← Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Revolting Testimony: The Punisher Takes the Stand, Cassie’s Mom Speaks Out | Diddy Trial Day 7
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- [00:00]
Ashley Banfield
Every year, brands pour $32.5 billion into influencer marketing, and most still have no idea if it's working. If you're tired of chasing likes and guessing at results, it's time for Jive PR and digital. We're the agency that turns influencer engagement into real, measurable sales. Our clients see a 50% lower cost per acquisition than with traditional ads. And every dollar is tracked from first impression to final sale. No more wasted budgets, no more guessing. Head to Jivepr to see if your brand is a fit. Hey, everybody. I am Ashley Banfield, and this is Drop Dead Serious. It was day seven of the federal sex trafficking trial against Sean Diddy Combs. And what was revealed in that courtroom today was totally unhinged and absolutely devastating. If your name is Sean Puffy Combs and if you're facing life in prison, then again, another witness said a few things that seem to really line up with Diddy's version of this trial. That the kinky stuff that he did in those hotel freak offs was totally consensual and wasn't coerced. So I felt a big yin and yang today. Felt a little like a tug of war at times with the witnesses. And we are in the prosecution's case, so the only tug of war we should be feeling is when the defense does cross. But I felt the tug of war during some of the direct. So we also heard today from Cassie Ventura's mom, who delivered a body blow to Diddy. We heard from a male exotic dancer named the Punisher who says he was hired by Cassie and Diddy and with whom I had an exclusive interview. So stay tuned for my conversation with the Punisher about everything he did and saw in in those hotel encounters with Cassie and Diddy. Because I'll be honest, I really thought his testimony supported Diddy's argument that this freaky activity was all between consenting adults. So really interesting witness in the courtroom and super interesting when I talked to him. Like I said, that's coming in just a second. We also heard from a Homeland Security agent who raided Diddy's mansion and found all sorts of supplies for the many free coughs. And we also heard from Diddy's former personal assistant, who was back for a second day on the stand, revealing everything from secret hotel setups stocked with baby oil to Ecstasy pills with Barack Obama's face stamped on them. We're not going to waste any time because what was said in that courtroom today was truly unbelievable. So let's just get right into it before the testimony Even began today. The defense tried to block some of the juicy stuff that the jury was about to hear. Diddy's lawyer, Mark Agnifolo, did not want the jury to hear from Cassie Ventura's mother specifically about a twenty thousand dollar wire that she sent to Diddy. Yeah, good reason for that. Agnifolo argued that it was irrelevant because Diddy returned the money and because the Ventura family, quote, needed the money more than Diddy did. And in the end, the judge ruled, oh yeah, Cassie's mom is in with that story. The jury will hear it. And then came another tug of war over whether Diddy's former personal assistant could testify about that now infamous encounter at Mel's Diner with Suge Knight. You may remember from yesterday, David James, the assistant, had already started pulling back the curtain on Cassie and Diddy and the things that he, as an employee, had to do. But today, he yanked that curtain wide open. David worked as Diddy's personal assistant from 2006 to 2009. And in that time, he didn't just carry a bag or book travel. So let's start with what he saw behind closed doors. David said that Diddy and Cassie fought a lot, mainly about her career. He said she wanted to be a model and act, but that Diddy wanted her to stay in music, his domain. And then In January of 2009, something shifted. David told the jury that one day, seemingly out of nowhere, Diddy pulled him aside and demanded to see his Internet history because Diddy was worried that a staffer had leaked a story to a blog about Diddy hitting Cassie. David remembered the blog being called Lipstick something. And according to him, Diddy was furious about it. He said someone was, quote, lying on him. James called the moment jarring. This wasn't how did he normally treated him. And in all their time working together, this level of suspicion felt brand new. And right after that confrontation, he said, Cassie disappeared. David didn't see her around the house anymore. He, he didn't hear her voice. She was just kinda gone. And soon, David was told to drop off food at a hotel where Cassie was staying. But here's what stood out. When he