that she has maybe perhaps lived through domestic violence.

Speaker 1 And so I actually thought it was this moment of, oh, wow, this is a very interesting moment where people are coming out, not even because they know the people or the victims involved or the witnesses involved.

Speaker 1 They

Speaker 1 support people who have gone through similar things

Speaker 1 because, yes, he's innocent until proven guilty. However, the domestic violence is on video.
It's pretty hard to say anything, right?

Speaker 1 I thought she was here to support the victims and take a stance against domestic violence. And then I didn't see her around.

Speaker 1 I mean, I kind of saw her here and there, but like the feeling was the very first day I heard her share her story, like it was that feeling consistently.

Speaker 1 And then, as the weeks go by, recently, a few days ago, she was causing a bit of a ruckus outside on the line so when we got separated into public and press she was all i heard was something about youtubers and gene deal because there's a lot of content creators in the public side and so she's mainly interacting with them and i think she was like getting into a fight with a content creator i'm not entirely sure i tried to stay out of it i literally went oh And then I looked away because I'm like, okay, I need to stay in my own length.

Speaker 1 You say there's always something going on. There's always a fight.
There's always a fight. And it's multiple Multiple fights going on at the same time.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I will say, like, to the people in the public line that are standing in that line, just so that they can get the good coverage, so that they can get in the courtroom without any problems.

Speaker 1 I have so much respect for them because that public line.

Speaker 1 I saw a comment that was like, it's like the Fortnite lobby.

Speaker 1 It feels like that. I mean, the main line feels like that, but then once they split it up into public and press, it's like usually a lot of commotion in the public line.

Speaker 1 And so people who are going through the public line just to be able to sit in on this trial, I don't know how they're doing it. It's so intense.
There's always a fight.

Speaker 1 I don't know what happened because the first few times I've seen her, she seemed so pleasant. And then, all of a sudden, it's just very different.
I'm just very confused.

Speaker 1 And so, all the press and the public, they want to know, does Diddy know her? Because there have been rumors swirling around that perhaps Diddy is,

Speaker 1 I mean, these are some darker rumors that perhaps Diddy is trying to buy witnesses, buy jurors, maybe even by Diddy supporters to infiltrate not only the public, but also maybe the press.

Speaker 1 So there's been all these rumors swirling around. I don't know what he would get out of this incident, though.
Yeah, so you don't know if Diddy was involved.

Speaker 1 If I had to take like my most cynical, because I mean, I do enjoy being conspiratorial at times, but like if I had to be the most reasonable, I don't think that he played any role in this.

Speaker 1 But I do think

Speaker 1 this trial is bringing out a lot of interesting people. And I'm just so confused.

Speaker 1 The only thing that confuses me and a few other members of the press is her attitude shift throughout the weeks is so drastic. We're just confused by it.
What are your thoughts?

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Speaker 1 A few disclaimers before we get started: there are mentions of physical assault as well as essay. Many of the quotes and statements included have been shortened and condensed for brevity.

Speaker 1 To cover ourselves legally, you guys know the drill. Sean Combs is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and that has yet to occur at the time of this episode's release.

Speaker 1 So the burden of proof lies within the government. Any descriptions or observations regarding Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs' legal team, the court, and or the public during the trial were personally noted by myself or my other two researchers who are present in the main courtroom.

Speaker 1 They should not be used as definitive source to determine guilt or innocence. So, with that being said, let's get started.
I think Michael B.

Speaker 1 Jordan just wants one day without reading about him being mentioned in Sean Comb's criminal trial. I think that would literally make Michael B.
Jordan's entire week.

Speaker 1 Cassie's best friend and former stylist, he takes the stand. And he is asked about Michael B.
Jordan by Diddy's attorney, Xavier Donaldson.

Speaker 1 Because remember, while Cassie was in South Africa shooting a movie, she starts talking to Michael B. Jordan.

Speaker 1 And because of that, his name has come up so many times during the entirety of this trial, and it's still ongoing. Donaldson asks Cassie's best friend, Cassie was in South Africa, right? Correct.

Speaker 1 And she was doing, what was she doing in South Africa? Shooting a movie. And she was shooting this movie as she was still signed to Bad Boy, correct? Correct.
And what was the movie? Honey?

Speaker 1 And so, as an artist signed with Bad Boy, she was not only doing music, but she was also getting movie deals, correct? Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 She was able to do that sometimes. And it just seems like a very roundabout conversation.
So I mean, I guess, right? I'm asking yes or no. Mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 Was she able to do movies while she was an artist signed with Bad Boy? Sometimes, yes. In 2015, this is one of those times that she was allowed to do a movie, correct?

Speaker 1 Correct. And in order for her to be allowed to do that movie, mister Combs as the owner of Bad Boy had to sign off on that, correct? Correct.
So to button that, Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs signed off on a contract to allow Cassie to do a movie, correct?

Speaker 1 Correct. Mr.
Donaldson?

Speaker 1 The witness is saying, Mr. Donaldson? Asking a question.

Speaker 1 Yes, sir. Donaldson is now responding.
Yes, sir. Can you just drive it home? Because yes, I did hook her up with Michael B.
Jordan. I know where this is going.
But no, no, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 And it feels like the two of them just start bickering in front of

Speaker 1 the witness.

Speaker 1 He's like, no, no, no, no, no. While the entire courtroom is watching and wondering what the hell is happening right now.
So, Mr. Nash, you hooked her up with Michael B.
Jordan, right? Indeed.

Speaker 1 He's fine. She's fine.
I mean, why not?

Speaker 1 Some of the jurors start smirking. Others are turning to each other and they're mouthing,

Speaker 1 like they're literally doing that with their mouth. Even Brian Steele is sitting there there giggling with this goofy Boy Scout grin, as they say.
That's how they describe his smile.

Speaker 1 The only person not amused in the entirety of this is Sean Combs because he is not having a good day. First of all, Cassie's best friend is very likable on the stand.
He's won the jurors over.

Speaker 1 Everybody's giggling nonstop in the courtroom during his testimony. He is just laying it down.
He's not getting bullied by the defense. This is Deontay, right? Yeah, Deontay Nash.

Speaker 1 And on top of that, Sean Combs' move for a mistrial was just denied prior to all of this.

Speaker 1 Alexandra Shapiro is a very interesting attorney on Sean Combs' defense team. She was a clerk for Justice Ginsburg, similar to Judge Arun, but not at the same time, like I've mentioned.

Speaker 1 I don't think their paths have ever crossed. She was a prosecutor for the U.S.
Attorney's Office in SDNY, the same district that they're in right now, fighting for Sean Combs.

Speaker 1 She's worked in the criminal division for five years. Then she went on to join an international law firm to work on white-collar crime.
She low-key loves defending an alleged insider traitor.

Speaker 1 And I say that with fear coursing through my bones because these are very serious people who would probably eat me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Speaker 1 So the reason that she's on Sean Combs' team, though, is very interesting. She's actually known for her work in appeals.

Speaker 1 That's her main focus. She's even said in an interview: I usually get retained after somebody else lost the trial, but I do sometimes get involved at the trial level as well.

Speaker 1 She basically states: it is critical if a client has the resources, aka just money, if they have the money to have someone with appellate experience during the trial.

Speaker 1 She states, quote, one of the most frustrating things for me as an appellate lawyer is to find that something important wasn't preserved during the trial.

Speaker 1 It's totally understandable because trial lawyers are in the heat of the battle and focused on contesting the government's account of the facts.

Speaker 1 Which means her being added to this defense team, being present during the entirety of the trial, she's probably there just to focus on procedural compliance and and the application of the law as a whole.

Speaker 1 I don't even think she's there for the fact-finding of the actual case or jury persuasion, like the other trial attorneys.

Speaker 1 I mean, that might change as the trial ramps up, but I highly doubt it. It seems like she is here to make sure that the trial is running to the letter of the law.

Speaker 1 And if it's not, and if it's not running to the letter of the law in a way that benefits their client, then they need to swiftly take care of it.

Speaker 1 Of course, all in favor for Sean Combs. She's not the judge.
It's not like she's there just for the pure idea of making sure each trial is just and fair, legally speaking.

Speaker 1 She's there to make sure absolutely everything is in legal compliance so that if there is a verdict that is perhaps unfavorable, it is likely that she will start on the appeal, if not already, because who knows?

Speaker 1 So, usually, attorneys that focus on appeals, they really only enter the conversation after the verdict.

Speaker 1 But when you have that much money, hundreds of millions of dollars at your disposal, I mean, why not get her started right now?

Speaker 1 Basically, alexandra shapiro is there to consider all of these things which is likely why we don't see her doing cross-examinations her husband did come in and do a cross-examination he was recently retained yes and he recently did a cross-examination of dr hughes which is uh she's a forensic psychologist and i will say Nothing that notable came out of the actual testimony itself.

Speaker 1 The defense kept trying to get the whole testimony thrown out.

Speaker 1 The judge did not go for that. However, the cross-examination by Alexander Shapiro's husband was very intense.
He was kind of aggressive. Just, well, kind of, it's nice.
He was very aggressive.

Speaker 1 Very aggressive. And it wasn't well perceived.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it was not well perceived. It's like over-aggressive for what? Yeah, it's kind of...

Speaker 1 Like, I think it's similar to when Tenny Garrigos does a lot of the crosses on law enforcement. I think we get why there's aggression and we get why the defense,

Speaker 1 not the defendant, the defense team might be frustrated because, as attorneys, they have to protect their clients and they're thinking, this is overkill. You did too much on this.

Speaker 1 This is not maybe to the way that we've seen it before.

Speaker 1 I can get that there's passion that can come off as aggressive, but to someone sitting in the courtroom, it just feels like, why are we mad at people for just doing their jobs?

Speaker 1 Like, they don't even know your client like that.

Speaker 1 It's not personal. Why are you getting so angry?

Speaker 1 It just feels like, are we just angry at the world right now? Like, it's maybe not the best thing to show the jurors, is my opinion.

Speaker 1 Now, Alexandra Shapiro has not done a cross, and she always looks incredibly stressed. Like, she looks more overworked than anybody else on that team.

Speaker 1 Alexandra Shapiro, if I have to guess, and I thought about this all the time, because I have had a few bathroom run-ins with her where we're just like standing next to each other, washing our hands in the sink, and it's very uncomfortable.

Speaker 1 But, I mean, I'm sure she's obviously a very, very talented person and very scary in a good way. Like, she knows what she's doing, but she seems incredibly stressed all the time.

Speaker 1 She's not a small talker, and so the feeling that we get is that she seems like

Speaker 1 she specializes in appeals. She has great attention to detail.
Most attorneys that specialize in appeals do. I feel like she's the type that likes everything perfect.

Speaker 1 She likes her T's crossed, her I's dotted, and now there's so many hands in the pie. She just seems very

Speaker 1 wound up. I'm just giving, I'm setting the scene because you kind of have a boys club with Brian Steele, Xavier Donaldson, Diddy, and sometimes filibuster Mark Agnifilo will join the boys club.

Speaker 1 And then the other attorneys just do their own thing. And she just sits at that same table like, can we just please get it together? Like, that's her vibe.

Speaker 1 Like, can you guys not be giggle gaggling right now when there is very serious problems that we have to address? That's her energy.

Speaker 1 See, I do find this very interesting when you throw like seven, eight top lawyers together on a case, that dynamic must be crazy. Yeah.
So Mark, Mark and Tenny are the leads.

Speaker 1 They seem the most stressed out because they're overseeing probably all the other attorneys. Okay.

Speaker 1 Tenny is probably a little more stressed, perhaps from her pregnancy, and also perhaps because she's the one handling most of the evidence, it seems. So lots of back end stuff.

Speaker 1 Mark seems more like front end. I have no clue.
I don't know if this is true. Alexandra Shapiro, she seems very stressed.

Speaker 1 Brian Steele, Xavier Donaldson, Nicole Westmoreland, and Anna Esteveo, they do this thing where if they are doing a cross-examination that day, it's like the most stressful I've ever seen them.

Speaker 1 And then the next day when they're not doing any cross-examinations, they're giggle-gaggling. Brian Steele's falling asleep.

Speaker 1 Brian Steele will watch another defense attorney on his team make a mistake and he'll just be like, why'd you do that? I wouldn't have done that if I were you.

Speaker 1 Because I guess when you're the leads, you're in charge. Whereas they have their very specific roles and I'm sure they work really hard at their very specific roles, but it's very interesting.

Speaker 1 But Alexandra Shapiro, perhaps she's overseeing the whole thing. She seems very stressed.
Now, regardless, she stands up, reaches for the microphone. The jurors are out of the room.
When was this?

Speaker 1 This was like a

Speaker 1 midday. Oh, okay.
Jurors are out of the room. She's in front of the gallery, like the gallery.
We're all sitting there.

Speaker 1 And she states, Your Honor, respectfully, we are going to move for a mistrial at this time based on the prosecutorial misconduct that went into this.

Speaker 1 A mistrial, which means forget everything that just happened. And let's do it all over again from the beginning with new jurors, new jury selection, new everything.

