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Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Wild King Mode Activated: Diddy’s Alleged "Drug Mule" Testifies | United States vs. Sean Combs Day 27
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Ashley Banfield
Foreign Hi, everyone. I'm Ashley Banfield and this is Drop dead Serious. It was day 27 of the federal trial against Sean Diddy Combs. And today we heard from a man who had the front row seat to the chaos. Brendan Paul, Diddy's former assistant and someone who the government says was Diddy's drug mule. He took the stand and he described a world fueled by drugs, secrecy and demands around the clock. We also heard from a Homeland Security agent who began walking the jury through a massive digital paper trail. Before we get into today's testimony though, we have to talk about some of the jaw dropping new evidence that was just released. And can I say, I love covering trials when the evidence includes a designer handbag that costs upwards of 6,000 doll thousand dollars. A handbag the prosecutors say was used to stash Diddy's cocaine. Yeah, don't we all kind of wish we had, you know, a couple extra designer handbags to toss around for various and sundry little tasks. I'm going to tell you all about the brand and the story behind it. Trust me, I thought I knew everything about the luxury brands that stars all tote around and display on their Instagrams. But I got a lesson today in the Goyard brand. Now back to the newly released evidence. Federal prosecutors showed a stunning set of photos in court. Photos that gave the jurors, and now the public, you and me, a look inside Sean Diddy combs $61.5 million mansion in Los Angeles. And what they saw. I mean, how do I describe this? Crazy, but also kind of unsettling. Not just drugs and guns, but a veritable Costco stash of more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lube. Weirdly stacked beautifully, like neatly lined up in boxes all the way to the ceiling, packed tightly into his bedside table, lined up perfectly on glass shelves, and some of it even kept in what prosecutors described as a fancy box. I'm going to get into the description of all of that in just a minute, but I want to get you into the courtroom. The first witness of the day, young man named Brendan Paul. He told the jury that he worked as Sean Combs assistant from late 2022 until March 25, 2024, the very same day that Homeland Security raided Combs homes. But Brendan's involvement in this case goes far beyond calendar dates and job titles. Brendan acknowledged that he was arrested at the Miami airport for possession of 3/4 of a gram of cocaine. Brendan told the jury that the drugs were in a Goyard bag. A designer tote that can cost upwards of $6,000. He said that he kept various items for Combs in that expensive bag and said that he placed the cocaine in the goyard bag while cleaning out Combs hotel room after a freak off. So who is Brendan Paul? As a kid, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and a kid who was a D1 athlete, graduated from Syracuse University as a top level basketball player. And then shortly after graduation, he built a music studio in the basement of his family home with the help of his dad. And then came a tip. A former assistant to Sean Diddy Combs told Brendan about an open position for an assistant. But the job sounded brutal. And the advice from the assistant was blunt. Quote, get in to get out, end quote. Brendan told the jury that he understood what that meant. Build your Rolodex, get the experience, and then get the F out of there fast. But there was more. Brendan told the jury that the assistant warned him, quote, if you have a girlfriend, break up with her and don't expect to see your family much. This job will take over your life. And based on the fact that Brendan was sitting on the witness stand today in a federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial, that warning may have been more accurate than he even realized. Brendan told the courtroom that when he first started the job, he didn't report directly to Diddy. Instead, he said he was trained by a more seasoned employee. Diddy's chief of staff, one Christina Coram, better known as kk. One of the first assignments that Brendan was given, rolling joints for Diddy. But despite working for one of the most famous names in music, Brendan said he barely saw the man at all during those first few weeks. And that KK's instructions were clear. Stay away from Sean Combs until you learn the ropes. But eventually, he must have learned the ropes because KK invited Brendan to a listening party held in Combs backyard, not as a guest, but to take notes. And that night, she finally introduced Diddy to this kid. Right? Brendan meets the music mogul. And eventually Brendan's duties changed. He told the jury that as a former college basketball player, he naturally gravitated towards fitness and that he ended up focusing on food and workout planning for Diddy. But listen to the expectations that were outlined for this kid. Brendan said he typically worked 80 to 100 hours a week, sometimes up to six days a week, but essentially was always on call. Stop for a second. If you have ever had a long work week, I ask you. Did your work week have you sleeping four hours a night and getting up and starting all over again and going to sleep when work ended, like literally working until you go to bed, sleep for four hours, get up and work again. That's a hundred hour work week. If you work five days a week, that's a lot. Like, that's brutal. That's punishing. And you