knocked on the door, someone else answered. Cassie did not come to the door herself. And David James told the jury that that was weird because Cassie always answered her door. So question, was she being held in that hotel by Sean against her will? Because that could have been an impression left with the jury that brief moment, Cassie not coming to the door, stuck with this assistant, he said. And it set the tone for everything that came next. David told the jury that he had a specific job. He, quote, advanced hotels before Diddy arrived. He didn't book the hotels, but he made sure that they were stocked and ready for Diddy. And that meant skin care speakers, a Jordan sweatsuit, food from Duane Reade, Chirac vodka, and Diddy's prized possession, David said, the Louis Vuitton personal bag. Inside that bag, $10,000 in cash, Diddy's wallet, and 25 to 30 bottles of, quote, unquote medicine, unquote pills ranging from Tylenol to Viagra, but also unmarked bottles. He had some pills that helped increase the sperm count, David said, and some to help him lose water weight. But there was also Percocet and Ecstasy tablets, and some apparently had Barack Obama's face stamped on them. And when David bought sensitive items like Astroglide and baby oil, he was told to expense them and collect the cash repayments from the Louis Vuitton bag. He was specifically told there should be no receipts, he said, no receipts that tracked back to Bad Boy Entertainment. That instruction, he said, came from a guy named Roger Bonds, and that's a new name. Roger Bonds was a former head of security and a longtime associate of Diddy's. When, when asked if Diddy stayed alone in the hotel rooms, David James replied, quote, I don't think Mr. Combs ever stays alone, end quote. He said Diddy usually stayed with his girlfriend at the time, mostly Cassie, but also with other women. Next, David told the jury about a morning in 2008 when he entered a Miami hotel suite to drop off some supplies. He said he found Cassie asleep, but that also a man was in bed with her. Diddy was in the shower at the time. And when asked to describe that other man, David told the jury this. He was, quote, completely naked, about 5 foot 8, had long hair, was notably well endowed, and was wearing a condom, end quote. After seeing the naked man, David told the jury that he got the hell out of there. He also said that he never mentioned the incident because, quote, it wasn't my business. But what was his business was everything that Diddy consumed, because next came the drugs. David testified that Diddy did drugs every single day at parties, in studios, on the road, and at the office, even while conducting official business. David himself was sent to pick up cocaine and ecstasy, he said, on two different occasions, once for Diddy and once for Diddy's friends. And then came the New Year's Eve party. David said although he didn't do drugs, he decided to take an Ecstasy pill from Diddy's stash. As David described a party where everyone was high on ecstasy. He slipped in a line that made the whole courtroom crack up. He said, quote, we were all on E. And I was just Diddy bopping all around the party. Yes, Diddy bopping, he called it. Even the jury couldn't hold it in. A few smiled and some chuckled. It wasn't so funny later on, though, because David told the jury what happened right after that party when Diddy pulled him into his office. It seemed Diddy had been reviewing footage of the party. David said, yes, the party was filmed. Like many of the free coughs, David testified that Diddy said, yo, playboy, was that you dancing around? David admitted it was, and that Diddy replied, quote, I'm going to keep that footage in case I ever need it, end quote. David said he wasn't directly threatened, but he knew what that meant. And that wasn't the only time David said he felt pressured to prove his loyalty. Over the course of his employment, David took two polygraph tests. The first one, after some cash went missing. The second, after Diddy's watch was stolen on a day David wasn't even working. He said he passed both, but admitted during the second polygraph that he had stolen a few bottles of Chirac vodka and a pair of Sean John jeans. He told the jury, quote, Mr. Combs does not like people to steal. That's one of his big things, end quote. And it wasn't just him. He said Diddy's security chief told him that Capricorn Clark, another employee of Diddy's, had to take a polygraph after she was robbed while carrying some of Diddy's jewelry. And yet, David testified, while all of this mafia styled activity was going on, Diddy was still surrounded by a list royalty in Miami. David said Diddy recorded in the same studio as Pharrell Williams and Will Smith. And when they were back in New York, it was more of the