Speaker 1 And this is like weeks into it, right?

Speaker 1 Yeah, this is weeks in and probably millions of taxpayer dollars dollars in, which is great for the defense because that means that they, I mean, to a degree, the defense knew what they were getting into before the trial.

Speaker 1 Like they kind of have an idea based off the charges, based off of things in discovery, like where the prosecutors are going to lead it.

Speaker 1 But now they have a really good idea of like the valuable evidence the prosecutors have, the key points, the key witnesses that they're bringing in.

Speaker 1 But now they can spend a lot of time to exploit all the flaws in any of their evidence and any of their arguments for the retrial. I mean, this is

Speaker 1 their dream. Like, what in the hell would even cause them to try and move for a mistrial, though? You can't just say it because it's not going well for you.

Speaker 1 Like, you can't just be like, you know what, judge, I just kind of maybe want to start over. Like, can we do a do-over? Can we re-do-over? Yeah, let me take it from the top again.

Speaker 1 Like, you can't do that. Something has to happen.
And it is because of one of the most unexpected witnesses that takes the stand.

Speaker 1 Could you provide the court your first and last name and spell your first and last name? Lance Jimenez, L-A-N-C-E, J-I-M-E-N-E-Z.

Speaker 1 Good morning. And who is your employer? The City of Los Angeles Fire Department.

Speaker 1 Lance Jimenez is an arson investigator for the LAFD, and he describes his job as, and this is literally what the mistrial is based off of. We're basically detectives for the fire department.

Speaker 1 We work hand in hand with LAPD to work on the crime of arson, which is intentionally setting felony crimes. He's been doing this for the past 14 years.

Speaker 1 He's investigated well over 1,000 cases, probably 1,200 cases, maybe more.

Speaker 1 So, what is an arson investigator from Los Angeles doing all the way in New York City, sitting next to Judge Arun, in Judge Arun We Trust, and might be the testimony that leads to a mistrial in this case?

Speaker 1 Like, it's so random. Kid Cuddy.
Investigator Lance was the one that was called out to the scene when Kid Cuddy's Porsche was set on fire.

Speaker 1 He was the lead arson investigator, which again, what does this have anything to do with the attorneys asking for a mistrial?

Speaker 1 I'm going to give you the exact line of questioning and you see if you can spot the reason why the defense demands a retrial.

Speaker 1 Prosecutor Slavic asks investigator Jimenez, did you collect any other fingerprints in this case?

Speaker 1 There was, the victim had informed me that he had somebody come and print his house from a previous trespass, and that person recovered two fingerprints on his glass front door, and that person put those on print cards and turned them over to me.

Speaker 1 So to give you context, remember how Kid Kid Cuddy's house was broken into allegedly by Sean Combs and Rube, the security guard, while Capricorn Clark is crying in the car outside?

Speaker 1 Well, it appears that Kid Cuddy might have hired a third party to come out and take fingerprints from his front door just for safety reasons, because honestly, I would too.

Speaker 1 Well, Kid Cuddy gives those fingerprint cards over to Officer Jimenez because he was like, Yeah, that was a month ago that my house was broken into, and now my car has been set on fire.

Speaker 1 Here are the prints.

Speaker 1 Do with that what you will. Did they find out? Who? The prosecutor asks, what did you do after obtaining these print cards?

Speaker 1 The print cards were sealed in an envelope with a person's signature, and then I put them in another envelope I sealed for evidence and turned them into LAPD for print analysis.

Speaker 1 What do you mean by putting them into evidence? We take all of our evidence we collect and we turn it over.

Speaker 1 We book everything with LAPD's evidence unit and they store and collect all the evidence and it's properly maintained through LAPD.

Speaker 1 Did you receive results related to these fingerprint cards? I did not. Now, you said that you entered these fingerprint cards into evidence.

Speaker 1 Did there come a time when you learned what happened to the fingerprint cards? Yes, recently. What happened to the print cards? The two print cards I had turned in were destroyed.

Speaker 1 When were they destroyed? They were destroyed August of 2012. So this would be eight months after the fire.
Were you aware that they had been destroyed in August of 2012? I was not.

Speaker 1 Did you authorize the print cards being destroyed? I did not. Who ordered their destruction? Somebody with an LAPD.
Is that typically the way that logged evidence is destroyed?

Speaker 1 Not for evidence that I turn in. I'm the lead investigator, so everything goes through me before it's destroyed.

Speaker 1 Unless it goes through our arson section, it will come through in a request if they want it destroyed or not or returned back to the owner.

Speaker 1 And the LAPD employee who authorized the destruction wasn't you, you said, right? No.

Speaker 1 Was that person a member of your team? No.

Speaker 1 Did this strike you as unusual? Mark Agnifilo, Combs' lead counsel, stands up. I'm going to object to all of this, judge.
The judge is like, there was a question pending.

Speaker 1 I take it there's an objection to that question. Yes, that's sustained.
And the prosecutor says, I'll ask a different question, Your Honor.

Speaker 1 Investigator Jimenez, in your 15 years, approximately as an arson investigator, has evidence been ordered destroyed by someone who is not a member of your team? Mark Agnifilo stands back back up.

Speaker 1 Your honor, I object, and can we have a sidebar on this? You may.

Speaker 1 During the sidebar, Mark Agnifilo is stating, it's not just about the question, okay? It's, quote, there's a larger issue here.

Speaker 1 There's an inference of wrongdoing here, which we are hearing for the first time and which is utterly unfounded.

Speaker 1 They're clearly saying that something happened to cause these fingerprint cards to be destroyed suspiciously under circumstances that this witness has never seen before.

Speaker 1 And I am asking that this entire line be struck as being prejudicial. They're clearly suggesting that Mr.
Combs, with his authority, did something to cause the destruction of these print cards.

Speaker 1 There's no further reason for these questions other than that.

Speaker 1 Prosecutor Slavic argues, this is with respect to his investigation, and this material was in the 3500, which are the documents that the government turns over to the defense.

Speaker 1 Like, she's like, you knew about this. It goes to the completion of the investigation.

Speaker 1 I think the defense is going to get up on the cross-examination and suggest that there was, it was a dead-end investigation. There were no charges, and and there are reasons why.

Speaker 1 And this destruction of the print cards is one such reason.

Speaker 1 Mark is saying, they could have left it at that. That's clearly not what they're doing.
What they're clearly doing is saying, in addition, they could have just said, where are the print cards?

Speaker 1 They're destroyed. They didn't have to go further and say, have you ever heard of this before? Did you authorize it? That is clearly improper, and that's what they're doing.

Speaker 1 They are putting this in front of the jury that there was wrongdoing in the LAPD.

Speaker 1 And the only reason that would be relevant, since this is not an LAPD internal investigation, is that someone in this courtroom had something to do with it, and that someone is Mr. Combs.

Speaker 1 And Mark said that? Yes. Okay, Mark.

Speaker 1 Okay, you said that. Like, the phrasing is crazy.
Yes, but he's saying, like, that's what they're saying. I know, but still, you said it.
Yeah, but like, yeah. Now, the judge disagrees.
Hold on.

Speaker 1 Again, that's not how I would have taken it.

Speaker 1 I understand, I understood the questions as they were coming in as drawing the sting from the potential cross-examination that would show the destruction of the fingerprint cards as a reason to question the entirety of the investigation of the arson incident.

Speaker 1 And I assume that's what Ms. Slavic was doing, was trying to anticipate that you're going to go up and say, what are you talking about?

Speaker 1 You lost evidence that would show possibly point to someone else having done this and just mysteriously the print cards vanished before the trial. But the defense counsel doubles down.

Speaker 1 saying, why would they ask the last question though? There's no legitimate reason consistent with their explanation. They did this not for that reason.

Speaker 1 They did this to suggest something improper happened. And it's not just an LAPD matter because they wouldn't have asked all the other questions in 15 years.
Have you ever heard of it? It's suspicious.

Speaker 1 They're making it suspicious.

Speaker 1 In other words, the defense states the government is making inferences that Sean Comb somehow got rid of the fingerprint evidence because he knows those are his prints.

Speaker 1 Mark Agnifilo says this has caused prejudice. He says, and I think,

Speaker 1 and I have to just say it the way I think I see it. I think what the government has done is outrageous.
And I haven't used that word all trial.

Speaker 1 which I'm like, okay, I feel like he's got an outrageous limit that he uses per trial or something because that's such an odd.

Speaker 1 I haven't used that word all trial, but I'm using it now. And they know what they're doing.
They knew exactly what they were doing.

Speaker 1 They were suggesting to this jury that someone in this courtroom had something to do with the improper and suspicious destruction of these fingerprint cards. And that's outrageous.

Speaker 1 And quite frankly, we are having discussions. And I need a few more minutes before we hit ground on what, if any, other remedies we are going to ask for in light of that line of questioning.

Speaker 1 So before I do that, let me speak with my colleagues for a second, and I will, if it's okay with the court. I know we're trying to get the jury back in the box.

Speaker 1 If I could have a few minutes, two minutes, three minutes, just to discuss with my colleagues. After a group discussion amongst defense counsel, they move for a mistrial.

Speaker 1 Alexandra Shapiro takes the lead. Your Honor, respectfully, we are going to move for a mistrial at this time based on the prosecutorial misconduct that went into this.

Speaker 1 I think it's clear that, first of all, just to take a step back, as the court will recall during jury selection, there were issues raised by some prospective jurors about, you know, the idea that Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs could buy his way out of this. This type of conspiracy theory is out there, and the type of implication that we believe these questions were designed to create plays right into that.

Speaker 1 When she said that, we're going to move for a mistrial. What's the energy? Oh my goodness.
Like, everyone is stressed out. I think the only people not stressed out are Diddy's sons.
I don't know why.

Speaker 1 I've never seen them look stressed out, like, really ever.

Speaker 1 Maybe once or twice, but they seem chilled. They seem like it's another Tuesday.
And I'm like, are we hearing the same thing? The jury are not in the room. The press, everyone's silent.

Speaker 1 I think it's half of, holy shit, what's about to happen? But also half of, oh my God, every single witness would have to come back and testify.

Speaker 1 That's insane. And then another part of it is like, oh, we're also going to come back and do this all over again.
Like, all of this is crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Everyone was just silent.

Speaker 1 Meanwhile, I will say, Combs, I mean, I took so many notes on this and we cross-referenced with my researchers because it was a little, it was a little intense. He looks like,

Speaker 1 like, you know, when you work at a restaurant and there is a customer who is very upset that you got their order wrong. Is it a big deal? No.

Speaker 1 Did you get their order wrong? You are adamant that you did not. You're like, no, he told me seafood.
Okay.

Speaker 1 So I got him seafood. I remember it, but the boss is like, no, you got to go apologize because they're making a big deal about it.
And then you go and you stand there and you apologize.

Speaker 1 And they just kind of sit there like, that's right. Apologize to me.
You did me so wrong. He's like sitting there with that kind of energy, like very smug.

Speaker 1 Like I was wronged. There was a time where he glances back to the press pews like, are you hearing this? You're hearing it, right?

Speaker 1 And it's just like, okay.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it was a very interesting moment.

Speaker 1 But Shapiro continues: My point is that it was becoming clearer and clearer that this inference is what the government was doing this for.

Speaker 1 And the jury is going to be left with the impression, even if your honor strikes the testimony, including not only those two questions where the objections have been sustained, but strikes the previous questions and answers and gives an instruction, there's no way to unring this bell, particularly those last two questions.

Speaker 1 You know, first of all, it's clear from the last two questions that, respectfully, what the government was doing here, there's just no reasonable way to interpret their motivation other than they were trying to plant an idea in these jurors that Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs was responsible for the destruction of these fingerprints, and there is no other reason. But the fact that only those two fingerprints were destroyed by someone inside is kind of crazy.

Speaker 1 Like, have we

Speaker 1 investigated more into that? Like, who it is, who did this?

Speaker 1 No,

Speaker 1 the only

Speaker 1 potential non-sinister outcome could be a logging error in the LAPD.

Speaker 1 You know, I will say the LAPD, as a former resident of Los Angeles for almost a decade, I will say their bookkeeping is probably not the best.

Speaker 1 So there is that that people could be like, well, maybe it's that.

Speaker 1 Another thing is, well, the evidence, the fingerprints were not taken by the LAPD, so they could have thrown it out as like, it's not even taken by us.

Speaker 1 Like, even if it matches anything, what does this have to do with us, you know? I see. But I guess the point being was

Speaker 1 Right, right, right. Maybe it's, it's just someone made a mistake, but now you are painting a picture as

Speaker 1 did he's paying someone in

Speaker 1 yes, but it could also work the other way of like, perhaps he did. Do you have proof of it? If you don't, then you can't ask these questions.
Right, right, right. So it could be either one, right?

Speaker 1 Yeah. I don't think anyone in the pews would be surprised either way, I guess.

Speaker 1 So we respectfully submit that the only proper remedy to cure the outrageous prejudice caused by this is a mistrial.

