Sean Combs: The last personal assistant and an interview with Joe Tacopina.

Summary

Dateline NBC: Sean Combs – The Last Personal Assistant and an Interview with Joe Tacopina

Episode Release Date: June 21, 2025
Host/Author: NBC News
Description: Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries, and in-depth investigations.

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Dateline NBC, NBC News delves into the high-stakes racketeering trial of Sean Combs, also known as Diddy. The episode features detailed coverage of personal assistant Brendan Paul's testimony and an exclusive interview with renowned defense attorney Joe Tacopina. The discussion offers a comprehensive look into the prosecution's case, the defense's strategies, and the unfolding courtroom drama.

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Background of the Case

Sean Combs stands accused of running a criminal enterprise, with charges including racketeering and sex trafficking. The trial has drawn significant media attention, not least due to Combs' celebrity status and the serious nature of the allegations. The episode begins by setting the scene of the trial's progression and the recent disruptions caused by a sick juror and a holiday delay.

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Brendan Paul's Testimony

[01:23] NBC News correspondent, Chloe Meloss, provides an in-depth account of Brendan Paul's testimony, a pivotal moment in the prosecution's case.

• Arrest and Discovery of Cocaine:
  Brendan Paul recounts the events leading to his arrest.
  Brendan Paul (03:22): "He said, this all is mine."
  This statement emphasizes that the cocaine found in his possession was allegedly Combs' property, distancing Paul from the direct ownership.

• Interaction with Combs:
  Paul describes Combs' daily life and the operations managed by his assistants.
  Brendan Paul (02:27): "When these raids happened last March, federal agents searched two of Sean Combs's homes and stopped him at a private airport in Miami."

• Text Messages and Photos:
  The prosecution highlighted various evidence from Paul's phone, including texts with drug dealers and photos of drugs in Combs' office.
  Chloe Meloss (03:39): "There is a photo that we saw today while Brandon Paul was on the stand. It had Ecstasy and something called tusi, which is ketamine in it."

• Hotel "Freak Offs":
  Paul details his role in organizing and setting up hotel rooms for Combs' events.
  Brendan Paul (07:34): "He would get the baby oil, and he testified, the Astroglide."

• Allegations of a Criminal Enterprise:
  The prosecution argues that Combs orchestrated a criminal network involving his assistants.
  Brendan Paul (07:13): "All comes back to the baby oil in the end, though, doesn't it?"

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Juror Issues

The trial faced procedural challenges, including concerns about juror impartiality.

• [09:22] Chloe Meloss explains the situation with juror number seven.
  Chloe Meloss: "The judge decided that he can stay after all that hullabaloo and back and forth, but who knows what's going to happen in the next week or two."

This uncertainty adds to the tension as the trial approaches the defense phase.

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Interview with Joe Tacopina

In an exclusive segment, renowned defense attorney Joe Tacopina shares his perspectives on the case and the strategies involved.

• Decision Not to Join the Defense Team:
  Joe Tacopina (11:42): "I declined obviously to get involved because of a host of things, timing. I just came off a six week trial in Los Angeles with the ASAP Rocky case and it just wasn't, you know, for me, a case of this magnitude."

• Assessment of the Prosecution's Case:
  Tacopina criticizes the prosecution's reliance on charges like the violation of the Mann Act, likening them to outdated legal tactics.
  Joe Tacopina (14:06): "It's an antiquated charge. It's like charging Al Capone with tax evasion."

• Defense Strategy:
  He outlines potential approaches the defense might take, emphasizing the importance of highlighting reasonable doubt.
  Joe Tacopina (16:51): "The defense case is a case of reasonable doubt."

• Potential Outcomes:
  Tacopina reflects on the unpredictability of jury decisions and the high-profile nature of the case.
  Joe Tacopina (17:50): "He could and he could not. I mean, I'm not in there. I'm not looking at the jury."

Tacopina underscores the challenges of ensuring a fair trial amidst public scrutiny and media influence.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding Sean Combs' trial. Through Brendan Paul's testimony and Joe Tacopina's expert insights, Dateline NBC provides listeners with a comprehensive analysis of the legal battle, shedding light on both the prosecution's efforts to build a case and the defense's potential strategies to challenge it. As the trial progresses, viewers are left contemplating the impact of fame, legal maneuvers, and the quest for justice in high-profile cases.