same. Long nights in a midtown studio, sometimes working straight through until 3 or 4 in the morning. And then came the Suge Knight story. David walked the jury through how that night went down. He said it happened in late 2008. David was with Diddy and Drock, Diddy's main security guy. They were in the studio, he said, and Diddy wanted burgers. So David and Drock drove to a restaurant called Mel's Diner. And when they pulled in, David said drock blurted out, quote, that's Suge Knight. David said that he and Drock approached Suge calmly, but that Shug didn't recognize Drock, so that Drock called out to Suge, saying, it's me, Biggie's boy. David said there was a handshake and no drama. But then, moments later, David testified, four black SUVs suddenly pulled in and surrounded the parking lot. And someone handed Suge Knight a gun. David said Drock whispered, quote, we gotta fucking go. David said Diddy ordered him to, quote, drive the Escalade. David told the jury he felt he didn't have a choice, that it was part of the job, and he got behind the wheel. Drock was in the passenger seat. Diddy was. Was in the back, he said. And he said there were three handguns in the vehicle and three people, including him in the vehicle. When asked what did he said to him in that moment, David replied. He said, motherfucking go. David said they drove to the diner, but that when they arrived, the SUVs were gone and so was Shug. So they circled the block and left. David said this was the moment that he realized his life was in danger. So he called it quits. Sean Combs, and he gave six months notice. He told the jury that Diddy offered him other jobs, but that he declined and that by 2009, he was gone. But the defense then got its turn, and they pounced. Diddy's lawyer, Mark Agnifolo, pressed David on the Mel's Diner story, suggesting that it had changed over time. Originally, David told prosecutors that he and Drock left after seeing Suge Knight. No guns mentioned, so why the new version now? David said he did not want to incriminate himself back then, but today he was clear. He was not high, he was not drunk. He remembers that night, quote, like a core memory. Diddy's lawyer asked if David had been promised immunity. And David's answer was unsure, almost as though he did not understand what was being asked. And then came the snark. Diddy's lawyer challenged David's memory. He said, you remember 2008, but not what you discussed with prosecutors two hours ago. David didn't flinch. He said he focused on his own testimony and wasn't keeping tabs on every sidebar. David was also pressed on the true reason that he stopped working for Diddy. Diddy's lawyer asked if he really quit because he was frightened working for Diddy that night of the Suge Knight encounter, or if instead, it had something to do with Diddy's chef. David admitted that during an argument with the chef in the kitchen at Diddy's mansion in Miami, he Indeed, grabbed Chef Jordan by both wrists and told her to, quote, stay in her lane, end quote. And here's where it gets interesting. According to David, Diddy later called him into his room, and Diddy said, quote, you can't be putting your hands on women, end quote. Can we all just stop for a moment and let that sink in? Can we just realize this is Diddy saying those words. You can't be putting your hands on women while you're letting that sink in. Maybe also think about the hotel video where Diddy doesn't just put his hands on Cassie Ventura in the hallway. He takes the boots to her, right. Can't be putting your hands on women. David said he was instructed by Diddy. Yeah, I don't think Diddy's gonna weather this real well. There's a lot in this trial you can question. There's a lot that his defense attorneys will question, but you cannot question that video ever. And you cannot question the stories that surround that video. And this will be one of them. The next witness on the stand was Regina Ventura, Cassie's mom. Regina testified that In December of 2011, Cassie came home to Connecticut and she was badly bruised. Regina photographed the marks on her daughter's back and the marks on her daughter's thigh and said Cassie finally admitted that Diddy had beaten her. Cassie's mom also told the jury, quote, she was beaten by Sean Combs, end quote. Cassie's mom also read a disturbing email from her daughter out loud in court. In the email, Cassie told her mom, quote, the threats that have been made towards me by Sean Puffy Combs are that he is going to release two explicit sex tapes of me. One on Christmas Day, maybe before or right after, and another one sometime soon after. He has said also that he will be having someone hurt me and Scott Mascudi physically. He made a point that it wouldn't be by his hands. He actually said he'd be out of