Speaker 1 Prosecutor Slavic argues, Your Honor, respectfully, a mistrial is absolutely unwarranted here. There was a good faith basis for the questions asked by the government.

Speaker 1 I've been over those good faith reasons, and I simply think that there is no prejudice here, much less incurable prejudice that would require a mistrial.

Speaker 1 There's a moment of pause, and honestly, it was like two seconds, but it felt like forever. And I'm like, oh my gosh.
So the judge is about to make the call right now. Yes.

Speaker 1 Like two seconds, he's deciding. Yes.

Speaker 1 And I mean, he was reviewing all the transcripts during the break while the attorneys were conferring, but it was definitely, yeah, it was definitely an interesting moment.

Speaker 1 Everyone's just holding their breath of like what is about to happen. And like the idea of, again, the witnesses coming and doing it all over again,

Speaker 1 testifying, getting cross-examined all over again.

Speaker 1 The judge ponders for a brief moment because his brain runs on 10 times speed, and then he states, the application for a mistrial is denied for the reasons stated by the government in addition I'll just offer the following which is as I said there were no objections to the questions that were asked up until the last two as to those questions the objections were sustained so there was no testimony from the witness pertaining to those questions basically saying if you had a problem with all the questions why did you only object to the last one and then now you want to cry about it well that's not how he said it at all but that was the energy that we were receiving.

Speaker 1 He further states the jury has been instructed and will be instructed that they are not to consider questions from attorneys or statements from attorneys as evidence and they are presumed to follow those instructions which we will give again.

Speaker 1 So there is no there is no absolutely no testimony from the witness that was prejudicial in any way, shape, or form as the court sustained the objections that were raised.

Speaker 1 So I don't think that there is a problem of the jury being left with an improper inference or a bell that's been wrong and can't be unwrong.

Speaker 1 And as the government points out to the extent there was any prejudice, I don't believe that there was any, that could be cured by striking the testimony and giving an appropriate instruction to the jury.

Speaker 1 So for those reasons, the motion for a mistrial is denied.

Speaker 1 Which then Alexandra Shapiro argues that the jurors should be told not to consider any of the questions and answers in this line of questioning because the government's questions were improper, which leads prosecutor, the lead prosecutor Comey, to stand up.

Speaker 1 Your honor, if I may, it would be deeply prejudicial and unfair to tell the jury that the government did something improper.

Speaker 1 Perhaps Your Honor could instruct instead, the jury, that they are to disregard both the questions and the answers and that they are irrelevant to this case instead of basically saying that the government counsel is asking improper questions,

Speaker 1 which the judge agrees with. And ultimately, the jurors are told that.
Basically, that whole line of questioning is irrelevant.

Speaker 1 And in that moment, Sean Combs does not look happy that the move for the mistrial was denied. He's almost side-eyeing his attorneys.

Speaker 1 And when the judge is giving the jurors the instructions, he's looking straight ahead again, as if he has been so wronged. And he's like, yes, jurors.

Speaker 1 Like, are you listening to this?

Speaker 1 So interesting. Very interesting.

Speaker 1 Which, side note, netizens online have been commenting on this with most people thinking that the move for a mistrial was goofy, others finding it sinister, some finding it reasonable.

Speaker 1 With one netizen comments reading, grounds for appeal, the jurors already heard the tainted question.

Speaker 1 So they're saying this is already an appeal in the process. Like Alexander Shapiro is working on the appeal right now.

Speaker 1 Others joke and argue, the defense really said, you can't ask that question that makes our client look so guilty. Be so for real.

Speaker 1 Another comment reads, this case is incapable of becoming more bizarre. Others are writing, perhaps more in fear, the judge better stand strong because we don't want this man walking free.

Speaker 1 Accountability, please. Others write, no, he's going to walk.
And you guys don't be surprised when he does.

Speaker 1 And here's the thing. I just know that Sean Combs goes back to his cell at the end of every night and he has a whole list on his wall of every single attorney and he has little strike marks for them.

Speaker 1 And this is like, this has been a running conversation between me and my researchers because you cannot tell me that this man is not at times spiteful.

Speaker 1 Sometimes the way he looks at his attorneys is very, I can't think of any other way to interpret it other than, hello, are you dumb? Are you dumb right now? Like that's, what am I paying you for?

Speaker 1 If you don't stand up and object right now, like those are the looks. Like you just can't convince us otherwise.

Speaker 1 And the next person to testify is Deontay Nash, and the defense is going to have a really, really hard time trying to discredit Cassie Ventura's best friend. So, let me set the scene first.

Speaker 1 Prior to the mistrial ordeal happening, right before Deontay Nash gets on the stand, is the mistrial, the or the move for the mistrial that gets denied.

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Speaker 1 The morning did start off rather normal. That morning felt particularly very calm.
Even Shan Combe seems like he's in a very calm mood.

Speaker 1 He sits down at the defense table, but only after giving his supporters in the public section hand hearts, giving them prayer hands, you know, giving them a nod, and then the press just get like a look over and a nod.

Speaker 1 And then when he gets down, there is like a bird's nest of post-its just sitting in front of him. He's going through them.
Perhaps it's his notes from a previous day. Perhaps it's from his attorneys.

Speaker 1 Mark Agnifilo sits with his arm draped around Combs' chair. The two look like they're on their first date at the movies or something.
Mark is fixing the top of Sean Combs' sweater. They're very cozy.

Speaker 1 Donaldson walks over to the sketch artist, and I cannot hear the full comment, but he says, and I hear this part. You see that fantastically handsome man over there?

Speaker 1 He's motioning towards where Mark, Diddy, and Brian Steele are. I don't know, but which one is fantastically handsome.

Speaker 1 It appears probably to be the defendant because, you know, he's the one in most of the sketches. Oh, okay.

Speaker 1 He's just like, you see that fantastically handsome man over there and the sketch artist, they like really don't love to interact. They're just like, mm-hmm.

Speaker 1 I feel like the only one that woos the sketch artist is like Mark Agnifilo and the prosecutors. Yeah, they love the prosecutors.

Speaker 1 But like, I mean, they're all like, I think they see each other frequently. The prosecutors.
They work in the same ball. Exactly.
So it's not like they love them.

Speaker 1 It's just like like more like colleagues. Like, oh, hey, you know.
And again, you cannot convince me that Sean Combs does not get irked by these sketch artists.

Speaker 1 Like, he just sits in his cell, and I feel like it keeps him up at night because what was that comment? And then all of his family members, they're always checking on the sketches.

Speaker 1 His best friend is like making sure the sketch is good. So I'm like, is this keeping him up at night in his cell? That's what I think.
The government may call its next witness.

Speaker 1 The government calls Deontay Nash. The door behind us us opens, and in walks two attorneys and Deontay Nash.

Speaker 1 And as he's walking up to the very front of the courtroom, Combs is like rubbing his chin hairs. He's acting like he's so deep in thought.
Beard?

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 His beard, yeah. I don't know why I described it.
Chin hairs. I'm so sorry.

Speaker 1 But the way he plays with it, I guess like beard makes more sense, but like he will like individually roll some of them. And I just think chin hairs.

Speaker 1 And he's so deep in thought and that absolutely no one of any importance or relevance to him is walking into the room.

Speaker 1 Like it feels like when you try so hard to not feel like you're giving a crap about what's happening, it's kind of that.

Speaker 1 And it's very interesting that there's certain people he tries a little harder to act more nonchalant around. Like he can't even be less interested, even if he tried.

Speaker 1 Meanwhile, Sean Combs' mother, Janice Combs, is death glaring Deontay Nash all the way down the aisle until he sits down. Deontay sits.

Speaker 1 He begins swiveling back and forth because it's an office chair up there. And he instinctively straightens out the tissue box.
He doesn't use a tissue. He just straightens it.

Speaker 1 His attention to detail is fascinating. And once he sits down, Combs is leaned all the way back with his back against the chair and he has gone level nine out of ten businessman.

Speaker 1 He places his left hand kind of like this. This is what it looks like.
I can't see if it's on his hip. I can't see if it's on his chair like this.
It's kind of placed so that his left elbow is bent.

Speaker 1 And then his right hand is placed on the armrest, the elbow is, and he's playing with his facial hairs.

Speaker 1 And he just looks like the CEO in a conference room waiting for an intern that's about to get fired to bring him an iced coffee stat otherwise.

Speaker 1 Meanwhile, Prosecutor Comey is at the lectern and she begins her direct examination.

Speaker 1 And just in case we did not already know, which we already knew, because just judging Deontay's energy that is radiating off of him, he does not want to be here.

Speaker 1 But he is asked, are you testifying here today because you received a subpoena? Yes. Do you want to testify at this trial? Absolutely not.
What do you do for work? I'm a celebrity stylist.

Speaker 1 Deontay says that he's worked with styling both Sean Combs and Cassie, and it's kind of cute because when he's asked to, and this is Cassie's best friend, when he's asked to identify Cassie on the screen, he's like smiling to himself and he says, oh, that's Cass.

Speaker 1 Then another picture is brought up. Can we pull up, please, what's in evidence as government exhibit 2A504? And who is that? It's a picture of Deontay Nash, okay? And honestly, he looks good.

Speaker 1 His skin is glowing in the picture. He looks great.
That's me. Is this a fair and accurate depiction of what you looked like during part of the time that you worked for Mr.
Combs as a stylist?

Speaker 1 These are like very standard questions.

Speaker 1 And usually people just say, yeah. And he responds, no.

Speaker 1 And everyone's like, wait, what is happening? Are we, what's happening we don't know what's happening nobody's ever said no

Speaker 1 is it a glamour shot of you yes i look amazing and so we're like okay the whole courtroom starts giggling and meanwhile combs looks like someone just farted like he is not content right now meanwhile his bestie in the back already has his eyes closed in the friends and family pews Deontay says that he and Cassie were really close during that time period and still to this day, but focusing on that time period, they were very, very close.

Speaker 1 And because he works with them, he has a friendship with Cassie, he would see Cassie and Sean Combs interact a lot, considering they were dating. What, if any, names, did you hear Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs call Miss Ventura in front of you?

Speaker 1 Um,

Speaker 1 baby girl, Cece, Cass, bitch, slut, ho.

Speaker 1 Combs just starts rapidly blinking. Like he has, like, he's never heard these words before in his life.
Like, they do not exist in his lexicon. He cannot even spell them for you if you asked.

Speaker 1 About how many times do you remember hearing Mr. Combs call her a bitch? Um, quite a bit.
That was his fave.

Speaker 1 So at this point, Xavier Donaldson, defense counsel, leans into the microphone. I'm sorry, judge, I couldn't hear the last answer.
Deontay Nash leans into the microphone.

Speaker 1 I said quite a bit that was his fave.

Speaker 1 Like in that tone? Yes.

Speaker 1 And now you just, you just know the energy going into this.

Speaker 1 Like you usually like with the witnesses, there is a certain energy that you're trying to pick up when you're taking notes because you're also anticipating the cross you're anticipating all these things which means also donaldson will be doing the cross so he doesn't look like you know a lot of them seem nervous and uncomfortable he's like fully

Speaker 1 like himself like he's fully himself and i think he is um

Speaker 1 no he does not like the defense counsel i think he's here to also fight for a friend and he's like not trying to back down wow Yeah.

Speaker 1 And he does win the drugs over. So, which means Donaldson is going to be doing the cross.
And it's interesting that he always goes up against Comey, which Comey's very sharp.

Speaker 1 I mean, Donaldson as well, but he does have him repeat kind of the worst thing to repeat once more.

Speaker 1 Like, out of all things that you didn't hear correctly, like, you got to have him repeat, oh yeah, his favorite word to call his girlfriend was bitch. Like, it's.

Speaker 1 It's almost like working for the other side. Yes, there are so many times where I write down, is he an op? Because what's happening in my notes?

Speaker 1 And I'm like passing it to my researcher and she's like, no, yeah, what's happening? In what context did you hear Mr. Combs call Cassie a bitch? Bitch, stop playing with me.

Speaker 1 Bitch, you better bring your ass to this house. I mean, I was there for quite some time.
It's clear, again, Sean Combs is not having a good time. Okay, Deontay Nash is kind of a juror favorite.

Speaker 1 They're super absorbed in every single word that he is saying. And he's just kind of captivating.
He seems very transparent as well. And Aba, how often did you hear Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs refer to Cassie as a hoe or a slut?

Speaker 1 Quite a few. In what context? Um, he just told her that she was an outright hoe.
Uh, he told her she was nothing but a slut anyway.

Speaker 1 So, when you heard Mr. Combs say the things you just testified to, Mr.
Nash, how did you observe Miss Ventura react? She'd be sad. What would she do? Sometimes cry, sometimes go into a depression.

Speaker 1 Objection, Your Honor. Move to strike the last part of the answer.

Speaker 1 Depression part? Yeah, overruled.

Speaker 1 Like, I swear to you, there is any time one of Combs' defense attorneys get an objection that is overruled. I just feel like it's another strike on his cell walls or in his little truth notebook.