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Produced by: Franny Kelly with help from the Dateline True Crime Weekly team.
Executive Producer: Paul Ryan and Liz Cole
Original Music: Jesse McGinty

For more updates and detailed analysis from inside the courtroom, subscribe to the NBC Newsletter and visit NBC News Diddy on Trial.

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Note: This summary excludes all non-content sections such as advertisements, intros, and outros as per the request.

Transcript

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[Brendan Paul]

This is On Trial, a special series from Dateline True Crime Weekly bringing you daily coverage from the Sean Combs racketeering trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him. I'm Andrea Canning and it's Friday, June 20th. Wednesday, court was canceled when one of the jurors got sick. And yesterday court was dark for the holiday. Today, the prosecution resumed its case, calling Brendan Paul, another Combs assistant. He was arrested last spring when federal agents raided Combs, Miami and LA properties. Brendan is one of the last prosecution witnesses. So we have asked celebrity defense attorney Joe Tacopina to give us his assessment of the prosecution's case, how the defense has responded and what to look out for as the defense takes over next week. That's coming up. But first, NBC News correspondent Chloe Meloss was in the courthouse this morning for Brendan's very revealing testimony about Combs day to day life in the past couple of years. Hey Chloe.

[Chloe Meloss]

Hey Andrea.

[Brendan Paul]

So Chloe, when these raids happened last March, federal agents searched two of Sean Combs's homes and and they stopped him at a private airport in Miami. What happened there?

[Chloe Meloss]

So they went to go seize phones and other devices from Combs, his chief of staff, KK and other employees. And that's when they arrested Brendan Paul, who was one of Combs assistants. He had cocaine on him.

[Brendan Paul]

So, Chloe, he testified that the cocaine belonged to Combs.

[Chloe Meloss]

So, yes, what we learned today during Brendan Paul's testimony is that he had found some white powder in Combs hotel room. And so he put it in his bag and then he went to the airport and he forgot. He says that he had it on him and that when the feds showed up and they went through his bag, he testified that his stomach dropped when they found the drugs. But he did not throw combs under the bus in that moment. He said, this all is mine.

[Brendan Paul]

Chloe, the seizure of the phones and devices you talked about, it's really important because it's a big reason we've seen so many text messages and voicemails and emails in this case. What was on Brendan Paul's phone that the prosecution particularly wanted to focus on?

[Chloe Meloss]

It really gives us, Andrea, an inside look at everything that was going on behind the scenes of Combs life and how it all worked between the assistants and kk. So there is a photo that we saw today while Brandon Paul was on the stand. It had Ecstasy and something called tusi, which is ketamine in it. This is a photo taken in early 2023 inside Combst's office at his Mapleton home in California. And he took this picture because it was left on the desk. And he said that he sent the photo to other assistants to ask, where should I put this? And you're also seeing text messages between Brendan Paul and drug dealers as well as other assistants. We also saw a photo that he had taken of baby oil and Astroglide in some sort of like a cabinet in Combs home because he was actually sending it. Somebody else on the team showing them. This is how you organize all of.

[Brendan Paul]

All comes back to the baby oil in the end, though, doesn't it?

[Chloe Meloss]

It does. And the Gucci pouch, what was in the Gucci?

[Brendan Paul]

The Gucci pouch. Right. So the infamous Gucci pouch came up again.

[Chloe Meloss]

Yeah. So the Gucci pouch, according to different testimony, in it were different types of drugs and cash and that it was either Combs who would be holding this and taking it with him in cars and to these freak offs, or also on private planes. But also it was the job of the assistants to make sure that he always had. Brendan testified under cross examination that he was not a drug mule, that he only bought drugs 5 to 10 times for combs that this was not something that he was doing all the time. And these were not kilos and kilos of drugs. These were small amounts for personal use. And you really saw Brian Steele trying to hammer home the point that Combs would get more creative while he was working on music, while on drugs. I mean, I kept thinking back to, like, the 1960s and the 70s, Andrea, of all different types of music that were very proudly on all different types of drugs while they were making some of their greatest hits. And I'm not justifying drug use or buying drugs or any of that. But Steele also, on cross examination of Brennan Paul said, you really learned a lot right, from Combs. You enjoyed being around him. And Brendan Paul said, yes, he learned a lot. This was a job he really wanted.

