Burden of Proof: Follow the Money

Summary

Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy Episode Summary: “Burden of Proof: Follow the Money” Release Date: June 3, 2025
Host: ABC News
Description: This episode delves deep into the federal case against Sean "Diddy" Combs, exploring allegations of sexual abuse, manipulation, and sex trafficking. Through witness testimonies, legal analyses, and expert interviews, the podcast traces Diddy's rise and fall in the entertainment industry.

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1. Introduction to the Diddy Trial

The episode opens with Eva Pilgrim setting the stage for the intense legal battle against Sean "Diddy" Combs. She outlines the key allegations, including the infamous 2016 video capturing Diddy assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.

Notable Quote:

“We begin with ABC News chief investigative correspondent Erin Katerski live outside the federal courthouse here in Manhattan.” ([01:13])

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2. The 2016 Hotel Assault Video

A significant portion of the trial centers around a 2016 video showing Diddy assaulting Cassie Ventura. Aaron Katerski reports on Eddie Garcia’s testimony, a hotel security guard granted immunity for his pivotal role.

Key Points:

• Eddie Garcia testified that Diddy paid him $100,000 to suppress the video.
• The payment process involved a brown paper bag and a bill counter, highlighting the clandestine nature of the transaction.
• Diddy’s family members were present in court, witnessing the reappearance of the video, which seemed unsurprising to them.

Notable Quotes:

“Sean Combs paid $100,000 to keep it from being seen.” – Aaron Katerski ([02:37])
“He asked me, do you want to count it? And I trust the machine.” – Eddie Garcia ([03:49])

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3. Financial Maneuvering and Alleged Money Trails

The financial aspects of the case reveal a complex web of transactions aimed at obscuring illicit activities.

Key Points:

• Derek Ferguson, Diddy’s former CFO, detailed how funds were managed, including reimbursements and wire transfers.
• A notable wire transfer of $20,000 from Cassie Ventura’s father to Diddy, which was returned four days later, suggesting financial manipulation tied to personal disputes.
• The defense portrays these transactions as legitimate business dealings, while prosecutors argue they indicate a broader criminal enterprise.

Notable Quotes:

“There is $20,000 in from Cassie Ventura's dad and it being returned four days later.” – Aaron Katerski ([05:47])
“This is what the government is trying to argue is this criminal enterprise, his movement of money that is disguised as legitimate business deals.” – Bryan Buckmire ([10:19])

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4. Courtroom Dynamics and Observations

The trial environment has been tense, with unexpected disruptions and strategic courtroom behavior.

Key Points:

• A woman caused a disturbance in court, heckling reporters and shouting in defense of Diddy, leading to her removal by security. This incident was observed by Diddy.
• The defense and prosecution engaged in vigorous debates over the credibility of testimonies and the integrity of evidence presented.

Notable Quotes:

“She started yelling about the treatment of Sean Combs.” – Aaron Katerski ([06:34])
“Eddie Garcia's testimony... almost was reminiscent of Kid Cudi talking about that Marvel supervillain of Sean Combs.” – Bryan Buckmire ([07:11])

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5. Defense Strategies and Legal Maneuvering

Brian Buckmire (Defense) and Bernardo Villalona (Prosecutor) discuss their respective legal strategies, focusing on undermining the prosecution’s narrative and strengthening defense claims.

Key Points:

• The defense argues that Diddy’s actions were aimed at protecting his image and legitimate business interests, not furthering a criminal enterprise.
• They challenge the validity and expertise of key prosecution witnesses, aiming to cast doubt on their testimonies.
• The prosecution emphasizes the pattern of obstruction and financial manipulation as evidence of a criminal conspiracy.

Notable Quotes:

“Sean Combs was directly involved in arranging for this payoff and to get that thumb drive.” – Bernardo Villalona ([13:42])
“Is this about protecting a celebrity's image?” – Bryan Buckmire ([17:19])

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6. Insights from the 'Hip Hop Cop'

The episode features an interview with Derek Parker, a former NYPD detective known as the "Hip Hop Cop," who provides historical context on the East Coast-West Coast rap rivalries of the 1990s and their lasting impact on the industry.