Speaker 1 At this point of the overruled ejection, Combs leans back further in his chair, but he's already leaned all the way back, but he like does this weird lean back. So instead, his shoulders just do this

Speaker 1 awkward half roll back instead. And he seems a little bit annoyed.

Speaker 1 Deontay goes on to testify that he's heard Combs not only call Cassie all those horrendous names, but also he would threaten her, quote, that he would beat her ass,

Speaker 1 he wouldn't put her music out, that he would get her parents fired from their jobs, and he would send her sex tapes to their jobs. He would start there.

Speaker 1 And every time He said these things would drive Cassie crazy. Meanwhile, Combs is just sitting over there taking notes at this point.
Deontay says, says, Cassie would just cry.

Speaker 1 Sometimes she would stay in the house for days, go into a cocoon, be super emotional.

Speaker 1 And a few notable instances that stick out to Deontay, or well, he's asked about these, is once Deontay was with Cassie and she gets a call from Combs.

Speaker 1 She starts freaking out and picks up, puts it on speakerphone. So, over the speakerphone, what did you hear Mr.
Combs say? That she better bring her ass to his house?

Speaker 1 What happened next?

Speaker 1 She started to panic, and then Puff called back and he talked to me at that moment and he told me that we're wilding and that he thought he told us not to be going out and says every time I go out that bitch want to go out then I need to stay my ass home too.

Speaker 1 The jurors are head down taking their notes. Like they're in algebra class.
Like they are not missing a single word. They're taking down everything.

Speaker 1 A few of the Combs family and friends are starting to fall asleep. So I'm like there is a weird juxtaposition.
They're sleeping. The jurors have never been more engaged.

Speaker 1 And then there's the vanity Fair party. Could you explain what a Vanity Fair party is, please? A Vanity Fair party is the Oscars after party.
So this is in 2014.

Speaker 1 Deontay, Combs, Cassie, and Derek, another stylist that's supposed to go to the after party. They get there.
And who did you arrive at the party with? Cassie.

Speaker 1 When you and Cassie arrived at the party, who was already there? Puff.

Speaker 1 What interactions did you have with Mr. Combs at the Vanity Fair party? He said, I thought I fucking told y'all that she needed to wear her hair up.
Let me back up.

Speaker 1 How was was Miss Ventura's hairstyled when you arrived at the party? Oh, she looked bomb. And the jurors start giggling.

Speaker 1 Even Donaldson is half laughing while he blurts objection into the mic, which promptly gets overruled.

Speaker 1 And at this point, I would like to think that there is steam rating off of Sean Combs' head, but he seems relatively, like, he seems like he's keeping it in well, but it does fall apart later.

Speaker 1 And then Deontay starts. And when Mr.
Combs came and had this conversation with you, what did he say? I thought I told you she needs to wear her hair up. What did Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs do physically when he said that to you? Grabbed me by my jacket and lifted me up.

Speaker 1 What? What was Mr. Combs' tone as he was grabbing you by your jacket and lifting you up? Angry.

Speaker 1 A few of the jurors, and it is very interesting, a lot of the jurors are getting a lot more expressive as the days go on. In the beginning of the trial, they would act like the gallery does not exist.

Speaker 1 Now, a lot of them will look out into the gallery.

Speaker 1 A lot of them will now giggle amongst themselves during sidebars, have conversations, share looks, and more notably, a lot of them are more open to looking towards Combs now.

Speaker 1 So when people bring up violence, I will see at least a few of the jurors, as they're taking notes, their eyes will shoot up and they'll look at Combs.

Speaker 1 Maybe to see his reaction, maybe to gauge how he's like.

Speaker 1 responding body language wise to everything that's being said. So it's very interesting.
So at this part, a lot of them are like taking notes and then they look up to see how he's responding.

Speaker 1 He is also intensely taking notes. Deontay explains that after that, Combs just starts asking people in the party for hair pins.

Speaker 1 They go into the bathroom, put her hair up, and when they come out, he said that Deontay was right because it looks better down.

Speaker 1 Now, there is a certain energy between Defense Attorney Xavier Donaldson and Deontay Nash. I don't know what this energy is, but it is something.

Speaker 1 And I say that because Donaldson is the one that's going to do the cross.

Speaker 1 And on the way out, at the very end, after all of this, like this in hindsight should tell you there's some energy there, okay?

Speaker 1 After a very overly lengthy cross-examination as Deontay is leaving the stand to leave this courthouse to fly back to Los Angeles he leans over at Donaldson everybody's just watching him walk out and he whispers something

Speaker 1 and Donaldson looks a little phased which we'll get into that so there is some sort of energy but even during the direct when Donaldson would object something like

Speaker 1 I don't know, maybe something myself or someone like Deontay, we are not attorneys, we don't know why he's objecting sometimes.

Speaker 1 Deontay Nash will just look at Donaldson with like a slightly annoyed, slightly amused expression. Like you're objecting again.

Speaker 1 Like that kind of face. For example, one question.
Comey asks Deontay, what if any role did you play in helping her record music during her relationship with Mr. Combs? I helped her pick songs.

Speaker 1 I probably should have been called an executive. Objection, objection.

Speaker 1 He was saying, I probably should have been called an executive.

Speaker 1 Okay, so it's like, what are you objecting to? Yeah, and then prosecutor Comey just offers, I can ask question.

Speaker 1 All right. That's the judge.
Deontay Nash is just staring like, what are you doing, sir? Combs is also staring at him like, what are you doing, sir?

Speaker 1 I mean, Combs is very clearly involved in every part of his trial, which is completely normal, but it's very interesting.

Speaker 1 So even later in the day, when there's a break where the attorneys are arguing on whether or not something that they can admit into evidence, and this is just giving you an idea that I don't think that I'm overreading into him staring at Donaldson,

Speaker 1 Brian Steele gets up and he says something to the effect of, on that, Your Honor, just, you know, I think you said something earlier in the trial.

Speaker 1 If I'm misquoting you, I'm not trying to do that intentionally, but something like this. This is a trial by rumor, I think you said.

Speaker 1 Which the judge did say something like that, but the word that he used was gossip, not rumor. Well, Combs whispers, Brian Steele leans down, Sean Combs whispers, and he shoots back up, gossip, sorry.

Speaker 1 And that's how I feel about this.

Speaker 1 So, you know, I don't think the argument itself is necessarily pertinent, but I don't want you guys to think I'm like reading into Sean Combs looking at the attorneys when they do the

Speaker 1 like in any of these situations. I just feel like he's very, very closely paying attention to almost everything but his own mannerisms.
Because during another break, his sons walk in late after lunch.

Speaker 1 So they walk in late in the beginning of the day. They walk in late after lunch and Oh, their lunch break is over and they came in, came back late.

Speaker 1 Yeah, and one of the family friends is holding like a Chick-fil-A nugget box. box, so there's that.
And Comb starts tinkering with this rolled-up post-it note.

Speaker 1 I mean, clearly, the post-it, there was like something written on there. Perhaps he wanted to get rid of it, what have you.
He rolls it up and he starts rubbing it, kind of pushing it into his lips.

Speaker 1 It feels like he's unintentionally doing this motion, almost like how you would put chapstick on, but not gliding it, just like tapping it.

Speaker 1 But the post-it is rolled up like how one would roll up a bill to snort a line. That's the only way I can describe it.
It was so weird.

Speaker 1 Both my researcher and I wrote it down independently, and then we got back home and were like, it was like a bill to snort cookie, no?

Speaker 1 Yeah, it was like so distinct. But continuing on, Comey asks, I want to talk about another time you witnessed violence.
Was there a time when you and Cassie were cooking in her apartment before Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs became violent? Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson passionately stands up. Objection, judge, form of question.
I'm sorry. Objection.
Sorry.

Speaker 1 Side note: the judge has told everyone repeatedly: attorneys, object, say objection, and then if the judge asks for grounds, then

Speaker 1 you say the grounds.

Speaker 1 Otherwise, he can usually tell by the context because he has a live feed and he will either overrule or sustain. Usually, he will do that without even asking for the grounds.

Speaker 1 Donaldson is trying so hard to stay on the judge's good side.

Speaker 1 I think the whole defense has probably been irking the judge recently, so they're on their best behavior, and he's just profusely apologizing, and he's like whispering into the mic, sorry, judge, sorry.

Speaker 1 To the point where even the judge kind of giggles and then they move on.

Speaker 1 Now, do you remember in Cassie's testimony where we are shown a picture of her eyebrow where she has an injury and she states it's because Combs came over unannounced and wanted her to pack for a trip for a music festival in Canada that Drake was hosting, but she had fallen asleep.

Speaker 1 Deontay was there. And he says, Combs just comes into the apartment that day and saying that he wants to talk to Cassie.

Speaker 1 So the two of them head over to Cassie's room and what happened after they went into the bedroom? He grabbed her as as they were walking out.

Speaker 1 He grabbed her like by the hair and back of her shirt and started pushing her out and was like, I don't give a f. You're going to get the f up out of my house.

Speaker 1 Y'all going to get the f up out of my house.

Speaker 1 Deontay says that he tried to intervene, but Combs just started, quote, Well, he was more so like popping me in the back of the head because I don't have hair and grabbing me by my shirt and pushing.

Speaker 1 When you say he was popping you in the back of your head, what was he doing to your head? Like, you know,

Speaker 1 slap. You like pop someone in the head.
Deontay is just like motioning for the jurors, and they're all like looking at him, doing a popping motion, and then they're all looking down and taking notes.

Speaker 1 Meanwhile, Combs is incredibly stoic and like, uh, I don't know who you're talking about. That just could not be me.
And the Combs sons, they look bored.

Speaker 1 Deontay Nash continues that afterwards, Combs just starts berating the two of them. Who was he berating? Cassie and I? What was Mr.
Combs saying as far as you can remember?

Speaker 1 We're not going to be playing with him. We can just take our broke asses and ride into the sunset.

Speaker 1 Deontay states that he heard Combs tell Cassie that she fed up and that he was going to put her sex tapes on the internet.

Speaker 1 He was going to release them on schedule and that he was going to first start by sending them to her parents' jobs and then was going to get them fired and that her brother was a b ⁇ and that Puff was the only one that protected her.

Speaker 1 Combs has been frozen the entire time, but it seems like subconsciously he quickly looks over at Comey and the jurors, I think perhaps to gauge their reaction, because it's a pretty intense statement.

Speaker 1 Meanwhile, Janice Combs, Sean Combs' mom, takes off her sunglasses and starts kind of brushing stray hairs from her wig. But Deontay is not faced by this threat.

Speaker 1 He told Cassie, I told her, I said, well, girl, if he wants to release the sex tapes, then let him because he's on them too. How did Cassie respond when you said that Puff was on the videos too?

Speaker 1 She said that she that he wasn't on the videos, that it was him taping her with other guys.

Speaker 1 And did she say what she was doing with those other guys? Yeah, having sex with the other guys. What did she say about whether in that moment in 2013 or 2014 she wanted to have sex with other guys?

Speaker 1 Objection? That's overruled. That she didn't want to.
And what did she say about why she was in that moment? Because Puff wanted her to.

Speaker 1 He later states that in a fit of anger, Combs comes over to Deontay's house to search for Cassie after an explosive fight, and she ends up not being there.

Speaker 1 But quote, Puff came in and he was like, where the fuck is she?

Speaker 1 He started looking all around my house in the closets he went in the oven i don't know why he looked in the oven and he asked me where she was a few of combs family and friends are shaking their heads with their lips pursed like this is all ridiculous So take that as you will.

Speaker 1 Maybe it's all ridiculous because it's not true. Maybe it's ridiculous because, you know, that is kind of ridiculous to be searching in an oven.
I don't know. Meanwhile, Combs is literally a statue.

Speaker 1 He's not moving. He is doing this.
We have unlocked a new like witness stare.

Speaker 1 So previously, a lot of his stares were either straight on or he would do this thing where he lifts his chin up and he kind of like looks at them from above, like he's lowering their eyes, looking at them like this.

Speaker 1 But he's doing this new thing where he's tucking his chin a little and it's almost a little through his eyelashes he's looking at them.

Speaker 1 And all that's happening while Donaldson is looking like he's chomping at the bit, like his butt is nowhere on that seat.

Speaker 1 It's like non-stop up and down, trying to object to everything that Deontay is saying.

Speaker 1 Eventually, Deontay explains that they all go to find Cassie, who is at a hotel, and she is now threatening to climb over the balcony to escape. How high up was the balcony? It wasn't the first floor.

Speaker 1 Do you remember what floor it was on? No.

Speaker 1 Both Combs and the jurors are again intensely taking notes, and Deontay moves on to talk about Cassie's 29th birthday, which was a rather big part of Cassie's testimony.

Speaker 1 She stated that on her birthday, she wanted to be with her friends, but instead, she states that Combs forced her into having a freak off.

Speaker 1 Deontay states that he was there for a lot of it, and he remembers that Sean Combs was asking him him if he should fly in from Miami to surprise Cassie for her birthday, because remember, Cassie said she wasn't even expecting him to come.

