Sean Combs: Defense motion for mistrial denied.

Summary

Dateline: True Crime Weekly – Episode Summary Episode: Sean Combs: Defense Motion for Mistrial Denied
Release Date: May 29, 2025

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly, host Andrea Canning delves deep into the ongoing racketeering trial of Sean Combs, also known as Diddy. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which center around allegations of using his business empire to conduct illegal activities. This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the latest court proceedings, testimonies from key witnesses, and insights from legal experts, offering listeners an in-depth understanding of the case's complexities.

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Key Testimonies

Chloe Deontay Nash – The Stylist’s Perspective

At [03:31], Andrea introduces Chloe Milan from outside the courthouse, who reports on the testimony of Chloe Deontay Nash, a celebrity stylist and close friend of Cassie Ventura. Deontay accused Combs of using emotional and physical violence to control Cassie.

Chloe Milan [03:48]: "He [Combs] called Cassie all sorts of terrible names, called her a slut, called her a bitch, called her a hoe... he threatened to beat her up and told her that he was going to release explicit sex videos from freak offs."

Deontay also recounted an incident at a Vanity Fair Oscars party where Combs forcibly adjusted Cassie's hairstyle to suit his preferences, showcasing his exertion of control over her personal and professional life.

Chloe Milan [05:21]: "He actually grabbed Deontay by his jacket and lifted him up in the air... and then said, 'Oh, you were right. Her hair looks better down.'"

Additionally, Deontay detailed a violent altercation where Combs allegedly threw Cassie against a bed frame, resulting in a severe injury to her forehead.

Chloe Milan [06:11]: "He [Diddy] threw her into the side of a bed frame... instead of taking her to the hospital, he said his head of security, Drock, would take her to a plastic surgeon."

Officer Ignacio – Linking Combs to the Scene

Officer Ignacio from the LAPD testified regarding an incident in December 2011, where he responded to a reported break-in at Kid Cudi's Hollywood Hills residence. Upon arrival, he noticed a black Escalade speeding away and later discovered the vehicle was registered to Bad Boy Productions, Combs's company.

Chloe Milan [07:04]: "He [Officer Ignacio] thought to himself, that car might have something to do with why we were just called to this house."

During cross-examination, the defense attorney highlighted inconsistencies in Officer Ignacio's account, questioning the lack of evidence for forced entry and suggesting that the mere presence of Bad Boy Productions' vehicle did not constitute evidence of wrongdoing.

Chloe Milan [07:54]: "Prosecutors said they weren't doing anything improper... but the judge denied the mistrial, stating, 'There's no turning this massive 18-wheeler around here.'"

Arson Investigator – The Molotov Cocktail Evidence

An arson investigator testified about the discovery of a Molotov cocktail in Kid Cudi's Porsche, tied to an explosion that occurred two weeks after the alleged trespassing incident. The investigator mentioned that fingerprints related to the incident were taken but were later destroyed, raising suspicions.

Chloe Milan [09:10]: "He found the Molotov cocktail and sent that off to be tested for DNA and fingerprints... the fingerprints were destroyed."

This revelation was pivotal, leading to the defense's motion for a mistrial due to concerns over the integrity of the evidence.

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Defense Motion for Mistrial

At [10:28], the defense team, led by Combs's attorney, moved for a mistrial, arguing that the destruction of critical evidence indicated prejudice that could compromise the jury's impartiality. The defense contended that the prosecution's insinuation of Combs's influence over law enforcement was unfairly prejudicial.

Chloe Milan [10:33]: "This is outrageous prejudice to the jury because you're insinuating that Diddy, because he's so powerful... that somebody at his directive destroyed the evidence."

However, the judge denied the motion, emphasizing the gravity of the trial and instructing the jurors to disregard the destroyed evidence.

Chloe Milan [10:33]: "The judge... said, 'I'm denying the motion for a mistrial.'"

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Legal Analysis with Danny Savalos

Legal analyst and defense attorney Danny Savalos provides clarity on the racketeering conspiracy charges facing Combs.