[Brendan Paul]

And Brendan testified that he did other things for Combs as well, besides getting drugs for him.

[Chloe Meloss]

Yeah, I mean, everything from packing and unpacking Combs suitcase. Remember, he was a personal assistant. He would go places before Combs got there and set it up. And he also talked about working on the Love album that dropped while he was working for Combs. But he also did talk about setting up those hotel rooms for freak offs.

[Brendan Paul]

Brendan testified that he would do all of this in close coordination with Christina, kk, who was the chief of staff, and with other assistants. So because of that, there were a lot of group chats that came out of this. Why were those important?

[Chloe Meloss]

The point of showing these group chats, Andrea, is because the prosecution has maintained that Combs was running a criminal enterprise in using different employees to carry out illegal activity. And so you saw that KK had oversight into really so much of Combs life that she was the intermediary between a lot of these assistants and even some of the women that he was dating. And the big question is, where is KK and will we see her on the defense next week? I've heard no.

[Brendan Paul]

Yeah, I'm so curious about that, Chloe. Did Brendan have anything to do with the hotel nights?

[Chloe Meloss]

He did. He would get the baby oil, and he testified, the Astroglide. And, you know, even by soup, it seems like Combs wanted soup in these hotel rooms. And he would sometimes bring professional lighting and he would also clean up afterwards. But Brendan testified that these were nights that were personal for Combs.

[Brendan Paul]

The defense asked if he thought these hotel nights, King nights, were criminal. And he said no.

[Chloe Meloss]

That's right. And on direct examination, you had the prosecution saying, okay, so you brought Combs cash on one of these nights. And he said, yes, $5,000. But you don't have Brendan Paul being able to say what was the cash used for. Right. I mean, Combs is a wealthy man. Wanting $5,000 brought to him is not illegal.

[Brendan Paul]

Brendan Paul, like another personal assistant who testified last week, testified that he never saw or heard Jane express that she didn't want to do these nights. That's right.

[Chloe Meloss]

Brian Steele said, did she ever seem upset afterwards or sorry? Brendan Paul testified no. He said, did she ever seem like she didn't want to participate in these nights ahead of it? And he testified no. And Brendan Paul said that he saw Jane after almost every single hotel night. And again, remember, he was granted immunity to testify. So you would think that he's telling the truth because he can't be prosecuted for anything he says as long as he is being honest.

[Brendan Paul]

Brendan also testified that although he worked a lot of long hours for Combs, he never resented it.

[Chloe Meloss]

Brendan testified that on one occasion he worked for several nights without sleep. But that was what Combs and other employees were doing, too, because they were putting out the Love album.

[Brendan Paul]

And on Redirect, the prosecution asked, how do you feel about Sean Combs?

[Chloe Meloss]

Some of his final words on the stand were that his feelings toward Combs are complicated. And I think that's what you're seeing, Andrea, with several of the witnesses.

[Brendan Paul]

Chloe, last time we talked, there was an issue brewing with juror number seven. What has happened with that?

[Chloe Meloss]

The judge decided that he can stay after all that hullabaloo and back and forth, but who knows what's going to happen in the next week or two.

[Brendan Paul]

All right, Chloe. When we come back, we'll hear from defense attorney Joe Tacopina who has represented Michael Jackson and the rappers Meek Me Mill and ASAP Rocky. We have asked him to join the show today to give us his impression of the job Combs stacked defense team has done so far.

[Joe Tacopina]

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[Brendan Paul]

Welcome back, everybody. And welcome Joe. Thank you for being here.

[Andrea Canning]

Thanks, Andrew. Thanks for having me. Thanks, Chloe.

[Chloe Meloss]

You're getting both of us.

[Andrea Canning]

Wow.