Speaker 1 Deontay says Combs asked him, should I surprise her? And he responded, I told him if you want to. Now, why did you tell Mr.
Combs to come if you'd seen him do all this violence to Cassie?

Speaker 1 Girl, I was not about to tell him that he couldn't come. Give that girl a party.

Speaker 1 It's very interesting. The whole courtroom had no idea what to do because Deontay Nash just called prosecutor Comey girl.

Speaker 1 And so everyone's like slightly slightly frozen, which clearly was not done with any malice or anything. It was not rude or anything.
It was just very unexpected.

Speaker 1 And so people were like, are we allowed to laugh or are we not allowed to laugh? It was just very confusing. The juror's lips were downturned and like a, ooh, kind of like, oh, what just happened?

Speaker 1 And they're giving each other faces. Meanwhile, Tenny Garagos looks at Mark Agnifilo with, she just looks very shocked.

Speaker 1 Even some of the press, I could see, they're like hesitating before taking notes because it's like, I don't don't really know what to write down in this moment.

Speaker 1 He called Prosecutor Comey girl, and it like was a long girl. It wasn't like girl.
It was like girl.

Speaker 1 Yeah, even Christian King Combs, he consistently looks like he would rather be wrestling a baguette from a flock of angry pigeons in Central Park.

Speaker 1 Like he looks like anything else in New York seems better than this. He's leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees, staring at Deontay.

Speaker 1 The only one seemingly unfazed is Prosecutor Comey, who just moves on. What do you remember happening at the birthday party? As they were leaving, Puff was telling Cassie, f you.
I do all this.

Speaker 1 I'll do everything for you. And you just can't do this one thing for me.
I asked her about Puff. I was like, girl, what is she over there doing? What is she talking about?

Speaker 1 And Cassie said, girl, she's just mad because I don't want to go to the hotel and freak off with him.

Speaker 1 Which I do think there are reasons why Deontay switched to she pronouns in this context that I think the more I tried to research, the more confusing it got. And

Speaker 1 maybe it's like the nodding, maybe I don't have better life experience to tell me exactly what it means. I just know what happened.
So please let me know in the comments. What do you mean?

Speaker 1 So, a lot of people say in certain conversations, people might use she pronouns to downplay, like, I guess, abusive people. I don't know.

Speaker 1 It just got more and more, but they just kept referring to Sean Combs as she. Oh, I see.
Okay, okay, okay. Like, what is she over there upset about? And this is not like a mistake.

Speaker 1 It was, that's what was said. Yes, yes.
And then in other aspects, she pronouns were not used. I see.
So it's, yeah.

Speaker 1 If you have an idea, let me know. Because I feel like the more I Google, the more I'm like, I think I get it.

Speaker 1 I get it. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Yeah.
So regardless of the intent, in the courtroom, Combs has his chin all the way up now.

Speaker 1 So he went from tuck to up and he's looking down at Deontay Nash, even though Deontay Nash is sitting higher than than him.

Speaker 1 Deontay Nash states that ultimately after the karaoke, Combs makes Cassie go back to her place and start packing a bag. What do you remember, Mr.
Combs saying? Y'all girl, gonna get some dick tonight.

Speaker 1 What is your relationship with Cassie like now? Very close. How often do you talk? Pretty often.
Have you discussed the substance of your testimony here today with Cassie at all? No.

Speaker 1 Has she discussed the substance of her testimony, if any, with you at all? No. About how many times have you met with prosecutors in connection with this case? Too many.

Speaker 1 Now, side note, so many people are catching strays during this entire testimony, including the prosecutors.

Speaker 1 But Deontay has asked about a guy later named Rob Holiday, whom he refers to as a low-budget producer.

Speaker 1 And even when Prosecutor Comey asks him about their meetings, I mean, yeah, she's trying to prove a point, but it's so clear he doesn't like the prosecutors either.

Speaker 1 About how many of those meetings did you cut off in early and end early because you did not want to continue participating in them? Probably all of them.

Speaker 1 And with that response, a lot of the jurors are smirking at each other. Because, I guess same.
Deontay says he feels no hatred for Sean Combs. It's just not in him to feel hatred for someone.

Speaker 1 And that even after everything, he still has reached out to Combs on certain occasions. And with that, the most unhinged cross-examination begins.

Speaker 1 Do you guys remember Xavier Donaldson's previous cross-examination? The very first one that he did that had me so incredibly puzzled? I am here. Yeah, the corrects.

Speaker 1 I am here to report back that he has indeed gotten better. However, this entire cross-examination was such a mess.

Speaker 1 I feel like the defense attorneys, they all have very distinct cross-examination styles. I think Nicole Westmoreland is quite confrontational and authoritative.

Speaker 1 I think she works best with witnesses who do not stand their ground that strong.

Speaker 1 I think she could convince me that I grew a third leg on last Tuesday.

Speaker 1 Like she, I would say yeah, because the way she asks questions is so confrontational and I'm so not confrontational, I would just go with it.

Speaker 1 Brian Steele has a southern gentleman flair but is relatively most of the time pretty straightforward. Anna Esteveo is quite collected most times.
She's a bit more neutral in her questions.

Speaker 1 Mark Agnifilo is a charmer. He likes to disarm people.
And Xavier Donaldson, he's a showman, you know? He is here for a good cross.

Speaker 1 And the only problem here is Deontay Nash, if somebody is giving a show out of these two, I would rather watch Deontay Nash's show.

Speaker 1 I think that Deontay Nash on the stand has a very snappy nature to him. Yes, it's a very intense setting, but he is not intimidated.
He will say what's on his mind.

Speaker 1 He will respond like we are just at dinner together with friends. I think in this type of situation, perhaps Mark Agnifilo or even Anna Esteveo would have been a better fit.

Speaker 1 I feel like Deontay and Westmoreland would have gotten into a full-blown argument. I feel like Brian Steele would not be able to charm his way to Deontay.

Speaker 1 And I also feel like Deontay would be like, girl, to Brian Steele. And then Brian Steele would genuinely be confused and be like, who are you talking to?

Speaker 1 And then we'd have to sit through an hour of him trying to figure out who he's talking to and calling girl. And it would be a whole thing.
Maybe Mark could disarm him. He's quite smooth.

Speaker 1 Esteveo likely would have kept it quite neutral, not dissimilar to Comey, although Comey's a little snappier with her questions, like very quick. However, Xavier Donaldson goes up to do the cross.

Speaker 1 And later, one of the people in the hallways were passionately talking and I was passionately eavesdropping. And they said, These are their words, not mine.

Speaker 1 I think I know a lot of people don't love this word, but the way that they were describing it is: Donaldson tried to outsass Deontay, and you can't do that.

Speaker 1 Like, that was the dumbest thing he could have done.

Speaker 1 It's just not happening. He should have taken a different approach.
I mean, let me just tell you how the cross starts off. Donaldson walks up to the lectern.
Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon.

Speaker 1 Deontay asks, Him,

Speaker 1 how are you? Oh, okay.

Speaker 1 I'm pretty good. Thank you.
How are you? Blessed.

Speaker 1 Donaldson is at a loss for words, and he hasn't even gotten to the first question. He just repeats the answer like he's got to let it soak in.
Blessed.

Speaker 1 Then he hits him with a, I'm going to ask you to speak up as loud as you can so that the last person in this jury box can hear you. Which, just a side note, we could hear Deontay just fine.

Speaker 1 So I think it was a power play. And with that, the very first question, Donaldson already has his palms rubbing his temples.

Speaker 1 He has both of his palms covering his eyes, and then they go to rub his temples like how someone would rub their temples in the midst of a debilitating migraine.

Speaker 1 I'm like, sir, this is the first question in. My researcher's notes read, Donaldson is literally one question in, and he's rubbing his eyes like he just did 20 hours of brain surgery.

Speaker 1 Now, you just mentioned on direct with Ms. Comey here that you met with the government several times.
Is that right? Yes.

Speaker 1 Interestingly enough, when Comey was doing the direct, Deontay would kind of swivel in his chair a little bit, like kind of nonchalantly respond. A very casual demeanor.

Speaker 1 But with Donaldson, it's giving an enemy of my friend as an enemy of mine. He is staring Donaldson right in the eye.
He's sitting up straight. His eye contact is intense.

Speaker 1 I don't think Donaldson was ready for this. I don't think Sean Combs informed him who Deontay Nash really is.
Like, truly, he's going to ward for his best friend.

Speaker 1 And Donaldson, just like all eight, nine feet of him, he's so tall. He's just standing at the lectern, getting like smacked left and right by strays.

Speaker 1 And I think sean combs should have warned him like at this point sean combs has a dartboard with all of his attorneys faces on them and this one is just a big hit to donaldson okay just listen to the way deontae rapid fire answers questions and his response rate is quick like the pace is very fast the jurors are so busy taking notes and he's doing this all with a slightly sarcastic smile towards donaldson and that subpoena told you you had to come to court correct yes now as far as you going to the government's office to talk to them you didn't have to to go there, correct?

Speaker 1 Nope. So when you went there, you went because, well, you went voluntarily, right? Yeah.

Speaker 1 And so you went there to answer their questions, like they said, correct? Yes.

Speaker 1 And you give them truthful answers? Nothing but the truth. And that is what you did every time you were there? Every single time.

Speaker 1 Donaldson tries to make it a whole point that Deontay hired civil lawyers, who, by the way, were sitting directly in front of us the entire testimony, they were professionally smiling at each other when their client would give snarky responses to Donaldson, and we would see it, and they would literally just look at each other and smile and nod.

Speaker 1 And it was overall a slightly lighter moment in the courtroom considering, but you did hire Mr. Dunn to pursue possible civil litigation against Mr.
Combs, right? Objection! Sustained.

Speaker 1 Are you considering a lawsuit against Mr. Combs?

Speaker 1 No, I'm focused on getting out of here.

Speaker 1 At this point, even Mark Ignifilo is looking at Donaldson the same way that Combs is, like both of them are turned to their right, forehead wrinkled, rapid blinking, to which Donaldson asks for a photo to be put on the screen just for the witness and the parties.

Speaker 1 We don't get to see it. Now, after reading the document, does that refresh your recollection or does that change your testimony whether or not you are considering civil litigation against Mr.
Combs?

Speaker 1 No, it doesn't. It seems like an assumption.
We don't want to do assumptions in the courtroom. So does that document refresh your recollection that you are considering civil? No, it doesn't.

Speaker 1 Combs is looking at Donaldson. Just, what is happening right now? Hold on, it doesn't.
Donaldson says, hold on. Deontay Nash responds, it doesn't.
It does not? No.

Speaker 1 So it's fair to say that you do not have or not as much March.

Speaker 1 Okay, one second. As of March 10th, 2025, which by the way, it's

Speaker 1 you are not considering or retaining counsel to consider suing Mr. Combs in civil actions? I have counsel to protect me.
I don't do federal court.

Speaker 1 Protect you related to your interests regarding civil claims against Mr. Combs, correct? No,

Speaker 1 this case.

Speaker 1 Donaldson quickly moves on, and the defense just starts dumping exhibits. It's like a photo dump at this point, and none of them are really that relevant.

Speaker 1 And after all of those are received into evidence, Donaldson just starts asking Deontay, all right, Mr. Nash, you testified this afternoon about your relationship with Miss Ventura, right?

Speaker 1 Cassie, right? Mrs. Fine.

Speaker 1 And Deontay's reaction feels so instant, like he was waiting for this moment.

Speaker 1 And Donaldson is like, I'm sorry. Mrs.
Fine.

Speaker 1 Mrs. Fine?

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 Because she's married to Alex Fine.

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 And that was,

Speaker 1 we'll get to that. So

Speaker 1 you testified about your relationship to Mrs. Fine.

Speaker 1 Yes. And honestly, Sean Combs looks peeved at this point.
Though we could be thinking too deeply into it, I will say definitively, he did not look happy.

Speaker 1 And perhaps in order to stall, perhaps in order to try and make the jurors forget about this entire conversation, Donaldson starts asking about the definition of a celebrity stylist.

Speaker 1 I think when you came into here, you said that you are a celebrity stylist. Yes, correct.
And a celebrity stylist means someone that styles for celebrities, right?

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 And that's contrary to someone who doesn't style for celebrities, right?

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 Right in front of us, Deontay's two attorneys swivel their heads to look at each other with a confused look, and one of them just shrugs, kind of like, I don't know where this is going either.

Speaker 1 Like, I don't know what's happening. And they just turn back to the front.
So someone that's not a celebrity stylist can call themselves just a stylist.

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 So you have earned the distinction of being a celebrity stylist because you style primarily for celebrities.

Speaker 1 At this point, the prosecutor is just as confused as we are. Objection, Your Honor.
Overruled. Now, when you, you know, that's not how you started your career, though, correct?

Speaker 1 You don't just become a celebrity stylist, you have to move up to become that. No, that's how it started.

Speaker 1 So in 2007, when you were an intern at Bad Boy, you were a celebrity stylist? I started as an intern, but you were a celebrity stylist, is my question. Oh, no.