Key Points:

• Derek recounts his involvement in major cases, including the investigations into the murders of Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.
• He discusses the evolution of rap music from positive themes to gangsta rap and diss records, highlighting its influence on violence and rivalries.
• Derek suggests that underlying tensions from past rivalries may still influence current events and figures in the hip-hop community.

Notable Quotes:

“We are going to have you come to One Police Plaza and you're going to have to brief the joint Chiefs of staff.” – Derek Parker ([20:19])
“It's about a legitimate business of having an enterprise, a music artist having a business... protecting that from the public.” – Bernardo Villalona ([16:44])

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7. Public Interest and Online Trends

The trial has generated significant public interest, reflected in online search trends and social media discussions.

Key Points:

• Searches related to 50 Cent, Donald Trump, and Diddy’s financial losses are trending, indicating widespread curiosity and speculation.
• Reports highlight that Diddy's estimated fortune dropped from $740 million in 2019 to $400 million in 2024, possibly due to legal expenses and settlements.
• Anticipation surrounds upcoming testimonies, including that of an alleged victim named Jane, who is expected to provide critical insights into the case.

Notable Quotes:

“If you want to follow our podcast, Bad Rap the Case Against Diddy...” ([23:06])
“We have to see what happens with that.” – Bernardo Villalona ([22:21])

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8. Conclusion and Upcoming Developments

The episode wraps up with a preview of future testimonies, including forensic video experts and additional witnesses expected to shed more light on the complex case against Diddy. Host Eva Pilgrim emphasizes the ongoing nature of the trial and encourages listeners to stay tuned for real-time updates.

Notable Quotes:

“We're in this for the long haul.” – Kelly Carter ([24:18])
“But tomorrow we do know that we're gonna have a forensic video expert who's gonna take the stand.” – Bernardo Villalona ([17:38])

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Final Thoughts:
“Burden of Proof: Follow the Money” provides a comprehensive exploration of the multifaceted legal battle against Sean "Diddy" Combs. Through detailed witness accounts, financial analyses, and expert interviews, the podcast paints a vivid picture of the allegations and the strategic maneuvers shaping the trial. As the case progresses, listeners are kept informed of pivotal moments and emerging evidence that could determine the outcome of one of hip-hop’s most high-profile legal dramas.

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Bryan Buckmire]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Bryan Buckmire]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

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[Bryan Buckmire]

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[Eva Pilgrim]

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[Bryan Buckmire]

Today on Bad Rap. We've got something a little different. A dispatch from my colleagues over at ABC News Live and their show Burden of the Case Against Diddy. I think you're really going to like it. It's more great analysis and insight on the latest in the Sean Diddy Combs trial. The Case Against Diddy Streams weekdays at 5:30pm Eastern on ABC News Live. Find it on Disney, Hulu or on most of your favorite streaming apps today. You'll hear me on there with host Eva Pilgrim. Take a listen.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Hi, I'm Eva Pilgrim. Thanks for streaming with us today. It was about the money. Two witnesses taking the stand talking about just that in the sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial against Sean Diddy. Combs. A hotel employee testifying under immunity telling the jury Combs gave him over $100,000 cash for the 2016 surveillance footage that shows the hip hop mogul attacking then girlfriend Cassie Ventura inside a Los Angeles hotel. Eddie Garcia saying combs asked me if I knew who he was and said that something like this could ruin him. After Garcia got the money, he says Combs told him to not make any big purchases. We also heard from Combs, his former chief financial officer, who expl his business. Combs has denied all allegations in this case. There is a lot to get to, including a notable witness we expect to testify tomorrow. Also coming up, the former NYPD detective known as the Hip Hop Cop. He investigated the murders of rappers Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. He joins us in studio to give us a glimpse into the world of hip hop then and now. But we begin with ABC News chief investigative correspondent Erin Katerski live outside the federal courthouse here in Manhattan. And Aaron, that 2016 video of Combs attacking Cassie Ventura in the hotel back in the spotlight today, what did we learn about it?