[Brendan Paul]

So, Joe, to start out with some transparency, Combs's team approached you to join his defense team, right?

[Andrea Canning]

Yes. I met with with Combs a few times in the federal prison and I declined obviously to get involved because of a host of things, timing. I just came off a six week trial in Los Angeles with the ASAP Rocky case and it just wasn't, you know, for me, a case of this magnitude, you know, you need a year to prepare this properly, at least. I do. That's how I do it. But there were some other factors as well that I'll keep to myself. But listen, you know, I do think it's a defensible case in some regards. Others maybe not so much. But I'm glad I made the decision. I made this for that way.

[Brendan Paul]

Joe, you met with Sean and I realized they were private conversations. Can you give us any insight into his demeanor? Was he confident, arrogant, desperate, scared? You know, how did he seem?

[Andrea Canning]

Not arrogant. I wouldn't say confident or scared, but just, you know, in this vortex of this maelstrom of stuff coming at him. And he knew he was getting ready for it. He seemed to me, and he actually said to me that he's a different person now. And I could see that the guy that we've heard about and looked at and watched was abusive. But he also said that he goes, I was different back then. I was someone who I was so jerked up on drugs at all times.

[Brendan Paul]

Yeah, yeah, he's in prison. Presumably he does not have access to drugs.

[Andrea Canning]

No, he doesn't. But the bottom line is this. He is someone who regrets his past conduct. So I think, you know, he understands what this looks like. I also think he understands that, you know, the day after he Allegedly raped Cassie. She sent him a very nice text message that I saw that. I think the jury is now saying.

[Brendan Paul]

Yeah, you know, that's hard for a jury.

[Andrea Canning]

Everyone reacts differently. Andrea, I don't want. I've been sex crimes prosecutors, so I don't want to say, here's how you have to react. There's no. There's no blueprint for this stuff. Right. When you're a victim. But on the other hand, this is all fair game.

[Chloe Meloss]

Why do you think this is something that the Fed's pursued versus this being in state court with domestic assault, rape? I mean, there are some things that have been brought up that are not, you know, past the statute of limitations. Jane, who testified, she claims domestic violence in 2023, she claims all sorts of things that are recent. What do you think the Fed saw when they looked at Diddy and they looked at this Diddy?

[Andrea Canning]

I think they saw Diddy. I think they saw a big target, a big prize. Look, here's his. Here's how, you know, that's the case. He's shortened with the violation of the man act, the count that actually, if you want to be a legal analyst, pure straight down Broadway, he's in trouble on that one because it's simply a federal offense to transport prostitutes over state lines for prostitution. That's it.

[Chloe Meloss]

So he can't get out of that one.

[Andrea Canning]

Well, he can, but it's like an antiquated charge. It's like charging Al Capone with tax evasion. I mean, you know, you had Elliot Spitzer, the New York governor, who was dead to rights on that. He admitted he did that. His phone records, his emails. He was finished. He was dead. The federal prosecutors in Southern District looked at that case. They didn't charge him. The violation of the man act is a very, you know, furious charge is for it that way. And honestly, factually, there really is no defense. Penny Garagos, in our opening statement, tried to say, well, he wasn't paying them for sex. He was paying them for their time. It's the best they could do on the defense side. You know, really what they have to hope for here is that the jury is like, you know, this case is about baby oil, about applesauce on cheeseburgers, about the most horrific things I've ever seen. But a racketeering enterprise, I do not see. And I don't think.

[Chloe Meloss]

Isn't that called jury nullification?

[Andrea Canning]

That's what it's called.

[Chloe Meloss]

They could go in closings and say, all right, you want to hit him with transportation to Engage in prostitution, then throw all professional athletes in prison, Throw a bunch of celebrities in prison. Well, what do you suggest that the defense does in closing?

