Diddy Trial Update: Juror Removed & Shocking Evidence

Juror Dismissal Shakes the Trial

Last Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed Juror No. 6 after discovering inconsistencies in his residency claims. Initially, the juror said he lived in the Bronx with his fiancée and newborn daughter—but questioned again, he admitted living in New Jersey and only commuting to the Bronx for work. Concerned that the juror had “manufactured” answers to stay on the panel, the judge replaced him with the first alternate juror—41-year-old Marcus Hayes—over defense objections that it would reduce the jury’s diversity. “It would be improper to allow the race of a juror … to influence the proper course here,” the judge ruled, setting the tone for a week of high-stakes courtroom drama.

Freak-offs Videos Unleashed on Jurors

On Monday, for the first time in the six-week trial, jurors watched three short “freak-offs” videos recorded in 2012 and 2014. Up to that point, they’d only seen still images and heard audio. With headphones on, the jury viewed explicit footage of Sean “Diddy” Combs at private hotel parties—some jurors appeared unfazed, but one covered her eyes and another winced visibly. Security protocols blocked the video from media monitors to prevent leaks, but a stray soundtrack moment briefly broadcast into the public gallery, leading to awkward courtroom encounters and renewed warnings from the bench about confidentiality.

Text Messages and Graphic Evidence

Prosecution witnesses painted a damning picture of Combs’ hotel-party ecosystem:

• Nanian Sankar, a public-service legal analyst, verified the accuracy of government-compiled charts summarizing hundreds of pages of texts, call logs, audio, and images. Among them was a November 14, 2021 message from Combs to former chief of staff Kristina Khorram, asking if his hotel room was set up without revealing his identity—corroborating allegations he used fake names to avoid steep rates.
• Sankar also authenticated exchanges about drug purchases and hotel parties, including messages between Combs and a known trafficker arranging narcotics deliveries.

“Freak-Off” Party Logistics

The jur. saw texts confirming that Combs arranged transport and lodging for paid escorts—actions prosecutors say constitute sex trafficking and interstate transportation for prostitution.

Brendan Paul’s Immunized Testimony

On Friday, Brendan Paul, Combs’ one-time personal assistant, took the stand under a grant of immunity. Key revelations included:

1. He purchased drugs—cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy—and stocked them for Combs’ personal use.
2. In March 2024, Paul was arrested for accidentally packing cocaine at Miami airport; he claims he was merely “cleaning up” Combs’ belongings and didn’t disclose the perpetrator to protect his employer.
3. He invoked the Fifth Amendment at first but was compelled to testify after the judge granted limited immunity.
4. Under cross-examination, Paul denied that drug-running was any part of his official duties, stressing it was purely incidental.

The prosecution then circled back to show messages between Combs and ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, discussing parties and alleged physical assaults, reinforcing patterns of coercion and abuse.

What’s Next & Keeping You Informed

Closing arguments are set to begin this Thursday, with prosecutors allotted four hours and the defense following on Friday. Jury deliberations may begin as soon as early next week.