[Aaron Katerski]

We learned that Sean Combs paid $100,000 to keep it from being seen. And we heard this extraordinary yarn from a hotel security guard named Eddie Garcia, who said at first he knew that there was a domestic dispute, then he saw the video. And then he took repeated phone calls from Sean Combs assistant Christina Karam, asking to see it, asking if she could have it. And the first few times he said, no, you'd have to talk to the manager or file a subpoena. And then Christina Karam, Eddie Garcia said, put Sean Combs on the phone. And Combs, according to Garcia's testimony, told him, I'll take care of you. And arrangements were made. And he finally takes this thumb drive containing the video to an apartment or room where Sean Combs was. He remembered being greeted. Eddie, my angel. And Sean Combs pulling out a brown paper bag and a bill counter and putting $10,000 stacks of cash through the machine before handing it over. Garcia said Combs asked him, do you want to count it? And Eddie Garcia said, I trust the machine.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We also know that Combs mother and some of his other family members were in court today. What was their response to what they saw, heard?

[Aaron Katerski]

Well, they'd seen the video before, so when the jury saw it again, I don't think it was much of a shock or a surprise to see the actual video and then to hear the yarn, I mean, I think captivated everybody in the courtroom. There's Eddie Garcia talking about making the arrangements with his boss. At first the boss said, all right, we'll do it for 50. But then there came the non disclosure agreement and the promise that this was the only copy. And eventually he walks away with $100,000 after turning over his ID and the ID of two others who were part of the security team. And a couple of weeks later, Eddie Garcia gets a message from Sean Combs wishing him a happy Easter and wondering if there was anyone out there asking about the tape.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Combs, former CFO also took the stand today. What did he say about Combs business dealings?

[Aaron Katerski]

Derek Ferguson was called by federal prosecutors, I think to help walk them through all of the money that Sean Combs had at his disposal and then how some of it worked, including how they handled cash, like say $100,000 to pay for video and how they handled reimbursements on corporate credit cards. Because remember, Eva, a number of assistants testified they would buy supplies for the freak offs with their corporate card and then get reimbursed. But Derek Ferguson also said one other critical thing. He talked about wire transfers from 2011 of $20,000. And that's a payment that Cassie Ventura's mother said Sean Combs demanded to recoup money that he had spent on Cassie Ventura. Combs, remember, was upset that Ventura began dating rapper Kid Cudi. The jury saw the wire transfers, the $20,000 in from Cassie Ventura's dad and it being returned four days later.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ferguson worked for Combs for some 20 years. Did the two have any interactions in court today?

[Aaron Katerski]

They did. Sean Combs seemed to nod and smile at him and maybe Derek Ferguson gave him a bit of a tentative hello back, but he worked for the defense also because in effect, they were able to launder Combs his image through the pedigree of. Derek Ferguson went to Stuyvesant High School, grew up in the Bronx, Harvard Business School. And the impression the defense was hoping to leave the jury was here's a legitimate businessman protecting Combs from any shenanigans that the the federal prosecutors might be talking about as a criminal enterprise.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Also, I have to ask you, Aaron, we heard there may have been some sort of outburst in the courtroom this morning. What happened?

[Aaron Katerski]

Yeah, this was before any testimony got underway. There's been a woman kind of loitering outside, heckling a number of the the reporters. And then she's gotten inside a couple of times and in court she began to just make a scene. She started yelling about the treatment of Sean Combs. And eventually court security officers took, I think three of them to lead her from the room, and Sean Combs saw the whole thing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Aaron Katerski for us there at the federal courthouse. Aaron, thank you so much. Now, to break down today's testimony, let's bring in ABC News legal contributor Brian Buckmire. Brian, you were there in court today. We what stood out to you about everything that you heard, I mean, other.

[Bryan Buckmire]

Than I think Aaron called them shenanigans. What happened beginning what stood out to me was just Eddie Garcia's testimony walking us through this very riveting piece of testimony that almost was reminiscent of Kid Cudi talking about that Marvel supervillain of Sean Combs allegedly in the room with a brown paper bag, counting money, $10,000 at a time. And just the whole kind of story of it, all of hearing how this all worked out. And the defense didn't necessarily push back on that narrative, but focus instead on other errors in the cross examination. But that was very riveting to listen to how this video didn't make it to the light of day until some years later.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Eddie Garcia was granted immunity ahead of his testimony. This is the second time we've seen this in this trial. What did he say that he needed immunity from.