the country when it happened, end quote. Cassie's mom told the jury she was physically sick. After reading that email, she told the jury, quote, the sex tapes threw me. I didn't know the other person in it, but I knew that he was going to try to hurt my daughter. And when asked who she was referring to with he, she said, Sean Combs. Cassie's mom, also testified that around the very same time, Diddy demanded $20,000 from her. It was money that Diddy claimed he'd spent on Cassie and now wanted back because he discovered that Cassie was seeing Kid Cudi. The prosecutor asked so who paid it? And Cassie's mom replied, my husband and myself. Cassie's mom told the jury that she got wire instructions from Diddy's bookkeeper at Bad Boy Records. Stop for a minute. Diddy's bookkeeper at Bad Boy Records sent her wire instructions for the $20,000. Look, you can debate whether or not this is extortion, but it sure is coincidental that Diddy's demanding $20,000 from Cassie's mom right after he's threatening to release sex tapes and suggesting he's angry that Cassie's seeing another guy. You can debate whether that's extortion. But if it is and he uses the wire service to do it, and he uses an employee of Bad Boy Records, you are getting dang close to the charges of racketeering, maybe even absolutely proving racketeering. Then Cassie's mom said that she and her husband actually had to take out a whole home equity loan for $20,000. They had to put a loan on their home to wire diddy. That 20k let that sink in. They mortgaged their home to pay what they felt was extortion money. 20k to a billionaire. 20k that they didn't even have. Lucky for them, four days later, the money mysteriously was sent back. No explanations. And that was that. So when it came time for cross examination, you would think Diddy's lawyer would stand up and eviscerate this witness. Eviscerate Cassie's mom? Because the stuff that Cassie's mom said, I think it's some of the most damaging stuff in the trial so far. But Diddy's lawyer had nothing to say but this quote. Good afternoon, Ms. Ventura. I don't have any questions for you. Thank you. End quote. And I'm like, do what now? Wtf? Hold it. Are you kidding me? No questions For Cassie Ventura's mom. This stuff was damaging. Maybe they think it's just not a good look to beat up on the mother of a woman who was beat up by your client. I don't know. One day I Hope to ask Mr. Agnifolo about that. Maybe a lost opportunity. Maybe it's strategy. But then came someone we've been waiting to hear from. Sheree Hayes, a 51 year old male exotic dancer. But in this courtroom, he wasn't Sheree Hayes. He was the Punisher. The Punisher was his stage name. And by the looks of his photos, clad in black leather straps, it is a totally appropriate stage name. But he actually said he earned the name playing basketball back when he was a teenager. Sheree was an exotic dancer and was hired by Cassie and Diddy not once, but somewhere between eight and 12 times between 2012 and. And 2016. In the fall of 2012, he said he got the first call from Cassie and Diddy. Cassie called herself Janet and booked him for what he thought was a strip tease for her birthday at Trump Tower. That's what she told him. But when he arrived, there was no party, just Cassie and a man. She called her husband. He told the jury that Cassie handed him 800 and told him they were going to, quote, create a sexy scene using baby oil. Oh, and one more thing. He was instructed not to look at her husband. When that husband entered the room, he testified the lights were dim and the candles were lit and that bed sheets covered the furniture. Charay told the jury that as soon as he and Cassie began oiling themselves up, a man entered the room. When asked how the man was dressed, Charay said he was completely nude, but that his face was covered by a veil. You know, the kind that Muslim women wear with only the eyes visible. And that the man was holding a bottle of Astroglide. Yeah, I'm getting the image too. Yeah, it's uncomfortable. David told the jury that the man did not speak, that he just watched and later began masturbating. And then without saying a word, he left. Sheree testified that Cassie followed that mystery man out of the room and that later, when she returned, she asked Charay if he wanted to, quote, finish. Sheree testified that he was trying to be professional and said, quote, I knew I was there to create what they called a sexy scene. So I declined. I said, quote, I'm good. As long as they were happy, I was happy. End quote. Cassie then gave him another twelve hundred dollars and he left without knowing who that mystery husband was. But he found out later in, I don't know, I think a pretty comical way. He said the next time he showed up for a free cough, he got bored while