Danny Savalos [14:39]: "Racketeering is having an enterprise with multiple people and conducting unlawful affairs through that enterprise... the mere agreement is enough for a conviction on racketeering conspiracy charges."

Savalos explains that the prosecution doesn't need to prove Combs's direct involvement in specific crimes like kidnapping or arson. Instead, they must demonstrate that he orchestrated these activities through his business operations.

Regarding the focus on the Molotov cocktail, Savalos notes its significance in establishing the elements required for racketeering:

Danny Savalos [15:45]: "They [prosecution] don't need to show that Combs kidnapped anyone or threw the Molotov cocktail. They just need to show that he agreed to participate in some criminal enterprise."

On the sex trafficking charge, Savalos discusses the concept of coercion presented in Deontay's testimony, highlighting that while threats to Cassie's career reflect control, the legal definition of coercion typically requires the threat of physical harm.

Danny Savalos [16:32]: "Coercion is commonly understood under the statute to mean the threat of physical harm... It helps the government show an overall atmosphere of threatening, harassing, hostile environment."

Regarding the defense's mistrial request, Savalos believes it may not significantly impact a potential guilty verdict but acknowledges that the prosecution's strategic questioning might influence appellate considerations.

Danny Savalos [17:19]: "If Combs is convicted, I don't see this being a particularly appetizing appellate issue... They got the benefit of having some of the testimony stricken."

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Recent Developments

In a brief update towards the episode's conclusion, Chloe Milan shares personal news about Cassie Ventura:

Chloe Milan [18:16]: "She [Cassie] has given birth to her third child, a baby boy, in New York yesterday... mom and baby are healthy and all is okay."

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Conclusion

This episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly meticulously unpacks the multifaceted racketeering trial of Sean Combs, shedding light on the intricate web of testimonies and legal strategies shaping the case. With expert analysis and firsthand accounts from key witnesses, listeners gain a nuanced perspective on the allegations and the prosecution's pursuit of justice. As the trial progresses, future episodes promise to continue unraveling the layers of this high-stakes legal battle.

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Produced by Franny Kelly with contributions from the Dateline True Crime Weekly team. Senior producers include Alison Orr and Liz Brown, with original music by Jesse McGinty. Executive production by Paul Ryan and senior executive production by Liz Cole.

Transcript

[Kelly Ripa]

Hey there everyone in podcast land. I just wanted to thank you all for listening and telling your friends about our little podcast. Let's talk off camera with me, Kelly Ripa. I know there are millions of podcasts out there, so I really appreciate you giving us a listen. There are so many gems from season one from Matthew McConaughey disclosing that he and Woody Harrelson might be brothers to Salma Hayek telling us about the argument that started her friendship with Prince. Hope you enjoy season one and stay tuned for a bigger and better season two.

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[Andrea Canning]

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 Wednesday, May 28th. Just a heads up, in this episode, we're going to be talking about some graphic details and harrowing subject matter. The witnesses testifying today at the federal courthouse ranged from LAPD officers, one in the Hollywood division, to a fashion stylist. Much of what they told the jury touches on accusations we've heard before. Crimes the prosecution argues Sean Combs committed during his relationship with Cassie Ventura. Arson, violence, trespassing. But he's not on trial for any of that. So how much of the testimony we've heard so far adds up to the prosecution's argument that Combs was using his businesses to carry out illegal activity? We'll be talking to NBC News legal analyst Danny Savalos about the racketeering conspiracy charge in a little bit. First, let's find out more about that celebrity stylist, a close friend of Cassie, who said he saw Combs beating her again and again and saw Combs using his security team to control her. NBC News correspondent Chloe Milan is joining me from outside the courthouse to tell us what she has learned from today's court proceedings. Hey, Chloe.

[Chloe Milan]

Hey, Andrea.

[Andrea Canning]

Today, the stylist we mentioned, Chloe Deontay Nash is his name. He took the stand. He said he got close to Cassie. He worked for both Sean Combs and Cassie, but he got close to her and testified about how he says Combs treated her.

