Witnesses reveal details of drugs and weapons on eighth day of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

The eighth day of the federal trial against Sean "Diddy" Combs on racketeering and sex trafficking charges brought shocking testimony from several witnesses, including a former assistant, a federal agent, an expert psychologist and a male escort.

The accounts presented to the jury in New York offered a detailed look at the allegations against the music mogul, including alleged drug use, abuse and findings from a search of his property.

Testimony of George Kaplan, former executive assistant

George Kaplan, who worked as an executive assistant to Combs, testified about the extreme demands of his job, working 80 to 100 hours a week, sometimes as late as 7 a.m.

Kaplan, who earned approximately $125,000 a year, described how he communicated daily with Combs to address needs such as clothing, food, drugs, alcohol and other items.

According to Kaplan, Combs threatened his employment almost monthly, on one occasion reprimanding him for not purchasing the correct items.

He further revealed that part of his role included setting up hotel rooms for Combs in cities such as New York, Miami, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and Orlando. He would receive a bag of clothes, a speaker, candles, liquor, baby oil and lubricant, and later purchase these same items with a corporate card.

He also stated that he understood that his role included protecting Combs' image. After Combs' visits to these rooms, Kaplan would clean up, finding liquor bottles, sports drinks, baby oil and, on one occasion, a "brown crystallized powder" on a countertop. He also testified to picking up drugs for Combs, including MDMA, in Miami and Los Angeles.

Gerard Gannon, special agent with Homeland Security Investigations

Gerard Gannon, special agent in charge of the March 2024 raid of Combs' Miami Beach home, offered details about the findings at the property.

The search, linked to a human trafficking investigation, involved between 80 and 90 agents due to the size of the residence.

In the master bedroom closet, high heels, sex toys, lingerie, 25 bottles of baby oil, 31 bottles of lubricant, three cell phones and AR-15 rifle parts were found. Also found was a Gucci bag with pills, white powder and a crystalline substance that tested positive for cocaine, ketamine, MDMA and alprazolam.

Gannon showed the jury an evidence bag with bullets from a .45-caliber pistol found in a guard shack.

Dawn Hughes, expert psychologist

Clinical and forensic psychologist Dawn Hughes testified as a "blind expert," providing general information about domestic violence, sexual assault and traumatic stress without having evaluated victims or witnesses in this case.

Hughes explained that it is common for victims to remain in abusive relationships due to traumatic bonding, shame, and financial control by the abuser.

She stated that victims often take months or years to talk about the abuse and often use minimizing language. Hughes, who charges $600 per hour and $6,000 per day to testify, has testified in high-profile cases such as those of Johnny Depp, Keith Raniere and R. Kelly.

The defense, led by Jonathan Bach, questioned her impartiality, noting that she has never testified in defense of a man accused of sex crimes.

Sharay Hayes, male escort

Sharay Hayes, an exotic dancer, described his role in creating "sexy scenes" with Cassie Ventura for Combs, claiming he never perceived discomfort in Ventura.

Hayes testified that he did not use drugs with the couple, although he was offered alcohol and marijuana, and that he took performance-enhancing drugs. His last interaction with Combs and Ventura was in 2016, when he was paid by Ventura, who thanked him for his discretion.

Other testimonials

David James, a former assistant to Combs, previously testified about witnessing Combs' drug use, setting up hotel rooms and being subjected to lie detector tests and intimidating searches.

Regina Ventura, mother of Cassie Ventura, spoke about the alleged abuse of her daughter and a $20,000 loan solicited by Combs.

Trial to continue Thursday

The trial will continue on Thursday at 9 a.m. ET, with the continuation of testimony from Gannon and Kaplan. The jury continues to evaluate evidence in a case that has captured public attention because of the serious allegations against the entertainment icon.