Speaker 1 So in 2008, you became a celebrity stylist. Yeah.

Speaker 1 What do you mean, yeah?

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 Combs is just staring at Donaldson, mouth agape. So by working at Bad Boy between 2007 and 2008, you just became a celebrity stylist?

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 And that was because Mr. Combs introduced you to Cassie.
I introduced myself to Cassie. You introduced yourself to Cassie while working for Mr.
Combs. Yes.

Speaker 1 This is the feeling of Mr. Donaldson, okay? Don't play games that you cannot win.
Deontay is not here to be he, he ha ha bullied into saying yes or no to questions that he doesn't want to.

Speaker 1 He's here to fight for his best friend. Like I just see a best friend rage inside of him.

Speaker 1 Like probably more than Cassie. Like Cassie was...
Like there were so many emotions with Cassie.

Speaker 1 For Deontay, it gives me the energy of like, I saw what my best friend went through and I'm so angry and my anger is pretty pure because I don't have all the other complicated traumatic experiences that she might have.

Speaker 1 So my anger is just pure. Like, he's here to fight.
He's not just gonna roll over and let the multi-million dollar defense team walk all over him.

Speaker 1 But instead, Donaldson, I feel like he cannot help himself. He falls into the power play trap.

Speaker 1 This is why I thought Agnifilo, or perhaps even Esteveo, would have been a little better. Because Donaldson asks Deontay, so it would be fair to say that Mr.

Speaker 1 Combs or Bad Boy helped start your career as you have now, as a stylist, as a celebrity stylist. Would that be fair to say, Yeah, go ahead.
I'm going, don't worry about it.

Speaker 1 And soon after this, Donaldson just starts like wandering around the lectern again. I mean, the showman in him is like bursting out.

Speaker 1 He starts wandering while asking, like, he's starting to face the jurors, then he's turning all the way to the left to the defendant's table head on.

Speaker 1 At one point, he takes three steps to the left to step out of the lectern so his whole body is in view for Deontay, all like, I don't know, 37 feet tall that he is.

Speaker 1 And I feel like he just like he gets put on the worst crosses because every time we run into them in the hallway, Mr. Donaldson is truly a gentleman, perhaps more southern gentleman than Brian Steele.

Speaker 1 Very sweet. And I hear nothing but good things about the press members that have actually worked with Donaldson.
And I'm like, why do they keep giving him these crosses? Okay, but like more on that.

Speaker 1 He starts wandering, taking a full-on sightseeing tour while questioning Deontay.

Speaker 1 So when you talked this morning, this afternoon, about your knowledge of studios and your knowledge of time period, your knowledge of when records get released, and your knowledge of who releases records and your knowledge of all of this.

Speaker 1 You are giving us that information based on your extensive experience as a celebrity stylist, right?

Speaker 1 Comey stands up. Objection misstates the testimony, Your Honor.
The judge is like, You've got to rephrase the question, Mr. Donaldson.
Mr.

Speaker 1 Donaldson, if you could do me a favor and just stay at the lectern just because the court reporters are having difficulty if you're not at the microphone. At this point, Donaldson

Speaker 1 exaggeratingly plants his feet into the ground like he's like going into quicksand and it's like

Speaker 1 and then the line of questioning starts taking more detours so many times I would start a note of like oh I think I know where this is going and then I'm like taking notes and then it's like oh no we're onto a new topic it never got to the point where I thought it was going to

Speaker 1 A few things to note, Donaldson is very likable. He has a very strong presence.
I do think that he has to work against that.

Speaker 1 Maybe he comes off a bit stronger with his very commanding height and his like presence. Maybe it would be too intimidating.

Speaker 1 But he just like he tries to bring personality into it and everything he does.

Speaker 1 The only feeling that we walked away, like my researcher and I were trying to put it into words, it's always like, weird argument, but go off, I guess.

Speaker 1 It's always like, it's not like particularly offensive what he's doing. He's not like harassing witnesses.
He's not aggressive and mean.

Speaker 1 It's just like kind of a weird argument to make, but like, I guess if that's what you want to do. That's the whole cross.
As a celebrity stylist, you indicated that you purchased clothes, correct?

Speaker 1 Uh-huh. Is that a yes? Yes.
You also helped them pick out clothing for their weddings, correct? Everyone's like, weddings?

Speaker 1 Yes. And in fact, as you indicated, for Mrs.
Fine, you helped pick out her wedding dress, correct?

Speaker 1 Yes.

Speaker 1 I glance over at the defense table. Combs looks incredibly stressed.
Forehead wrinkles, you could stick a quarter into his forehead wrinkle folds. He's very stressed.

Speaker 1 stressed he's mouth agape staring at donaldson because what are we getting from this line of questioning i think what he's trying to get at is that him and cassie are very close maybe he has incentive to lie on the stand maybe they got their story straight maybe they talked while she was testifying maybe he would lie on the stand for her i don't know what inferences he's trying to make to the jurors but all i'm getting out of this is cassie found the love of her life someone she wants to settle down and have children with after we saw that hotel footage.

Speaker 1 Like, that's, what's the feeling I'm supposed to get from this? Like, she found her prince charming after all, and she's having like a happily ever after now that the defendant is out of her life.

Speaker 1 Like, Brian Steele is straight up smiling because it feels like, where are we going with this? He's smiling at the defense table.

Speaker 1 Even Mark Ignifilo is staring at Donaldson, like, I'm just watching this unfold.

Speaker 1 Same as you guys. This is how I know he's doing those strikes at home.
Donaldson goes into a string of questions, asking, You know, someone named Scott Langston? No.

Speaker 1 Okay, what about you know the public school brand, the public school clothing brand? No. Do you know Mario Solomon? No.

Speaker 1 Every time Deontay says no, Combs is getting more upset. It just is like a string of no's.

Speaker 1 Donaldson says, now, it would be fair to say that when you worked at Bad Boy as an intern and as a stylist for Mr. Combs and as a stylist for Mrs.

Speaker 1 What's her name, Mrs.

Speaker 1 He's talking about Cassie.

Speaker 1 Mrs. Fine.
Like it's so clear you did not just forget her last name.

Speaker 1 Alex Fine was a pretty big part of the case in terms of you guys didn't even want him in the room for a certain portion of the testimony oh you feel like it was intentional it did feel intentional like i i mean unless maybe he's not that well versed in the case but like

Speaker 1 you could pull anyone from the public and be like what's cassie's husband's last name and they'd be like fine yeah yeah yeah huh you know interesting you didn't just uh

Speaker 1 like what's her name and he's like fine fine mrs is fine um there were other artists that were also signed to the bad boy roster would that be fair to say yes who were they

Speaker 1 uh french montana wait french montana the hip-hop person rap star he literally says it like

Speaker 1 i know what so he sounds like almost surprised no i think he's trying to draw emphasis on french montana I

Speaker 1 actually don't know.

Speaker 1 You say, oh, the hip-hop Person, rap star. I think he's trying to draw emphasis on French Montana.
That bad boy had signed a lot of people. Maybe some people in the jury would know French Montana.

Speaker 1 Maybe they're fans of French Montana. Maybe he's trying to pull a Mark Agnifilo, which is like, oh, dad, you don't know anything.

Speaker 1 I don't know. It was just kind of odd.

Speaker 1 Yes, I mean, and puff. That's all I can really remember right now.
At this point, I would say that Sean Combs is the most intrigued by the cross-examination. He is the one paying the most attention.

Speaker 1 Even the press are getting lost. I saw a lot of members of the press put down their notebooks and just watch because,

Speaker 1 like, every point that starts somewhere, the notes like end without getting to the point.

Speaker 1 So then it would just be like a new thing that starts, and everyone's just like, we'll just read the transcripts later because what's happening right now?

Speaker 1 I mean, the line of questioning has no clear, obvious point to us. And then it just starts over.
It just feels like a sightseeing tour. Do you recall a haircut that Cassie had, the side haircut? Yes.

Speaker 1 That haircut became almost iconic status, correct? Yes. It became the Cassie cut, correct? Yes.
People all around the world were getting their haircut, correct? Objection, Your Honor.

Speaker 1 Sustained, let's move on. We do not indeed move on.
Who decided that haircut? Who suggested the haircut? Puff.

Speaker 1 Then we take a detour to just celebrity name drop. At least that's what it feels like.
The end of the haircut? Yeah.

Speaker 1 For no reason. That's why I'm telling you a lot of us stop taking our notes because it's like, okay, we're getting somewhere with a haircut.
Is it about coercion? Is it about control? Is it about,

Speaker 1 what is it about? To say that he wasn't the one controlling her because Cassie wanted to cut her hair. Like, what could it be? And then we just got nowhere and then we just move on.
Okay.

Speaker 1 Then we take a detour at a celebrity name drop fest. I mean, perhaps the point Donaldson is trying to make, I think, is that Cassie had ample opportunity to work with massive names in the industry.

Speaker 1 Connections that were all provided by Sean Combs is the point that he's trying to make, I believe. But at this point, 2016, you are basically executive producing this mixtape of Cassie's, correct?

Speaker 1 Deontay did mention that he was heavily involved and that he should have been called an executive. Remember that? In the correct?

Speaker 1 With the team, we have a team. You got no credit for that, right? No.
You got paid no money for that. No one got paid for the mixtape.

Speaker 1 So no one besides you and Cassie knew what you did on this mixtape. Is that fair to say? Rob Holiday.
Rob Holiday is the low-budget producer you said earlier? Yes.

Speaker 1 At this point, all the Combs family and friends are just kind of smirking in the pews because, like, what is this right now? And, like, they probably know Rob Holiday. Oh.

Speaker 1 Like, what did Rob Holiday do? I don't know.

Speaker 1 When you said low-budget producer, you were just saying that because he's a low-paying producer, or he's not a good producer, or he's like a whack producer. Why is he a low-budget producer?

Speaker 1 A little bit of all the above. And he was this low-budget producer also on the mixtape, correct?

Speaker 1 Yes. Meek Mills was on the mixtape, correct?

Speaker 1 Yes. And Meek Mills at the time was a really popular, internationally known rap artist, correct? Correct.
You also said French Montana, correct? Yes.

Speaker 1 He was also a pretty well-known popular rap artist, correct? Correct. Jeremiah, right?

Speaker 1 Yes. Platinum-selling artist? I don't know his stats.
Very popular at the time, though, correct? Yeah, yes. Fabulous? Yes.

Speaker 1 Combs has almost no reaction to any of the names being listed, except when Donaldson brings up Rick Ross.

Speaker 1 Combs sits up, he puts his left arm on the table, and he's kind of now facing a little bit towards Donaldson and now the jury.

Speaker 1 And perhaps he realizes how awkward this is because, in this random, awkward motion, he like puts his right arm up now, and now he's like facing more towards the front, but kind of like a kid at the back of the classroom.

Speaker 1 Like, just like awkward.

Speaker 1 There's a lot to be said about Sean Combs and Rick Ross. Side note.
Jonathan Odie said during his interrogation that the two were sleeping together. That is Jonathan Odie's words.

Speaker 1 I never uttered such a thing. There's also a video of Diddy and Rick Ross that has been making its rounds on TikTok where they are holding up a gallon of soap.
I don't know.

Speaker 1 It's like liquid soap in a gallon. Rick Ross is shirtless.
Janice Combs, Diddy's mom, is in the back in a golf cart. He's calling it an open top, like convertible.

Speaker 1 And they're making all these weird comments and like the energy is off. And Rick Ross is just asking Janice Combs, Diddy's mother, if she likes the slippery soap.
Which, like,

Speaker 1 I don't know. It's just interesting.
I mean, the note, like, the leaning forward, and then he starts taking notes around the time that Rick Ross is mentioned.

Speaker 1 I don't think it's anything other than AI-generated conspiracies, but I am intrigued by everything Jonathan Odi has said. Now, back at the cross, Donaldson asks, But Too Short was on there too? Yes.

Speaker 1 And he is a really well-known, you know, correct? Moderately. Moderately.
So this, these rap artists, these platinum-selling popular rap artists at the time, all were on Cassie's mixtape, correct?

Speaker 1 Which I see the point, but it took a second to get to that point. And I do think that the jurors got lost at that point.

Speaker 1 Deontay's testimony was really only supposed to last for one day because he has a flight scheduled on taxpayer money, by the way, which is not a dig.

Speaker 1 Just to give you an idea, this trial, we don't know the exact figure, but it is likely that for massive federal criminal cases, it's costing you and I, taxpayers, perhaps close to $3 to $10 million, if not more.

Speaker 1 I wouldn't be surprised if it's a lot more. The judge asks him, Mr.
Donaldson, about how much time do you have left? And this is during a break when the jurors are out of the room.

Speaker 1 I have absolutely no reason to believe I'll be finished by four.

Speaker 1 Which is fine. Combs is entitled to a fair trial.
However, Donaldson did not mention any of this earlier when the prosecutors were informing everybody about Deontay's flight back out to LA.

