By Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister
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New York (AP)-another ex-girlfriend who says they’re “Diddy” combs abused her and compelled her to take part in medication fed with medication to testify Thursday on the Hip-Hop sexual trafficking trial in New York.
The lady, who makes use of the pseudonym “Jane”, is amongst a number of witnesses who accuse the combs of violence in direction of them, together with her ex -girlfriend, the singer of R&B Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Cassie has testified that ComBs assaulted her on quite a few events and made her endure “lots of” of sexual actions referred to as “Freak-Offs” that he allegedly noticed and filmed.
Jane, a single mom, went out with combs for 3 years from 2020, roughly two years after her relationship with Cassie ended. The prosecutors mentioned that combs’s relationship with Jane started as a romance, however quickly trusted their promotions with male intercourse employees.
Combs, 55, declared himself harmless of the positions of administering his business empire as an extortion firm that allowed and hid the abuse of ladies for 20 years. He faces 15 years of life if he’s convict.
Whereas the jury members have been at lunch, Decide Arun Subramanian informed the attorneys that he noticed combs trying on the jury and “nodding vigorously” throughout the interrogation of Bryana “Bana” Bongolan, a pal of Cassie. He warned that any repeated display “might end result within the exclusion of his shopper from the Courtroom Chamber.” Defensor lawyer Marc Agnifilo mentioned he understood. The decide severely added: “There needs to be no efforts to have an interplay with this jury.”
Jane’s testimony may have an extra degree of secret to guard their privateness: tv displays that typically present the general public to the general public can be deactivated. Decide Arun Subramanian agreed with prosecutors that exhibitions, together with textual content messages and images, embrace identification details about Jane. The video and audio of the witness, the decide and the attorneys will nonetheless be proven.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey mentioned that the variations written from the proof, with eradicated identification info, can be made public the day after the jury sees them. She mentioned Jane may even learn any textual content message entered as proof aloud. In contrast to an earlier nameless witness, Jane has too many textual content messages for writing on the identical day, prosecutors mentioned.
Subramanian rejected a request from the information organizations to delay the trial or reorganize witnesses to provide time to prosecutors for writings. He warned observers to not describe or draw Jane in a method that he might reveal his id.
The testimony resumed on Thursday morning with the protection that continued to query Bongolan, a graphic designer.
Bongolan had testified on Wednesday that an indignant foot hung her as soon as on a balcony of a excessive -rise residence constructing in Los Angeles for 10 to 15 seconds. She says that the 2016 episode traumatized her and left her with sturdy nightmares. For some time later, he mentioned that he would get up screaming.
The combs attorneys say that Bongolan was a heavy drug person and will have been excessive throughout the alleged assault, what she denies. Bongolan has a pending demand in opposition to combs.
The defending lawyer Nicole Westmoreland pressed Bongolan about inconsistencies on Thursday, suggesting that she lied or exaggerated a few of her statements.
The lawyer mentioned that combs might not have been in Los Angeles when Bongolan alleges that he hung her from the balcony. Combs acted on the tour throughout most of September 2016, together with dates on the east coast across the second when cellphone metadata exhibits that it took images of their alleged accidents.
“You agree that an individual can’t be in two locations on the identical time,” Westmoreland requested.
Bongolan replied: “In related principle, sure. It’s tough to answer that.”
Interpreted once more by prosecutors, Bongolan mentioned that though he doesn’t keep in mind the precise date, he has little doubt that the balcony episode occurred.
The lawyer additionally precipitated Bongolan that ComBs didn’t press his breasts so strongly that they magullar them throughout the balcony episode. Bongolan acknowledged that he fired the lawyer who made some incorrect statements, even about bruises to his breasts.
Bongolan additionally acknowledged that he smoked marijuana with combs shortly after the balcony episode, then went to one among his live shows every week later and a non-public occasion that he celebrated on the identical time.
“You were not too afraid to not go to Mr. Combs occasion, proper?” Westmoreland requested.
“I at all times had a sense inside, however I did,” Bongolan mentioned.
Bongolan additionally beforehand testified that he noticed combs abusing Cassie.
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Related Press Dave Collins author in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.