he was waiting in the room for it to begin. So, you know, to pass the time, he turned on the TV in the hotel room and what came up, One of those welcome messages that you often see when you turn the TV on in your brand new hotel room. This one said, quote, essex House would like to welcome Mr. Sean Combs. So, yeah, cover busted. Charade testified that he was blown away by the revelation because he had been a big fan of P. Diddy's, followed him on Instagram. He told the jury that at first he. He understood that he was being hired to, quote, Create a sexy scene. But he said later on it escalated into actual sex acts. He said that Diddy was the, quote, director and that he and Cassie were just actors. He said that Diddy would give subtle directions during the encounters. Things like move the candle to the right, position your body, or sit forward. At times, the instructions were more explicit and directly related to what was happening sexually. Sheree recalled one moment while he was having sex with Cassie that Diddy dropped a stack of money on the bed and said, quote, I like this shit. As in, Diddy was pleased with how the scenario was playing out. Another time, Sheree said that Diddy threw condoms on the couch where he was performing a sex act on Cassie. And then he said Diddy told him, quote, I'm ready to see you fuck her, which he understood as a direct instruction. Charay testified that Cassie was the only one who usually paid him, except for that one occasion when Diddy threw the money on the bed, which was later handed to him as payment. Charade told the jury that he was frequently offered alcohol or marijuana during the encounters, but he said he never used drugs. He said, quote, I'm not a marijuana smoker. I call it a Bill Clinton. I do recall being handed marijuana. I act like I take a puff, but I don't inhale. When asked if he had any difficulties, quote, creating these scenes, he admitted that sometimes he struggled to perform sexually due to anxiety and pressure, including difficulty getting and maintaining an erection. He said he even turned to Cialis and Viagra and corner store pills to cope. Eventually, he told the jury, it led to something else. Sheree took his experience and wrote a self help book called In Search of freezer Meat. He said it was about erectile dysfunction and yes, it featured Diddy and Cassie. He wrote about them as a, quote, married, wealthy couple for, quote, six and a half pages. But he never named Cassie or Diddy in that book. Charay told the jury, quote, it's real, genuine medical advice, but it's framed as me telling personal stories with comical references that people might relate to. And while he admitted to, quote, sensationalizing parts of the book, he said that the content was based on his real experiences with that couple, Cassie and Diddy. By the way, the book was released on May 9, and yes, that is just days before this trial began. On cross examination, Charay was asked about his 25 years of experience as a male performer. Charay told the jury he, quote, always read the room to ensure that his reactions were welcome and consensual. Diddy's lawyers asked if that Rang true with his encounters with Cassie. And Charay said that he never received any cues that she was uncomfortable. He also emphasized that if he had sensed any discomfort, he would have stopped. Diddy's lawyers also asked about what the protocol was to wrap up these freak offs. And Sheree said that Cassie was the one who instructed him where to ejaculate during their encounters. He confirmed that Diddy never gave him any direction about that. And I gotta tell you, it seemed to me that the Punisher was not as strong a witness as I expected for the prosecution. In fact, I'm still trying to get my head around why the prosecution called him other than to corroborate a lot of the descriptions of the free coughs that Cassie had already given on the stand. But Cassie had said that Diddy would instruct the male prostitutes where to ejaculate, whether it was on her or in her. And he didn't corroborate that. And he also said Cassie seemed like a willing participant, which is Diddy's entire defense. This is all, you know, activity between consenting adults. So this one may lean a little more towards Diddy. Right. If you take everything at his fair word. And the interview that I conducted with him just hours after he stepped down off the stand, you may get the impression I got. I interviewed Sheree the Punisher on my News Nation show. And here's a look at our conversation. So I'm happy now to introduce the man who spent the better part of today on the witness stand. Sheree the Punisher Hayes joins me now live. Mr. Hayes, it's really good of you to be here. Thank you so much for doing this. I can imagine you've had a hell of a day.