[Chloe Milan]

He testified about alleged emotional and also physical violence that he witnessed between Cassie and Diddy. He said that Diddy called Cassie all sorts of terrible names, called her a slut, called her a bitch, called her a hoe, that he threatened to beat her up, that he told her that he was going to release explicit sex videos from freak offs, not only to the public, but also to her parents jobs to try to get them fired. And it just was incredibly heart wrenching to listen to his testimony because it was clear he really cares about Cassie and that they're still friends and that he witnessed a lot of abuse.

[Andrea Canning]

This stylist is saying that Sean Combs would threaten Cassie and say, then your music won't come out. You know, he's really threatening her career as well, which to me is a form of control.

[Chloe Milan]

Absolutely. I mean, we've heard about Cassie being signed to Bad Boy early on in her career to this 10 album deal, but she never put out any albums. And it's been this big question. And during Cassie's testimony, we heard her talk about how Combs would control her by saying, I'm not gonna release your music unless you do X, Y and Z. And today, listening to Deontay talk about the fact that he would actually hear Combs on speakerphone say things like, I'm not gonna put out your little mixtape or you know, I'm not gonna put out your music unless you do. This really goes to illustrate this control.

[Andrea Canning]

Yeah. And Chloe, it even extends, according to Deontay, it extends into Sean Combs telling Cassie how to wear her hair, for example.

[Chloe Milan]

He talked about an incident that took place at a Vanity Fair Oscars party, and that Cassie looked so beautiful, and they had styled her hair down. And he actually said she looked bomb to one point where everybody kind of, well, she's beautiful. She is beautiful. And it was this kind of light moment as he was talking about very sobering things during his testimony. But he said that when they showed up, that Diddy came over and said, I told you I wanted her hair up. And he actually grabbed Deontay by his jacket and lifted him up in the air. And then Deontay said he went and grabbed his bobby pins and they ran to the bathroom and they started to pin her hair up. And then Diddy came over and he was like, oh, you were right. Her hair looks better down.

[Andrea Canning]

Deontay also talked about Combs security team. And, you know, he's mentioning names.

[Chloe Milan]

Yeah, we're hearing some of the same names over and over, one of which is Drock. Deontay talked about a time in which he witnessed Diddy kick and hit Cassie. And this is the incident that we heard Cassie testify about, where he allegedly threw her into the side of a bed frame. And she got this terrible gash, almost like a hole on the side of her forehead. I mean, the pictures are just gruesome.

[Andrea Canning]

I remember seeing the photos.

[Chloe Milan]

And instead of taking her to the hospital, he just said his head of security, Drock, would take her to a plastic surgeon.

[Andrea Canning]

This is coming from Deontay, the stylist. But we should remind everyone that Sean Combs has denied these allegations. Chloe, The LAPD officer who took the stand tied things back to Kid Cudi's testimony from last week. And if you'll recall, that testimony was about Combs allegedly trespassing in his house.

[Chloe Milan]

Officer ignacio with the LAPD. He testified that early one morning in December 2011, he got a call from dispatch to go to this home in the Hollywood Hills and that there was an active break in. And then when he pulled up in his cop car to this house, not realizing it belonged to musician Kid Cudi, he saw a black Escalade start pulling away. And he testified that he actually memorized the license plate number. Andrea. Because he thought to himself, that car might have something to do with why we were just called to this house.

[Andrea Canning]

Oh, interesting. And so he runs the plate.

[Chloe Milan]

He does. And when he runs the plate, he sees that it's registered to Bad Boy Productions.

[Andrea Canning]

The defense cross examined this officer. How did they pick apart his story?

[Chloe Milan]

When Combs defense attorney got up there to cross examine him, they said, okay, so you guys pull up to the house, you go inside, and how did you get inside? The officer testified, well, we opened the front door. He's like, okay, so when you got inside, you saw no signs of forced entry. Did you see the house torn apart? The officer says, no. He's like, did you see, you know, anything that would make you think that somebody broke in? No, I didn't really see anything. He didn't see anybody there with a gun? No. You weren't called to the home because there was a kidnapping? No. Basically, they're poking holes in this idea from Combs personal assistant that testified yesterday, Capricorn, that she was kidnapped, forced to the home of Kid Cudi to break in, that Diddy had a gun. And they're saying, look, you're a police officer. You went to go investigate this, and you basically found a house with the door unlocked and maybe some Christmas presents unwrapped, but that's all you saw. That's not kidnapping. There's no forced entry.