[Bryan Buckmire]

I mean, just really quickly accepting bribes, tax evasion, obstruction. This is an individual who is testifying very truthfully, if you believe his testimony. And it came off pretty credible that he accepted $100,000 from Sean Com. 50 of it went to his manager, 20 went to another associate, and then 30 went to him. And then he took that money and bought a used vehicle with it. Because, of course, Sean Combs said, don't spend it all in one place. We don't want to raise suspicions. This, don't Forget, is a 24 year old at the time who's just a new security guard. And so that's what he's testifying there, immunity. He doesn't want to testify to allegations of a crime and then be prosecuted for it. But again, the government wants his testimony to be able to convict or at least try to convict Sean Combs.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, and Garcia talked about how he got paid for the hotel video. He mentioned Christina. Who is she?

[Bryan Buckmire]

So Christina Coram is Sean Combs chief of staff. If you want to even go further back in Rodney Jones's civil lawsuit, he describes her as the Ghislaine Maxwell to this whole criminal enterprise. And a few times we hear her name in this testimony, and we've heard it in a lot of other witnesses as well. But she's supposedly the one that is speaking on the phone first when she reaches out to Eddie Garcia, trying to convince him to get the video, and then gives the phone to Sean Combs when it's really trying to push it over the finish line of trying to get that. That video. And then even when that money's getting counted, she's in and out of there, walking back and forth, kind of participating. This to some degree, allegedly.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We should also note that Quorum has denied all allegations. We also have to talk about Sean Combs. The CFO took the stand today. We were talking a lot about money today. Was there a money trail? What did it tell us?

[Bryan Buckmire]

So Derek Ferguson broke down how this enterprise, legitimate business, by his definition, had money coming in and out, who had Amex cards, who did not. How petty cash has moved around. But again, Aaron Katerski mentioned, as we saw this, $20,000 first to Cassie Ventura and then money coming in on December 23rd. If you remember, Cassie's mother testified that she had to get a bank equity loan to pay Sean Combs. And then on December 27, four days later, we have a return of funds money being transferred from an account that belongs to Sean Combs, out of that account that I think connects with the allegations earlier on. Don't forget this money movement. There are five charges Sean Combs is facing, the top one being racketeering, conspiracy. And when we talk about the activities within this enterprise, this is what the government is trying to argue is this criminal enterprise, his movement of money that is disguised as legitimate business deals but is according to an effort on multiple people to repeatedly earn a profit.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And later this week, we're expecting to hear from a witness who's going to be going by the pseudonym Jane. They're going to take the stand. Do we have any idea what she's going to say?

[Bryan Buckmire]

Jane is expected to be potentially the last alleged victim to testify because you've heard that victim number three may not come forward. We heard some of the potential testimony from the opening statements that Jane very similar to Cassie dated Sean Kunstarl 2020-2024. Same allegations of drug use freak offs and force fraud and coercion.

[Ryan Reynolds]

All right, Brian Buckmire, thank you so much. Still ahead, the hotel employee on the stand today telling the jury the length Sean Combs allegedly went to trying to get that infamous video of the music mogul assaulting Cassie Ventura. Also coming up, the so called hip hop cop takes us back to the 90s and inside one of the rap rivalries that has helped define hip hop.

[Eva Pilgrim]

On WhatsApp. No one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone. This episode is brought to you by ebay. We all have that piece, the one that's so you. You've basically become known for it. And if you don't yet, fashionistas, you'll find it on ebay. That Miu Miu red leather bomber, the cousteau Barcelona cowboy top or that Patagonia fleece in the 2017 colorway. All these finds are all on ebay along with millions of more main character pieces backed by authenticity guaranteed. Ebay is the place for pre loved and vintage fashion eBay, things people love.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Welcome back to ABC News Live. Another day of testimony in the Sean Diddy Combs trial. On the stand today, an employee at the Intercontinental Hotel and the former chief financial officer of Combs Enterprises. Time now to examine the key legal strategies that we saw Playing out in court today, we have Brian Buckmire playing the defense, Bernardo Villalona playing prosecutor. Bernardo, we're gonna start with you. We gotta talk about that video, the 2016 hotel video. Today we learned how Combs allegedly was able to get it. What do you think of it all?