think you'd get paid a lot, right? His starting salary was $75,000 a year. In January of 2024, just months before the FBI raids, though, he got a raise. And by the time he ended up, you know, not working for Diddy because of, you know, legal, he was earning about $100,000 a year. And Brendan wasn't just tied to one city. He told the jury that he was based in both Los Angeles and Miami, living out of a series of Airbnbs in each location, depending on where Diddy needed them. He said he only flew on Diddy's jet three or four times during the entire 18 month employment, and that most of the time he had to fly commercial and always ahead of the entourage to set things up for Diddy. Brendan pretty much explained to the jury that his job was to, quote, advance the trip, get there first, set up the hotel room, arrange any special requests, and make sure the transition was flawless when Diddy arrived. From meals to lighting to temperature, every detail, he said, had to be perfect. He identified a woman named Jessica Ruiz as the corporate travel manager, the one responsible for coordinating all travel for Diddy and his entire team. If Jessica works for Diddy's company, she is part of Diddy's enterprise. And people in the enterprise coordinating things for, let's say, illegal activity that falls into racketeering. Right, that's into the racketeering description. And we've heard Jessica Ruiz's name come up multiple times during this trial as having coordinated things for like, you know, sex workers and girlfriends for freak offs. And the prosecutors say a lot of these freak offs were illegal. So Jessica's role is important there. And Brendan testifying about her is corroborative and also just continues to let this jury know that Diddy's enterprise was indeed used for personal, for pleasure, for professional. Brendan told the jury that he accompanied Diddy to about eight different nightclubs. These appearances, he said, during his time as assistant, were unbelievable. He said he heard from another employee that Diddy's got going rate just to appear at somebody's club was $150,000 per visit. Talk about having your check covered by the house. When asked what the longest he ever went without sleep in order to work for Diddy was Brendan Said three full days. Three days on the job without sleep. Brendan testified that he was young and that he was used to pushing his limits. So to help stay alert, he said he used prescription Adderall and he admitted to the, quote, rare use of cocaine. And as for the culture inside Diddy's world, Brendan described it as intense. When asked to summarize the mission of his job, he didn't hesitate. He said, quote, to make sure he was always happy, end quote. And if Diddy wasn't happy, well, that was not an option. According to Brendan, Diddy told his assistants he didn't want to hear excuses and expected them to, quote, move like SEAL Team Six, end quote. Brendan also testified that working for Sean Combs came with a constant sense of instability because getting fired could happen at any moment. In fact, he said Diddy fired him two or three times during his 18 month tenure. And one incident stood out. It was October or November of 2023. Diddy wanted to go on a walk, something he did often to clear his head or take phone calls. But Brendan said he forgot an important item. Diddy's Lululemon fanny pack. And that apparently set Sean Combs off. According to this witness, Diddy was angry, Brendan testified, and ordered Brendan get this. To call his own boss, kk, the chief of staff, and let KK know that Diddy had just fired him. Like, call my chief of staff and let her know I just fired you. Brendan said he did just that, but that KK Assured him he should just, quote, lay low for a while, let the dust settle. She said she'd handle it, and he said she did. Not long after that all happened, Brendan was told to travel to London and advance the next trip. Make sure everything's ready before Diddy gets there. And when Diddy eventually did get there, Brendan was already in place, waiting, working. He was ready. He told the jury that when the two actually crossed paths in London, he casually looked at Diddy and said, hey, not knowing what to expect. But Brendan said that Diddy looked right at him and simply replied, oh, hey. And that was it. It was back to business, as if the firing had never happened. I want to just insert something here, not about the Diddy trial, but still in the Southern District of New York. I have a series on this podcast channel called Uncle Peter. It's a six part series. I highly recommend you listen to it because it's as though the Uncle Peter case is playing over. In the Diddy case, the Southern District of New York talked about Peter Nygaard as this sex trafficker. As this beast, this cruel, horrifying boss that just pummeled his employees into doing what he wanted and raped and abused all of these young women. And what I have found fascinating is that Peter Nygarde's case is still to come. This same prosecution team is going to prosecute Peter Nygaard in the Southern District of New York. Okay. And they have talked about the way Peter would push his employees. I know this not because I have some special access to the Southern District's case files before they go to court, but because one of his employees was my best friend growing up. Angela and I interviewed her at length about what it was like to work for Peter. And as I hear Brendan talking about what it's like to work for Diddy, you stay up for three days straight. You have to be ready at all times. You cannot screw up. You get fired on the spot. Angela told