- [28:03]
Sheree Hayes
Definitely a challenging day today.
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Ashley Banfield
So tell me a little bit about it. Like, how was it? How'd you feel up there? Like, give me a. Give me a summary, a description of what that day was like for you.
- [28:16]
Sheree Hayes
Well, it's very nerve wracking. There's nothing you can do to really prepare yourself for that type of environment. Very tense scenario, very serious atmosphere. And, you know, I just kept a mind frame of from the time I've been contacted by investigators. It's just give my version of the truth what I can remember to the best of my ability. And that's what I tried to do today.
- [28:48]
Ashley Banfield
So I know that you, you talked about this on the stand, but I want to just sort of flush it out with you a little because we get court, court sketches. There's no cameras in court, so it's really good to have you in person when you say that. It was clear that Diddy was directing the sex scenes and the sex acts because as you described, it started off as just a sexy scene, but it progressed into actual sex over the course of the free coughs. What kind of direction did you get? The sense, like, aggressive, mean, demanding, or just, hey, this is kinky. Let's do this.
- [29:24]
Sheree Hayes
Not even as I. As I described in the text, they were very subtle. Mr. Combs was always basically across the room. And it would be in a low tone and it would just be suggestive. It was anything, nothing aggressive. Nothing that would create some sort of scenario that this was, like, unnatural between them. Obviously, a sexual scenario with a couple is not the norm, but it's something that I had heard about before. And there's some couples that get into this. And in hindsight, if there were no accusations, I would have saw it as completely natural.
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Ashley Banfield
Can you repeat that? You would have seen it as what.
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Sheree Hayes
If there was no accusations? Like, in hindsight. All this stuff is in hindsight, like, in the moment, I didn't see it as anything but a couple doing something risque and Cassie as a partner trying to create a fantasy for who I believe was her husband and for the majority of this.
- [30:31]
Ashley Banfield
So at one point in your testimony, I think you mentioned, and I was just reading transcript because of course there's no cameras. You mentioned that Sean Combs was slightly aggressive in his tone and that Cassie would sigh or wince at some of his direction. Can you explain that a little bit more?
- [30:48]
Sheree Hayes
Yeah, I understand that you're getting it in parts. It was quite a long testimony when the sign and the wincing was associated with some of the direction was very specific. And it could be one after the other in terms of move the camera to the left, move it a little more, move it a little more now, move your body a little more. Stuff like that. And it was kind of unnatural for a scenario where you're trying to create a sexual situation. So my understanding of my interpretation of it in the moment was frustration with the repeated directions.
- [31:28]
Ashley Banfield
So it felt to you when you were there, like it was frustration, but it did not feel to you when you were there like she did not want to be in the situation she was in with you.
- [31:39]
Sheree Hayes
It did not.
- [31:41]
Ashley Banfield
The other question I have for you is I think I read that this began in. Was it right, 2012 that the first time you were hired?
- [31:48]
Sheree Hayes
That's correct.
- [31:51]
Ashley Banfield
So that would seem fairly early on, perhaps in the free cops in their relationship. And it felt to me, like in the beginning, you did not actually have any kind of sex with Cassie in front of Diddy in those hotel rooms. It was just performative. But that it graduated in the later free coughs to sexual acts. Did it seem to you now that you're hearing a lot more of the story that this was the beginning of the whole freak off adventure for them, that they were kind of figuring it out themselves as well, and that maybe it progressed a lot further and got a lot less appealing to Cassie maybe later after you had moved on and weren't in the picture.
- [32:32]
Sheree Hayes
So I'm instructed to not necessarily follow any of the details. So I just really know what my interaction with was. And it was always like almost a start over scenario because like I said in my testimony, it wasn't consistent. Like I would get called maybe once every four months, you know, so long periods of time would go in between. So it would definitely be kind of like an odd situation, but not in a way where I can assess there was some sort of progression that went on from the time we started to the time we ended. It was pretty consistent all the way through.