[Bernardo Villalona]

Eva, Today was pure bombshells. I mean, when I talk about riveting testimony inside of that courtroom, you can hear a pin drop. When Eddie Garcia was actually testifying, I think what shocked us the most and what did Diddy in was the fact that it was Sean Combs who directly called the security guy to try to get that video. Not just one time, not just two times, but multiple times. And then to take it a step further, he's the one who meets with the security guy and actually gets the USB from him. And actually he's the one who gives the money to the security guy. So before we were thinking, oh, it's probably one of Sean Colm's employees, or maybe it was security that works for him, or maybe kk. No, Sean Combs was directly involved in arranging for this payoff and to get that thumb drive. And he knew what was going on was actually wrong.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Brian.

[Bryan Buckmire]

I mean, how did he know what was going on was wrong?

[Bernardo Villalona]

Because he said it will ruin his career. It could ruin his actual career to that extent.

[Bryan Buckmire]

Think about every person in Sean Combs life, and this, I think, is a spin. The defense has to argue here, everyone that's a celebrity. If we had bad press on us and we're nowhere close to Diddy, it could ruin our career. So I think what the defense is gonna position here is, is controlling and furthering a criminal enterprise, or is this about protecting a celebrity's image? Because a celebrity, if his dirty drawers are outside on the street, that could destroy his reputation.

[Bernardo Villalona]

So if that's the case, then get your other people to do it, get legal to do it, get your security to do it, your chief of staff to do it. But he said, this is so important to me that I am going to handle this.

[Bryan Buckmire]

He's a control freak. And I think the other thing the defense is raising, too, is in the NDA. I think it's a bit of a stretch, but an argument nonetheless, and you'll see who's going to bite. Is that in the NDA, the only argument is this about bribing a witness. And what they're saying is the NDA does not inhibit the person from testifying in front of the jury, testifying in front of the government, testifying. If the Law enforcement has.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah.

[Bernardo Villalona]

But the crime was already done before they even signed the NDA. Because he got into conversations with him and says, look, I need to get that tape. I need to make sure it is the only copy. It cannot get out there.

[Ryan Reynolds]

But it wasn't the only copy.

[Bernardo Villalona]

Well, he thought it was the only copy. That's the issue. He thought it was the only copy. Had it been the only copy, we wouldn't be here today.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Okay. So one of the other points that the defense raised was that police didn't come to the hotel. That Garcia said he spoke to Cassie about it all and he said she told him, quote, she had a movie coming out and it wasn't a good time for this to come out and she wanted it to go away. Bernarda, her not appearing to want to report this, does that factor at all in here?

[Bernardo Villalona]

So it does factor into it, but remember, we had the testimony the prosecution put on that expert, Dr. Hughes, to tell testify about why a person who's been a victim of domestic violence, been a victim of being beaten by their partner, why they wouldn't want to come forward and to cooperate, that it takes many times before they finally reported or actually decide that they want to leave this relationship. And in the end, regardless whether she wanted to report it or not, because we have that visual that everyone has seen of Sean Combs beating her, there's no way around it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Brian, you're being so quiet today.

[Bryan Buckmire]

I'm trying my best. No, because all this is. Is. Yes. Is that the application of it? Sure. But also, she is a celebrity in her own right as well. Does she want this press out there? There's also the aspect of Sean Combs is protecting not only his image, she's also protecting that of the artist that he has. And so the defense is gonna make the argument here is this is not, again, about a criminal enterprise. Is this bad? Yes, the defense has already given that up. This is a bad look all around. This is domestic violence, but this isn't a criminal enterprise. This isn't furthering freak offs. This is about a legitimate business of having an enterprise, a music artist having a business, whatever it may be, and protecting that from the public.

[Bernardo Villalona]

Well, you still. The main point that you got from today is the obstruction of justice for the racketeering conspiracy. So you got two points today, obstruction of justice and that there was a criminal enterprise in the sense that you put KK Security and Sean Combs all in one box.