[Andrea Canning]

It's just placing a vehicle registered to bad boy at the scene, but nothing else that the officers saw. Interesting prosecutors. Then, Chloe, they called an arson investigator. And this is important because this also comes back around to Combs and Kid Cudi again. Right?

[Chloe Milan]

Right. So about two weeks after this alleged trespassing, Kid Cudi's Porsche is parked in his driveway, and there's an explosion inside the car. Someone cut the roof of his convertible and drops something called a Molotov cocktail inside, which we've talked about before. So the reason today we heard from someone from the Los Angeles Fire Department is this person investigates fires, and he found the Molotov cocktail, and he sent that off to be tested for DNA and fingerprints.

[Andrea Canning]

After the break in, fingerprints were taken by lapd. They were sealed and put into evidence.

[Chloe Milan]

Yes, Andrea, you're right. There were these fingerprints that were taken at Kid Cudi's home. And in December, this firefighter, who's also an arson expert, he wanted to look at those fingerprints. But those fingerprints that were sealed into evidence, they were gone.

[Andrea Canning]

According to this investigator, they were destroyed.

[Chloe Milan]

And so the prosecutors start asking him, did you order the destruction of that evidence? He said, no. And then they said, well, have you ever in your long career had someone destroy evidence that wasn't at your directive? And he said, absolutely not. And that's where Combs team swooped in. Objection.

[Andrea Canning]

And this is huge because the defense moved for a mistrial.

[Chloe Milan]

This was such an explosive moment, my head was like a ping pong ball watching Diddy's legal team get into this massive argument with New York prosecutors. They sent the jury out of the room and Combs team was like, we're moving for a mistrial. This is outrageous prejudice to the jury because you're insinuating that Diddy, because he's so powerful and he has connections to potentially the LAPD or the lafd, that somebody at his directive went in there and destroyed it. And even if you strike this from the record, the jury still heard it and they can never unhear it. And it was this back and forth. Prosecutors said that they weren't doing anything improper with their line of questioning with the firefighter and arson expert, that they were actually just trying to get ahead of what they expected Diddy's legal team's cross examination of this guy to be and assuming that they were going to be talking about the fact that these fingerprints were gone. But the judge, he was very calm, but he was stern, and he said, look, I'm denying the motion for a mistrial. Basically, there's no turning this massive 18 wheeler around here. But he did say, but I will tell the jurors when they come back in the room that they need to disregard this particular part of the testimony.

[Andrea Canning]

Oh, what a day. All right, Chloe. Well, we're not done. When we come back, NBC News legal analyst and defense attorney Danny Savalos is back to help us understand why the prosecution is so focused on the Molotov cocktail that was dropped into Kid Cudi's Porsche.

[Danny Savalos]

Foreign.

[Kelly Ripa]

Hey there, everyone in podcast land. I just wanted to thank you all for listening and telling your friends about our little podcast. Let's talk off camera with me, Kelly Ripa. I know there are millions of podcasts out there, so I really appreciate you giving us a listen. There are so many gems from season one from Matthew McConaughey discovery disclosing that he and Woody Harrelson might be brothers to Salma Hayek, telling us about the argument that started her friendship with Prince. Hope you enjoy season one and stay tuned for a bigger and better season two.

[Oregon Lottery Announcer]

In the summer, all of Oregon is our playground thanks to our incredible park system. That's why it's so cool that Oregon Lottery gameplay, like video lottery or cash pop, helps support tons of parks projects statewide like accessible trails at Silver Falls State park or upgrades to your favorite dog park in Newburgh. It's just one way a little lottery play for many Oregonians can add up to a lot of good the Oregon Lottery Together we do good things. Lottery games are based on chance and should be played for entertainment only. Must be 18 or older to play.