- [33:10]
Ashley Banfield
Well, may I. May I commend you in following the orders of the court and not having consumed a lot of information about this before your testimony, because that would have been an easy question for you to answer had you known all the, all the background. Right. That we're all learning in court. So congratulations and good for you. You're a model witness and I appreciate you doing that. That's true justice. I do want to press a little bit on this aspect of. From the first free cough until the last free cough that you did, did you sense that they were getting more practiced at it and that it was like, it was a lot more sexual right away? First it was performative and just, you know, a show, and then it became actual sex towards the end. Was there anything different between episode one and say, episode, you know, maybe maximum 12, that. That seems to be the max number that you performed with them. Did 12 seem a lot more, you know, like it was a machine that was ready to go?
- [34:07]
Sheree Hayes
Actually the opposite. It was very routine, like a very consistent routine. It always started the same, some sort of a scenario where we would be across from each other on couches that were covered with sheets. It always had to start with a baby, all with me rubbing it on myself, her doing the same, escalating to us rubbing each other and then escalating into small sex acts leading into actual penetration. It was very methodical and pretty much the same. I can't say there was a different energy from start to finish. It pretty much stayed the course of whatever the criteria was from the first time going forward. And the first time was actually the only time there was an actual sexual interaction. And it was offered, as I said in my testimony, but I declined.
- [35:01]
Ashley Banfield
So one of the other escorts who had done some of the same things in these free cops that you were hired for said that at one point Sean Combs was very violent with Cassie and that he took her in the other room and that he heard slapping and beating and that when he came. When they came out, Diddy wanted them to continue and finish strong. That was his words, apparently allegedly finished strong. But that the male escort, he said I had erectile dysfunction at that point because of what I'd gone through. And I know, like you wrote a whole book called In Search of Freezer Meat about that, about erectile dysfunction and how difficult it can be. And I think you might have mentioned that it actually happened to you during one of your freak offs with Diddy and Cassie that you had the same kind of issue. Was it at all based on violence or aggression?
- [35:53]
Sheree Hayes
No, it was not. It was not based on violence and aggression. I think for me there was no true. At times for me, I could not get into a place of intimate connection. There was always a discomfort with obviously a male partner just being present, period. And then like I said, with the direction, the move to the left, to move to the right, to do this, to do that, in terms of me maintaining like an erotic space of being turned on or whatever, it was difficult. So it was just more of. It felt like acting opposed to actual natural sexual scenario.
- [36:36]
Ashley Banfield
Did you ever know another escort by the name of Jules in la?
- [36:43]
Sheree Hayes
The truth of the matter is I was in a naive state. My very first interaction, I was told it was she went by Janet. I had no idea who they were and she introduced herself as Janet and said this was her birthday and this was something special her and her husband was doing. So the. So the majority of the time, actually the entire time, even when I found out who they were initially I really believed I was the only guy they were involved with. I thought this was something.
- [37:14]
Ashley Banfield
Had you ever heard of a. Had you ever heard of an escort named Jules?
- [37:20]
Sheree Hayes
I have not. I'm not in a male escort business. I'm actually a stripper that took a proposition, but is not somebody I would co. Mingle with in terms of interactions.
- [37:32]
Ashley Banfield
Sheree Hayes, I can't thank you enough for being so forthcoming and Candid and agreeing to talk to me on this program tonight. I really appreciate it. I also appreciate you walking into federal court and getting up on a witness stand and talking about stuff that's pretty uncomfortable. You know, the justice system relies on witnesses being fair and truthful and doing what you did, no matter how hard it is. And it is real hard. So thank you so much.
- [37:57]
Sheree Hayes
Oh, you know, my pleasure. I appreciate you having me, and thank you so much.
- [38:04]
Ashley Banfield
Can I ask you one quick question? Do you think.
- [38:06]
Sheree Hayes
Sure.