[Andrea Canning]

You can't say, well, then every other athlete who's done this and Elliot Spitzer, of the things I just said, you can't say that to a jury. It's not part of the evidence in this case. There's no evidence that every professional athlete or other sort of stuff. But you can say without saying, well, you have to basically say this jury, ladies and gentlemen, I think you know what's going on here. I think you understand the landscape violation of the man act. You are the conscience of this community. Yeah, it's Judge whatever his name is, courtroom. It says it right there on his plaque. But when it comes to what's right in our community, you are the judge of the facts. When it comes to if what was done here was fair, you are the judge of the facts. Don't let anyone tell you how you have to vote on any count because if you think what was done here was selective, unfair, unjust, then you get the last word. No one can tell you what your vote has to be. You have to sort of say it's something like that. I mean, I just did that. But. But there's a way to do. But without getting shut down by a judge. You don't need a federal judge to tell you you're making inappropriate arguments in front of a jury.

[Brendan Paul]

So, Joe, as we wind down the prosecution and get ready to start the defense, how would you tackle the defense strategy?

[Andrea Canning]

The defense case is a case of reasonable doubt. Let's. Let's be real. I mean, it sort of was the same with my ASAP rocket trial. And the judge will give an instructor on what a reasonable doubt is. It's a very powerful charge. And I spent a lot of time in my last trial focusing the jury on the term reasonable doubt, what it really means. Do you have a doubt based on a reason? If you do not. Filthy. That's what they have to focus on here. I wouldn't get too bogged down and bring on much of the defense case. Their defense was through cross examination, chopping up witnesses, getting inconsistencies brought out, motives brought out, and putting them on the stand. I understand they're not going to now. Thank God. That would have been. We, first of all would be covering this case until December. Number one, the cross examination would go on for months. There's just things we can't answer. And it would take away from all deficiencies in the prosecution Case, in my opinion.

[Brendan Paul]

When you say reasonable doubt, Karen Reid pops into my head. Given what we've been through this week, your best guess? I know every jury's different, but do you think Diddy could see some prison time?

[Andrea Canning]

He could and he could not. I mean, I'm not in there. I'm not looking at the jury. Although I will tell you, having tried 120 jury trials, when I look at a jury, it's not like you get really any insight. You just don't. And sometimes, more often than not, you get misled by a face or something where you think you're reading something. Oh, they like me. Oh, they don't like me. I don't. That's why I specifically have stopped looking at jurors when I try cases. I. I'm lazy, focused on what's ahead of me. I can't control what they're thinking other than my performance. But I think, look, they could clip them on everything, okay? They could nail them on everything. And the reason they could is not because I think they've proven a racketeering enterprise. I don't think they have. I don't think they've proven sex trafficking. But their goal in this case was in part to get the jury to this guy so much. And based on the evidence in this case, he's hateable. I mean, he really is. I mean, it's just the way he treated normal people, let alone his girlfriends. Listen, there's a reason they played that tape, like, 15 times already. They're going to play it five more times on the summation. I mean, that tape is an incident of domestic violence. Now they're going to argue it means other things. I understand that, but, you know, you sort of reduce the impact of that, the power of that tape when you play it over and over and over. The next time a jury sees, they're going to be like, okay, here we go again. Some jurors could say, hey, they're overselling their hands here. You know, that's. That's sort of what I would do.

[Brendan Paul]

Well, we will see. Joe, you are a legendary attorney, and we are honored that you came on the podcast. We're so appreciative, and you gave us such good insight into this. Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

Thank you so much, Andrew. Thank you very much for having me. Chloe, thanks for having me. And. Okay, guys, we'll speak again.

[Chloe Meloss]

Thank you so much, Joe.

[Brendan Paul]

Thanks for listening. We'll be back with a new episode on Monday. If you want to read the latest developments and analysis from inside the courtroom, check out the NBC Newsletter Diddy on trial go to nbcnews.com diddy to find that On Trial is produced by Franny Kelly with help from the Dateline True Crime Weekly team. Our senior producers are Alison Orr and Liz Brown Karloff Original Music by Jesse McGinty. Paul Ryan is executive producer and Liz Cole is senior executive producer of Dateline.

[Joe Tacopina]

If you're looking for new ways to get ahead, then you're our kind of person. We're Udemy, and we help learners like you upskill in AI, productivity, leadership and management, and more. Learn at your own pace from real world experts. You can also prep for certifications that show employers what you know upskill for the career you [e-mail] now back to your regularly scheduled listening.