[Bryan Buckmire]

That's only if you trust to call this as a crime and not As a business of trying to protect the people from bad crimes.

[Bernardo Villalona]

But that's what the prosecutor, when you start piling on and piling on all these different instances is not just one unique one off. We're talking about multiple occasions of crimes taking place that ultimately is going to add up and all be this big criminal enterprise.

[Bryan Buckmire]

I'm talking about trying to hide information from the public. Yes, freak offs, those are also aspects of this criminal enterprise. But keeping information from the public, are you sure beyond a reasonable doubt that he's keeping information from the public to hide a criminal enterprise or to hide bad press so that they can still do their business?

[Bernardo Villalona]

It's a combination of all of it. You need all of it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So. Okay, let's. We'll have to wait and see how that all shakes out. Right. But tomorrow we do know that we're gonna have a forensic video expert who's gonna take the stand.

[Bernardo Villalona]

Yes.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Why are you looking like that?

[Bryan Buckmire]

Oh, because Bernard knows something about this expert.

[Bernardo Villalona]

So this expert who is testifying. Well, this expert who is testifying, Frank Piazza, he's testifying for the government. I've had the unique experience that when I was a prosecutor, I cross examined him and a judge did not consider that he was qualified to be an expert on the exact matter that he is testifying for the government tomorrow as an expert. So he has been questioned as to his abilities and his actual opinion. So we'll see where the defense goes in terms of cross examining him. But he's not the proceed prestigious expert that many people will think of him if they're able to get that cross examination.

[Bryan Buckmire]

The video's still coming in. I know we're switching. I know we're switching a little. I might be talking to the prosecutor.

[Bernardo Villalona]

Yeah, the video's coming in. The video's coming in.

[Ryan Reynolds]

All right, thank you guys both. It's always fun talking to you too. Thank you so much for being here. Coming up, the so called hip hop cop takes us inside one of the rap rivalries that define the music industry. What it has to do with Sean Diddy Combs.

[Eva Pilgrim]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

Welcome back. Tonight on Burden of the Case Against Diddy, we dive into one of the most significant rap rivalries in hip hop. East Coast, west coast dueling record labels in the 90s. Sean Diddy Combs, founder of Bad Boy Records, versus Marion Suge Knight, founder of Death Row Records. Our next guest, known as the Hip Hop Cop, former NYPD detective Derek Parker, found himself with a front row seat to many of the moments that are now considered major in hip hop history. Derek, thank you so much for joining us.

[Derek Parker]

Thank you for having me.

[Ryan Reynolds]

So take us back to that time, the 90s. Okay. Back then, you actually tried to get people's attention about what you called emerging violence that was happening in the rap world. What did people say to you? What was the response?

[Derek Parker]

Well, what happened back then was that the rap music industry was going through a big change. And I was letting the NYPD know that we're going to have a potential problem with this east coast, west coast war that was going on between Death Row and Bad Boy. One commissioner listened to me and he said, derek, look, sit down. Tell me about what's going on. And I explained to him, he said, look, you know, we're going to have you come to One Police Plaza and you're going to have to brief the joint Chiefs of staff, like the commissioner and all the chiefs onto what's going on, because we're getting death threats, we're getting all these different things here in New York, the rap music industry, and we don't have to prepare for it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

When you look back on your time as a cop, is there a particular moment that stands out as it pertains to all of the music industry stuff?

[Derek Parker]

I mean, you know, a lot of it does. I mean, I was up front for most of all the hip hop action that happened back then. You know, the 1991 shooting with Sean Combs, with J. Lo. I had Sean Combs with the Steve Stout incident at the MTV. I had Jay Z, I had Lil Kim Jr. Mafia, Biggie Smalls, Tupac murder in Los Angeles. I mean, in Las Vegas. The Biggie murder in Los Angeles, Tupac in Vegas. I was in all over Miami, all over, watching the rap music industry, policing industry.

[Bernardo Villalona]

Yeah.

[Ryan Reynolds]

And you just mentioned you were part of both of those big murder investigations, the Tupac murder investigation and the Biggie murder investigation. There's no proof per se, of the East Coast, west coast rivalry playing a role in those murders. But do you think the families and their fans are ever going to find out for real what happened in those?