Speaker 1 Even the judge is staring at him like, wait, but did you know that you were not going to be finished by four when we had the discussion and I told the jury that I was going to get them out by four?

Speaker 1 You should have told me that. We would have let the jury go and Miss Comey or other folks from the government side could have made the appropriate arrangements given that there's a flight later today.

Speaker 1 Respectfully, judge, is this a late-breaking development that you now think you won't be done by four?

Speaker 1 Judge, respectfully, I tried to do what the court and Ms. Comey was considering, which is to try and get finished by four.

Speaker 1 After going through what I'm going through, I'm telling the court that I do not think I'll be done by four.

Speaker 1 I understand. Look, you should ask the questions you need to ask.
My only request is moving forward. Just let me know because I don't want to tell the jury something and then have them leave.

Speaker 1 I don't know. When they think that they're going to be here, we can finish something up.
I let them go. I want to be able to give the right instructions to the jury in the future.

Speaker 1 Anyone from the government side, any response or anything regarding scheduling that we need to know? Miss Comey stands up. I'll work on rebooking the witnesses' flight, Your Honor.

Speaker 1 I'll note that this witness does not seem to be fighting Mr. Donaldson.
He seems to be answering the questions.

Speaker 1 I think many of the questions are repetitive and covering the same territory over and over again. I'm hoping we can be more efficient.
The judge says, You mean, how would you define stylist?

Speaker 1 And everyone starts giggling. So the judge was like,

Speaker 1 What are we doing here? Like, we're staying till four for this? Yeah. Exactly, Your Honor.
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Speaker 1 And then on the break, you know, the only thing is we do need to move this along. Maybe we can use the break to make sure that we're being as streamlined as possible.

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Speaker 1 So during the break, there's a brief huddle with Combs and his attorneys. Combs looks like the football coach trying to motivate his team.

Speaker 1 And then he glances back at Justin Combs, his son, who gives gives him a thumbs up. And I wrote in my notes, sir, don't lie to your dad.
Like, that's crazy.

Speaker 1 What is, like, that's not what's happening right now in the pews. It's not what we observe in the jury right now, but I guess, sure, thumbs up.
Maybe it's like, hee hee. I don't know.

Speaker 1 Or maybe this is all a stalling tactic. Maybe this is all part of a greater chess move that I am too dumb to even recognize.
I don't know, but it wasn't giving thumbs up.

Speaker 1 Another thought that we had was that this was a scare tactic from Mia, which is the second victim testifying in this case. And she was actually in the courthouse.

Speaker 1 She was supposed to start her testimony right after Deontay Nash,

Speaker 1 but we didn't even get to her that day.

Speaker 1 So it did. Maybe it was a scare tactic.
I don't know. It was so confusing.
The cross was so confusing. We thought of all these crazy things of like,

Speaker 1 maybe that's another.

Speaker 1 Like, we're like, there's got to be a strategy because what was that? If there's no strategy, what was that?

Speaker 1 After the break, Deontay Nash walks back in. This time he's wearing a big bomber jacket.
Diddy's entire family watches him walk down the aisle.

Speaker 1 Combs is popping what appears to be a cough drop in his mouth. Deontay sits down and the judge looks at his new jacket.
It's not just you. It is freezing in here.
It is freezing in here.

Speaker 1 I'm like, how are y'all doing this every day? If you thought that things would get better after the break, Donaldson leans forward into the mic. Mr.
Nash, welcome back. Thank you.
You're welcome.

Speaker 1 Nice coat. Thank you.
You're very welcome. What size is it? Not your size.

Speaker 1 And everyone, I mean, I don't even know why he asked that question.

Speaker 1 Everyone starts giggling. That's the right answer.
You got the right answer. I just want to ask you a few more questions about the stylist part.
I'm just going to go really quickly.

Speaker 1 Donaldson asks questions about whether or not Sean Combs would naturally have the last say in the artists of their label about stylistic choices, considering it's entertainment business.

Speaker 1 Aka, Sean Combs did not have any special control or force over Cassie. It's just part of Hollywood.

Speaker 1 That as the label owner, he would have to approve of what she wears, how she dresses, and not as her boyfriend. But Deontay says, no, Sean Combs had control over Cassie, the other artists, not really.

Speaker 1 Who would be the final decision maker?

Speaker 1 Most of the time, the artists kind of did their own thing. But they would send it to Mr.
Combs or someone to get some type of consultation in the decision-making. Would that be fair to say?

Speaker 1 Not that I know of. Some of them look terrible.

Speaker 1 The jurors giggle again, and some of them are glancing at each other like, this is crazy right now. The ones that you did, they didn't look terrible.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 Donaldson abandons this line of questioning and moves on to perhaps hint at the idea that maybe Cassie and Deontay have been talking about their testimonies, getting on the same page.

Speaker 1 That's the hint that he's dropping. I'm not saying it's true.
That's what he's trying to drop, but it kind of backfires. Now, as far as Cassie is concerned, she's your good friend, best friend.

Speaker 1 When is the last time you spoke to her? After she had the baby yesterday, tell her congratulations. And he's more so telling everyone in the gallery.

Speaker 1 Oh, you're saying congratulations, or you're telling me to tell her congratulations. He's like, no, no, no, thanks.
Like, you don't go tell her congratulations. You're crazy.

Speaker 1 There's a few gasps, combs from his side profile.

Speaker 1 He does, like, a subtle nod, but it appears that his jaw is clenched.

Speaker 1 And, like, we can tell because usually his default is that his mouth is slightly ajar, but it's, like, clear that his jaw is clenched.

Speaker 1 And it just, in our personal opinions, it looks like he's trying to watch his face because, of course, everyone's gonna be looking for his reaction. Even the judge butts in.

Speaker 1 All right, let's keep it going. The last time you spoke to her was yesterday? Yes.
And before that was when? Polly the day before that. So it's fair to say that you spoke to her.

Speaker 1 You know she testified in this trial, correct? Yes. You spoke to her before she testified, correct? Yes.
You spoke to her after she testified, correct? Yes.

Speaker 1 Did you speak to her in the middle of her testimony? Um, not really, no. You say not really, what does that mean? Did she call you? Did she did you ask her how she was doing?

Speaker 1 How she was doing, but more like her clothes stuff, and Marnie handled most of that because she was here in New York.

Speaker 1 And so you spoke to her about what clothes she should wear while she was testifying. Is that fair to say? Yeah.
Donaldson takes off his glasses. Because Cassie is one of your best friends.

Speaker 1 You were helping her pick out the clothing that she was going to wear to come to court, correct? Correct. Because again, she's still an artist, entertainer.
So it's important how she looks, correct?

Speaker 1 The feeling is he's making it seem like the point that I got was trying to make it seem like Cassie is vain.

Speaker 1 She's a performer at the end of the day that wanted to do anything to excel her career, perhaps even possibly draw a conclusion and connection that if she's a performer, was she performing while she was testifying?

Speaker 1 Was this all a performance turn? Like, it's just, it's not a good look. I don't know how deep this like rabbit hole could go down.

Speaker 1 Maybe it's just, hey, jurors usually don't like vain women who care about their clothes a lot. Maybe it's that.
But Deontay shuts it down as quickly as Donaldson brings it up. Oh no, that wasn't why.

Speaker 1 You wanted to make sure she looked good coming to court. No, She couldn't fit anything.
She needed clothes. Because of the pregnancy.
Yes.

Speaker 1 You wanted to get the right clothing for her pregnancy. Exactly.

Speaker 1 You wanted to pick out the stuff that fit her for the pregnancy. Correct.

Speaker 1 So again, that didn't go anywhere. No, and I feel like the jurors were...

Speaker 1 I think that even if you watch the internet reactions, I think that Cassie is a more polarizing witness in this case.

Speaker 1 I think depending on a lot of the biases that people have going into this, some people think that she's a gold digger. She knew what she was getting into.

Speaker 1 And like maybe those people exist in the jury. Who's to say? I'm not in the jury, right?

Speaker 1 But just there, when I was watching their reactions to Cassie's testimony, there were some times where it felt like the jurors were not as receptive of her or where they didn't like certain things.

Speaker 1 It seemed like they really didn't like her intercontinental lawsuit. It didn't seem like they even liked her lawsuit against Sean Combs, where she got $20 million as a settlement.

Speaker 1 It's like these things, you could just kind of sense something. However, with Deontay Nash, the way he talks about Cassie, he makes her less polarizing.

Speaker 1 Because it's just like a feeling of like, if I have a best friend who is doing all of this for me, like I should be doing something right. Like he just makes her a lot less polar.

Speaker 1 I don't know if that's making any sense. Makes sense.
Yeah. And just the way that he's talking about her, smiles when he sees her picture, like it feels very genuine.

Speaker 1 Now, Donaldson, in what feels like a last resort, just takes the role of a fed. My researcher writes, sir, are you a narc? What is happening?

Speaker 1 Now, we also mentioned yesterday that you had met with the government several times, correct? Yes. Too many times to even remember, correct? Yes.

Speaker 1 On the few of your meetings with the government, were you, did you arrive at the meeting before smoking marijuana? One of them, Maureen, cut it short. Maureen is Maureen Comey.
Because of what?

Speaker 1 She said she wanted me to have a clear mind. So you went to the meeting and you told her that you were high at the time? Yeah, I didn't say high.
I said I'm smoking right now. I didn't say I was high.

Speaker 1 I'm sorry. So you told her that you were smoking.
Well, not in the meeting, before you got to the meeting. Yes.

Speaker 1 And then Miss Comey told you you need to stop the meeting because she wanted you to have a clear mind. I don't know where this went.
That was it.

Speaker 1 And then he later asks Deontay Nash about another party. You said that Cassie was super high, correct? Correct.
And you said that Mr. Combs was intoxicated, correct? Correct.

Speaker 1 Did you get Cassie super high? Excuse me?

Speaker 1 And both of Deontay's attorneys are staring at each other like, what the hell is happening right now? One of them even shakes their head in disbelief. Did you give no? No, I did not.

Speaker 1 Then he starts talking about the Revolt Conference, which is when Cassie saw a picture of Combs with Gina, the girl that he told her she didn't have to worry about.

Speaker 1 Well, Donaldson is asking Deontay about it, and he's trying to describe revolt. Donaldson says, and when we say revolt conference, revolt is, I guess, um, professional web.

Speaker 1 It's uh, and he's like using his hands in the air. It's, um, it's owned the, Diddy is looking at him like, you don't know what the fk revolt is.
Like, he genuinely looks offended.

Speaker 1 Just, it feels like forever before Deontay pulls him out of his misery. It's an entertainment conference.
Entertainment company? Conference, the Revolt Conference. Yeah.

Speaker 1 It was, it was owned by Sean Combs, correct? Correct.

Speaker 1 Eventually, Donaldson leads up to the idea that perhaps Deontay was the one that sent Cassie a picture of Combs to show that he was with Gina while she was in South Africa.

Speaker 1 And Deontay responds, oh, no, no, no, no. You're not putting this on me.
That was another stylist named Icon Tips that texted her and said, oh, girl, you look good coming out the car.

Speaker 1 And she called me and told me, girl, is that girl Gina there? So Icon Tips thought it was Cassie coming out the car,

Speaker 1 but it was Gina. At that point, the jurors, the press, nobody can even try to keep a professional face.
Everybody's grinning. The press don't even really know what to write at all.

Speaker 1 There's just lots of rustling. Even Diddy looks confused of like, I don't know what my reaction is supposed to be.
He's just blinking.

Speaker 1 And so you told her at this point in time, listen, I could hook you up with Michael B. Jordan, correct? Mm-mm-mm.

Speaker 1 No, that wasn't you? No, that's not how it happened. So you said that you set her up with Michael B.
Jordan, correct? Yeah, but that's not how that happened.

Speaker 1 At this point, Combs' close childhood friend, who is like one pew diagonal from us, in front of us, he starts mouthing kind of comically to no one in particular, like, what?

Speaker 1 And he's like looking around. And I'm like, I don't know either, sir.

Speaker 1 You tell me.

Speaker 1 At one point, Donaldson calls Michael B. Jordan Michael Jordan and Deontay snaps Michael B.
Jordan, not Michael Jordan. Yeah, you want to get that right.

Speaker 1 Donaldson goes on to ask about others that Cassie might have had a relationship with.

Speaker 1 And this is supposed to be a moment where it's like, see, jurors, see, Cassie is having all of these relationships. She's not coerced into anything.
Look at her cheating on combs.

Speaker 1 It's just a a toxic relationship. Cassie was in a relationship with Andre Branch.

Speaker 1 Deontay looks confused. And then he responds, ah, the cute football player.

Speaker 1 Everyone starts giggling, and one of the jurors is chewing on their pen tip like, this is the best thing I've heard in the whole world. Like the best tea I've heard in the whole world.

Speaker 1 Yes, the cute football player. Yes.
Oh, yeah, but I never met him. But you were aware that Cassie was in a relationship with Andre Branch, correct? Yeah.

Speaker 1 Are you also, are you aware of a person named Brandon from the NFL?