[Indeed Announcer]

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[Andrea Canning]

Welcome back everybody. Danny Savalos is here as promised. Hey Danny, can you just One more time. We know you've done this for us before, but if you could give us another simple definition for racketeering conspiracy.

[Danny Savalos]

Racketeering is having an enterprise with multiple people and conducting unlawful affairs through that enterprise. And Combs is charged with racketeering conspiracy. And this is a really, in my opinion, very easy crime to prove. All you need to prove is that the defendant agreed to participate in this enterprise with the addition of two crimes that are enumerated in the racketeering statute. Kidnapping, arson, violence, drug trafficking. You don't have to prove that he actually participated in them. You don't even have to prove that he was physically present when these crimes were committed. The mere agreement is enough for a conviction on racketeering conspiracy charges.

[Andrea Canning]

So let's talk about why the prosecution is so focused on this firebombing of Kid Cudi's Porsche. Their allegation is that Combs ordered, you know, that Molotov cocktail someone working for him they believe carried out this act, right?

[Danny Savalos]

All of this testimony about allegedly firebombing a car or drug use during the freak offs, or his former assistant claiming that she was kidnapped. Those are critical to the elements of the case the prosecution must prove. But importantly, they don't need to show that Combs kidnapped anyone. They don't need to show that he threw the Molotov cocktail. They just need to show that he agreed to participate in some criminal enterprise and that these crimes were committed in furtherance of that enterprise.

[Andrea Canning]

Let's talk about the sex trafficking charge. Today. The prosecution asked Cassie's stylist, Deontay to testify to her frame of mind that she didn't want to have these freak offs but felt like she had to. Does that fit the legal definition of coercion?

[Danny Savalos]

Coercion is commonly understood under the statute to mean the threat of physical harm. Not merely haranguing, harassing, bothering or even threatening with loss of job or any kind of social pressure. That wouldn't be enough. But it certainly is helpful to the government to show this overall atmosphere of sort of threatening, harassive, hostile environment where these witnesses saw not only Combs be nasty to people, but physically violent as well. It's all part of the big picture and. And it helps the government, the defense.

[Andrea Canning]

Danny, has asked for a mistrial a couple of times now. We talked about those fingerprints. Do you see anything happening that could make a guilty verdict reversible on appeal or something the defense can use down the road?

[Danny Savalos]

Yeah, the mistrial request today, they preserved it for the record. But if Combs is convicted, I don't see this being a particularly appetizing appellate issue. It seemed to me that the prosecution was basically trying to ask questions to confirm that that witness didn't lose the fingerprint cards. I understand the defense's argument and they have to make that argument. And in fact, I don't think even the defense expected that their mistrial motion would be granted. Virtually none of these motions are granted. But they got this benefit of having some of the testimony stricken. So it's the old theory of if you ask high, you might get what you want, even if that ends up being somewhere in the middle.

[Chloe Milan]

Yeah.

[Andrea Canning]

Okay. Danny, thank you for breaking this all down for us. For those of us who are not lawyers, it can get complicated. So we very much appreciate your insight.

[Danny Savalos]

Thank you.

[Andrea Canning]

And Chloe, you are back with some big news on Cassie Ventura.

[Chloe Milan]

That's right. So she has given birth to her third child, a baby boy, in New York yesterday. We don't know the name or any other details, but it sounds like mom and baby are healthy and all is okay.

[Andrea Canning]

Wonderful news. Thank you, Chloe. And thank you again, Danny. And we will be back tomorrow with a new episode. 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.

[Kelly Ripa]

Hey there everyone in podcast land. I just wanted to thank you all for listening and telling your friends about our little podcast. Let's talk off camera with me, Kelly Ripa. I know there are millions of podcasts out there, so I really appreciate you giving us a listen. There are so many gems from season one from Matthew McConaughey disclosing that he and Woody Harrelson might brothers to Salma Hayek telling us about the argument that started her friendship with Prince. Hope you enjoy season one and stay tuned for a bigger and better season two.