[Derek Parker]

Well, in actuality, there is some partial truth to it. There is some. It's going to come out sooner or later. The Tupac murder is basically. I mean, Keefe D is on trial right now. He's gonna be going to trial and they're gonna see what happens with that. The Biggie case is pretty much solved. It's just a point of trying to prove it. So these two cases are still pending somewhat, but we may see closure soon with them.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Right. And we have to say that Combs denies any involvement in the Tupac murder. And we should also note Combs has never been charged or named a suspect in that case. I'm curious, you know, you were a part of it in the 90s. How do you think hip hop has changed over the years?

[Derek Parker]

Well, you got to remember in the rap music industry, you first had positive rap music. Then rap music went to another level where it got gangsta rap. Then you went from gangsta rap to diss records. Diss records, radio stations, clubs, rappers going at each other. And then now we have drill music. So it's changed. It's evolved so many times over and over and over again. That's what rap music's about.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, we've gotten some disrecords again recently. Thank you so much for being here with us. We really appreciate it.

[Derek Parker]

Pleasure to have me. Thank you.

[Ryan Reynolds]

As the Sean Diddy Combs trial unfolds, we're taking a look at some of the top online searches surrounding this high profile criminal trial. Today's biggest searches, it's a range from 50 cent to how much money did he's lost. ABC News contributor Kelly Carter joins us now from Los Angeles. She covers entertainment and pop culture for us. So we got to start with 50 Cent, Trump and Diddy. Why is this trending?

[Kelly Carter]

I mean, listen, 50 Cent has been taking a little bit of pleasure at trolling. You know, Sean Combs, we recently saw him at the Knicks Pacers game wearing a free Diddy shirt. And he recently said that if, you know, President Trump is even thinking about pardoning him, he wants to meet with him to ask him not to do that. So let's see what happens there.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Another search. People want to know about how much money has Diddy lost?

[Kelly Carter]

Yeah. So you know, in 2019, Forbes was estimating that his personal fortune was worth about $740 million. Last year in 2024, Forbes said that fortune is now at about $400 million. So that there has been a significant loss. If that estimation is spot on, people.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Are also searching how much longer for.

[Kelly Carter]

The Diddy trial questions that we all have. Right. You know, what we do know is that we're expecting to see what another at of testimony before we get into jury deliberation. So we're in this for the long haul.

[Ryan Reynolds]

There's also a lot of interest for Brianna Bona Bongalin. She's expected to testify. What can you tell us about her?

[Kelly Carter]

Yeah, she was the aspiring, you know, fashion designer who allegedly he dangled over a balcony from Cassie Ventura's apartment. Of course, he has denied all these allegations, but I think people are very interested to see what she might have to say on stand this week in court.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Kelly Carter, thank you so much for being with us and thank you for joining us. We'll be back with new episodes every day of the trial. The show streams right here on ABC News Live, Disney and hulu weekdays at 5:30pm Eastern and Pacific. For even more on the Diddy trial, make sure to follow our podcast, Bad Rap the Case Against Diddy, hosted by our very own Brian Buckmire on Apple, podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen. I need to talk in New York. Have a good rest of your day. This is the next phase in my therapeutic work.

[Bryan Buckmire]

Nicole Kidman returns for The Hulu Original Nine Perfect Strangers Season 2.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Breathe in, breathe out.

[Derek Parker]

This is safe.

[Ryan Reynolds]

We take you back to a core trauma.

[Bryan Buckmire]

She is manipulating us.

[Eva Pilgrim]

Breathe in, breathe out.

[Aaron Katerski]

While you're resisting. Is it too late to get a refund?

[Bryan Buckmire]

The all new season of nine Perfect Strangers is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu and Disney. New episodes Wednesdays, Atsuko Kotsuka and her new original hilarious stand up special.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Your daytime friends can't meet your nighttime friends because then they'll know you're a liar.

[Bryan Buckmire]

Father is coming to Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus June 13th.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I asked my husband the other day how to turn on the washing machine. And that's how he realized that he had been doing the laundry all these years.

[Bryan Buckmire]

Father streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney + June 13th.