Speaker 1 No.

Speaker 1 Combs wrinkles his eyebrows and starts writing on a post-it that is now going to be teleported through the attorneys to Donaldson at the lectern, but before it gets there, Donaldson corrects himself.

Speaker 1 I'm sorry, NBA, NBA, not NFL, NBA.

Speaker 1 Still no. Still no?

Speaker 1 No.

Speaker 1 A few other notable moments. Donaldson tries to build this picture where

Speaker 1 whenever Cassie would get mad at Sean Combs for him cheating on her, she would also go out and party, like a wild party girl. But Deontay is not having it.
Not necessarily.

Speaker 1 She and I are both super chill. We spent a lot of time at home, to be quite honest.
He brings up a text message. Donaldson does.

Speaker 1 But Deontay texts her, but when you said, girl, let's go out and do our thing. Deontay says, no, boo, nothing crazy.
Like, that's like going to Nobu.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Donaldson brings up text messages where Deontay asks Cassie, what are you doing? Cassie responds, about to go out of town for a couple of days getting my stuff together.
Where are you going?

Speaker 1 Secret trip, LOL. Donaldson has Deontay read out each message that he sent Cassie.
And then Cassie responds, Secret Trip, LOL.

Speaker 1 Deontay leans into the mic to read his full message that we also see on this screen. And it just reads, girl.

Speaker 1 And he says it like that. And then everyone is just like suppressing their giggles in the courtroom because everyone is stressed.
And like, it is kind of funny.

Speaker 1 The jurors are reading these text messages like they're like. moving around in their chair, biting their pen tip like this is YouTube drama.

Speaker 1 That's the energy during this testimony because of how insane insane the back and forth between Donaldson and Deontay is. The jurors are not even trying to suppress smiles.

Speaker 1 Even the judge is smiling at that. And then he adjusts his glasses and he is no longer smiling because justice is not light and there is a lot of weight on his shoulders.

Speaker 1 But Donaldson is a very serious man here. He says, so when she says, So, Donaldson has never giggled.
No, and that's like,

Speaker 1 this is why I think the defense attorneys, like, I go back and forth because, in some respects, yes, I do think that everyone deserves a fair trial.

Speaker 1 I think that is the right. And I think anyone that represents a client should fight with their full heart and chest.

Speaker 1 However, I think, okay, well, if I was a defense attorney and I was already making money because I'm a good one, because these are top dogs in their field, would I take on certain clients?

Speaker 1 Would I be a little more choosy with who I take on as clients? Maybe, because there were other attorneys that turned down Diddy.

Speaker 1 So then I go back and forth, but then sometimes, like, the way I see see them, they're so passionate and they never giggle. I'm like,

Speaker 1 I get confused. Do these people just believe everything they say? Like that's how I feel about Mark Agnifilo, Brian Steele, and Donaldson.

Speaker 1 Like they have this way about them where I'm like, No, but like we're all giggling because you can't be serious. But then I look at you and you look so serious.

Speaker 1 So now I'm confused. Like I thought you were playing into something, but then I look at you and you're so serious.
Like you're saying this with your full chest.

Speaker 1 Like Mark Agnifilo is like, he went to Costco because Americans buy in bulk and so he bought baby oil in bulk. And then when I first heard that, I thought he was crazy.

Speaker 1 When I see him in person, I'm like, I think he genuinely believes this. I think Diddy told him that.
And he's like,

Speaker 1 yeah.

Speaker 1 I could be wrong. I could be so naive.

Speaker 1 And she's going on a secret trip somewhere, correct? Correct. And she didn't tell you where she was going, correct? No.

Speaker 1 Because she didn't want you to know where she was going, correct? Probably didn't want to text it. Well, you didn't call her back and say, what's What's the secret trip? Where are you going?

Speaker 1 etc., correct? I may have, or she may have told me. Good friends don't really pry like that, you know what I mean? To which a lot of the jurors look like they're agreeing with Deontay.

Speaker 1 What do you mean, agree with Deontay? Like, a lot of them are, a few of them are kind of looking up, and it's almost like they're stopping themselves from a nod.

Speaker 1 Because it's like, that makes sense.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 Throughout a lot of the testimony, Combs goes from glancing at Donaldson to blinking non-stop, and eventually the cross just becomes so long that he just starts looking at the clock, which is right on the wall behind the press pews.

Speaker 1 There were other parts of the cross that were just again, I get what the defense is doing, but it just keeps backfiring.

Speaker 1 For example, Donaldson brings up another text message thread where Deontay gets a picture from Cassie, a selfie, where he responds, that mug beat though. Donaldson has to quickly clarify.

Speaker 1 When you say beat, you mean beat. Between you and Cassie means good.
Like your makeup is beat, nice, right? So you were telling her at that point in March of 2019, her face looked beat.

Speaker 1 Nice though, right? Correct.

Speaker 1 Which, like, the fact that you have to clarify that because your client's actions on hotel footage is probably like whatever impact the rest of the text messages had, nothing compared to that point.

Speaker 1 Another text message exhibit shows Cassie texting Deontay that she wants to be different this year. And she says, Puff is mad at me, of course.

Speaker 1 Deontay responds, y'all need to enjoy y'all trip, get back to the bullshit later, enjoy y'all time together. Y'all don't get this much.
Cassie responds, it's not bull.

Speaker 1 This is the bitch I'm gonna be this year. He can stay or go.
And as this is being read out by Donaldson, Deontay smiles and comments into the mic, that's right, Cass.

Speaker 1 And like a few of the jurors are smiling because, again, I think Cassie's testimony might have been a bit more polarizing just looking and perceiving at the jurors, but

Speaker 1 you can't hate a bestie that just got your back no matter what. Yeah, and it's like you just want a friend like that.

Speaker 1 And then it's like when you know that Cassie has this, everyone seems to rally around her, it's like, okay,

Speaker 1 you know, it just adds a little bit more weight,

Speaker 1 I would think. Then later in the same text, Deontay texts Cassie again, you look beat, what's your tea? Donaldson has to clarify once more.

Speaker 1 When you say you look beat, that means you're referring to the pictures that she just sent you where she looks really good and the picture's correct. Oh, yeah.

Speaker 1 Again, not the best look for the defense, which I get it, weird argument, but okay. The point of the whole text though is this part where Deontay texts Cassie, girl, you always on vacation.

Speaker 1 To which Cassie responds, I know, God lets me because I put up with a lot of BS. Basically trying to show the jurors that Cassie was in a relationship with a clear exchange.

Speaker 1 She was also getting something out of it. However, again, that kind of clarification of the face looks beat, the impact is kind of lost.

Speaker 1 In another part of the cross, Donaldson clarifies, I believe you said in 2013 outside Cassie's apartment, he told Cassie in front of you that he would leak her videos. Is that right?

Speaker 1 And I think this is the same conversation where he said to you, you and Cassie, take your broke ass home and ride to the sunset. Yes.
You and Cassie went back home after that, correct?

Speaker 1 What do you mean? You went back after he said, take your broke ass home, you and Cassie left, correct? Yeah, we rode out into the sunset.

Speaker 1 Yo, what is going on?

Speaker 1 I don't know what the whole point of that one was either.

Speaker 1 In another moment, Donaldson brings up the 29th birthday party for Cassie, with his main question being, if you had seen Sean Combs being violent towards Cassie, your best friend, why would you still want him to come surprise her for her birthday?

Speaker 1 He then called you when you were at the restaurant and said he was coming over, correct? No, he was there when we got there. He was in Miami.

Speaker 1 He called me from Miami and asked if he should fly and come. Sorry, he called you from Miami and asked if he should fly back from Miami to come and attend this birthday party.
Correct.

Speaker 1 He flew up from Miami to attend the birthday party, correct? Correct. Did you tell Cassie who's coming? No.

Speaker 1 Because you want Cassie to be surprised by her boyfriend who is coming up to see her for the birthday party, correct? Who wants to be the person person that tells somebody the surprise?

Speaker 1 Which again, almost everyone is kind of nodding because it's like, I get what Donaldson is trying to say.

Speaker 1 Like, if you saw him be so violent and so terrifying, why would you want him to come to her birthday? But also at the same time, like, Deontay has a very fair point.

Speaker 1 But the defense does what the defense has been doing, which is showing messages between Deontay and Combs from the past few years where Deontay is nice to Combs, which I feel like in the direct, he was pretty straight up about it.

Speaker 1 Yeah. One message is from 2019.
So this is after the breakup, after Cassie starts dating Alex Fine. It's from Deontay to Combs, sending you my love.
Combs respond, yeah, right.

Speaker 1 We were fam, disappointed, still got love, all good.

Speaker 1 Wait, Combs said that. We were family, and

Speaker 1 I'm disappointed, but I still got love for you. We're all good.
Okay. And so Deontay responds, uh-uh, puff, don't do that.
My love for you don't have nothing to do with anything else.

Speaker 1 Combs responds to Deontay, nah,

Speaker 1 the trainer, the trainer, in my soldier boy voice, damn, could have given a heads up. The trainer, question mark, shaking my head, and then there's laughing emojis.
And then there's no response.

Speaker 1 So Combs texts Deontay back again. Oh, now you quiet.
We'll always be cool. No love lost.
Love you, girl, blackheart emoji. But on a real note, how is she? Please make sure she's all right.

Speaker 1 And if she ever needs me, make sure you call me. Then another message in which Deontay asks to see the full message.
Is there a way I can see the whole message? No.

Speaker 1 Sorry, I'm not just being that this is just the evidence we have right now. That's Donaldson.

Speaker 1 He has Deontay, read the message to Combs. I love you, brother, and anything you need, I got you.

Speaker 1 But the main point being, Cassie never told Deontay about not wanting to do freak offs, and all this was happening behind the scenes, and Deontay is still talking to Combs with love.

Speaker 1 You deeply care for Cassie, correct? Correct. And you have deeply cared for her for about 15 years, correct? Correct.

Speaker 1 But you understand, though, for a significant part of that time, she kept major secrets from you. I kept some from her.
We don't have to tell each other everything.

Speaker 1 But you do acknowledge she kept major secrets from you, correct? Same. Correct? Yes?

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 1 And I don't know if it's just the way the line of questioning took place in Unraveled. It kind of made Cassie's story sadder.

Speaker 1 It didn't feel like she's hiding this from you because she loves it. It just kind of felt like

Speaker 1 she couldn't even tell her best friend.

Speaker 1 And then she had to tell the world. So it's just kind of sad.

Speaker 1 Like that was the feeling. Like it didn't give what I think they wanted it to give.

Speaker 1 In the redirect, Prosecutor Comey brings it home. Why did you always have concerns for Cassie's safety if she also told you that she was happy at times with Mr.
Combs?

Speaker 1 Because it can go from happy to chaotic in a split second. And when it went from happy to chaotic in front of you, what had you seen happen? Him be violent.

Speaker 1 What did you hear him say at Cassie's apartment that Cassie was going to do that night on her birthday? Your girl, you're gonna get some dick tonight.

Speaker 1 What did Cassie tell you the same night about whether she wanted to go with Mr. Combs to a hotel? She didn't want to go, she wanted to hang out with us.
And with that, there is no recross.

Speaker 1 So, Comey is really good at just like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, and then just clears it up. Comey is incredibly sharp.
I think she's like the way she communicates is insane.

Speaker 1 I think she could could teach 25 masterclasses on communication. She's effective.
She's to the point. She knows exactly what the jurors need to hear afterwards.

Speaker 1 I don't know how she does it. I think, I don't even know if this is something you can teach people.
Wow.

Speaker 1 And with that, there is no recross, and Deontay Nash is dismissed. On his way out, he passes Xavier Donaldson at the defense table and he leans down and he whispers something with a smile.

Speaker 1 We couldn't hear it, but I imagine because my researcher and I were like, okay, the vibe, the vibe is this. Well, that was fun.
Let's do it again sometime.

Speaker 1 Like that, if I had to bet money, I would bet $10 it was that.

Speaker 1 Like, that's the vibe the whole cross was giving. It's like this very sarcastic, like, I'm not going to be rude to you, but I don't like you.
Yeah, yeah. And Cassie's my best friend.
Wow.

Speaker 1 And with that, he walks in.

Speaker 1 He ate, the jurors loved him. Wow.
Yeah. I don't know if they loved everything he was saying, but they were having a blast.

Speaker 1 And I think it's like only natural if someone's making you laugh that frequently, you generally have a positive feeling towards them. Was there a lot of like auditory?

Speaker 1 Yes. Like, wow.
This was probably the most giggly day. Like, everyone was just giggling.

Speaker 1 And it was just non-stop.

Speaker 1 Yeah.

Speaker 1 But.

Speaker 1 It is probably the last light day that we are going to have because the next episode you'll see will be likely a mixture of Mia, the second victim, as well as Jane, the third victim, that is going to take the stand probably the day that you see this.

Speaker 1 So I will be in the courtroom while you're watching this and

Speaker 1 I'll let you know how it goes. So with that being said, please stay safe and I will see you in the next one.

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