- [38:06]
Ashley Banfield
Do you think Sean Combs is guilty of sex trafficking and. And the crimes that he's actually accused of and racketeering?
- [38:15]
Sheree Hayes
I mean, again, like I said, I really. This has been a high place of anxiety for me. So it wasn't just being a good witness and follow directions. I really avoid the details. I think the totality of the situation for everybody involved is just extremely sad and difficult and just a black eye experience on everybody involved. And I just think it's unfortunate. I don't. I don't have the legal understanding to levy the evidence and come to determination of what I think or don't think. I just think it's an unfortunate situation for everyone.
- [38:53]
Ashley Banfield
Well, I am super appreciative. Thank you again, Sheree Hayes.
- [38:57]
Sheree Hayes
Anytime.
- [38:59]
Ashley Banfield
Up next was someone with zero personal connection to Diddy, just facts and federal authority. The man who led the raid on Diddy's Miami mansion, Homeland Security Special Agent Gerard Gannon. Agent Gannon specializes in human trafficking. He testified about the dramatic raid on Diddy's Miami home on March 25, 2024. He said they used an armored vehicle to break down the gate to the Star island mansion. Agent Gannon told the jury that 80 to 90 agents were involved. Which man, oh, man, that sure sounds like a lot until you remember that Diddy's Miami home is 20,000 square feet. Yeah, that's a lot of ground to cover. Inside, they found everything he said. Photos were shown in court of what they found. Multiple bottles of baby oil, Astro Glide lubricant, condoms, platform high heels, sex toys, women's lingerie and all that stuff, you know, whatever that could just be because you got a kinky lifestyle, and that's not illegal. But given the other testimony, it kind of fits in with the puzzle. And then there was this. They found two AR15s with the serial numbers scratched out. Ouch. It is not legal to scratch off serial numbers from a weapon. In fact, I'm surprised there's no gun offense. Towards the end of the day, Agent Gannon did something jarring. He Held up an actual pair of 7 inch women's heels on the witness stand. The same pair that jurors had already seen in the photos of the raid. And Agent Gannon isn't even finished yet. He's expected back on the stand tomorrow morning. So now we wait. But, my friends, the wait will be worth it. Prosecutors just revealed that Kid Cudi, real name Scott Mascudi, is expected to testify later this week. Maybe Wednesday, maybe Thursday. And why does that matter? It matters a lot. Because according to Cassie and her mom, it was Kid Cudi's relationship with Cassie that set Diddy off. So much so that Cassie said Diddy threatened to blow up Kid Cudi's car. And guess what? Later, Kid Cudi's car exploded in his driveway. And that is what you call classic arson. And yes, arson is a predicate act of racketeering. Diddy do it. Diddy order it. Diddy, have any staff members carry out the arson of Kid Cudi's car? Or did somebody else entirely blow up Kid Cudi's car? I can't wait for this testimony. But before Kid Cudi takes the stand, we're also expecting testimony from another former personal assistant of Diddy's, a man named George Kaplan. But I'm hearing word that he is expected to take the Fifth. I wonder why would he take the Fifth? Because some of the stuff he would testify to would incriminate him and get him legally charged. Did they not give him immunity? I mean, that's what happens, right? Prosecutors say, look, I'll give you immunity. I'll give you use immunity, which is just for this moment. Or maybe he's just real, real loyal. Or maybe he won't take the 5th. I can't wait. And then also we're expecting a forensic psychologist named Dr. Dawn Hughes. And if her name sounds familiar, that's because she was the forensic psychologist who testified for Amber Heard during her defamation battle with Johnny Depp. So everything cross intersects. We'll be back tomorrow with full coverage from inside that federal courtroom. Don't forget, though, to subscribe to YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts so that you don't miss any of our daily updates and all the bonus episodes that I've been dropping. Also, I love it when you leave me a comment if you're watching on YouTube or leave me a review if you're listening on the podcast. I really do love hearing from you, and I like to hit you back every so often, too. I'm Ashley Banfield. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you so much for watching. And remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead seriously.