me that was part of the deal. She would shower with her cell phone in a Ziploc bag so she wouldn't miss a call from the boss, Uncle Peter. She said she was fired more times than she could count and rarely paid and paid horribly. And she worked around the clock, 20 hour days. Normal, not unusual. I don't even think she made a hundred thousand dollars, I'll be honest with you. So hearing Brendan talk about this, it's like deja vu all over again. And the playlist to the Uncle Peter series is going to be listed in the description on this video. So I highly recommend you check it out and you are going to see see incredible similarities between Peter Nygaard, who's gonna be prosecuted, and Diddy, who's currently being prosecuted in the same Southern District of New York. Caveat. Peter is currently sitting in jail in Toronto. He was found guilty in Toronto. He's serving a prison sentence there. He still has to go through a trial in Montreal, Quebec. And when that's wrapped up, he's got to go to Winnipeg, my hometown. That's where I grew up with him and my bestie, Angela. And he's got to go through a trial there. And then he gets extradited to the United States to face a federal trial here. And I should also tell you this. Peter Nygaard is said to have more victims than Diddy, Epstein, Weinstein, the alleged victims of Cosby combined. So, yeah, it's worth checking out this Uncle Peter series of mine to see the patterns among the elite when it comes to accusations of sex trafficking. Back to Brendan and the firings, you know, like the non stop. You could be fired on the spot and Then all of a sudden, you don't know what happens. When asked whether he ever brought these concerns to human resources, Brendan was blunt and said, quote, that was not a thing. My friend Angela said the same thing. There was like no such thing as human resources, right? That was just people who worked for her uncle. That was a one way ticket out of the company. Eventually the questioning turned to why Brendan was on the stand at all in this courtroom. And he told the jury he received a subpoena to testify and that he is doing so. But under an immunity agreement, nothing he can say in this courtroom can be held against him. He has immunity to testify honestly. It's funny thing he said though. He said I would testify truthfully even if I didn't have immunity. But he did indicate his intention to plead the fifth unless he got the immunity. So here we are. And then came the discussion about drugs. This is probably why he wanted the immunity. Brendan testified that both Diddy and other assistants of Diddy's would regularly ask him ask Brendan to purchase drugs. And he rattled off a big long list. Marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and something called tusi. I learned about that today. That's a street mix, he said, made up of ketamine and molly. He also mentioned something else called K Pops, which is not music, it is ketamine infused lollipops. Sometimes, Brendan said the instructions came directly from Diddy himself. Other times, he testified, they were passed along by fellow assistants. And he named several of the drug dealers from whom he sourced the drugs. People known by nicknames like Guido and One Stop and Baby Girl and ov. And we've heard those names, by the way, except for ovi. We've heard those names a few times before in this trial. And then prosecutors displayed a group chat in court, a digital conversation between Brendan, another assistant named Jonathan Perez, and the dealer called Baby Girl. And in that exchange, Perez introduces Brendan to Baby Girl. And at one point, Baby Girl asks, are the drugs for Diddy or are they for Brendan? And Brendan said that he replied to Baby Girl that the drugs were for Diddy, but clarified to her that if anyone asked, she should say they were for him, for Brendan, not for his boss. And he explained why he did that. He said because of Diddy's status, keeping a low profile was essential. There was always the risk of exposure, of scrutiny, of headlines. And so when it came to drugs, discretion wasn't just encouraged, it was expected. Brendan also told the jury how the drugs were typically stored in the Gucci pouch. Of course. I mean, I love It Goyard Gucci. But we've heard about the Gucci pouch a few times during this trial. Sometimes Diddy carried the Gucci pouch himself. Other times, the Gucci pouch was tucked in a bag that one of the assistants would carry. But the Gucci pouch was important. The Gucci pouch had the drugs. That is the testimony. And not just once, multiple times. And then came the receipts, actual, literal receipts. Prosecutors showed the jury a text chain between Brendan and Diddy. In it, Diddy asks whether Brendan had gotten the Xanax that Diddy had requested. Brendan responded that he had two leads but was still checking with somebody else. Ultimately, Diddy got the Xanax, but just not from Brendan. Brendan also described how the purchases were made. He said he'd go through Diddy's security team, asking them for cash, which he said meant personal items. Once he had the money, Brendan said he'd pay for the drugs in cash. And then prosecutors pulled up another group chat, this one between Brendan, KK and a man named Fahim Muhammad, who we've previously heard was employed as Diddy's security. Inside that chat, Brendan is seen requesting reimbursement for multiple drug related purchases, all made on Diddy's behalf. The expenses included 4,200 for flour, which Brendan confirmed meant marijuana, and $740 listed as, quote, personal Gucci items, a phrase that Brendan said was code for hard drugs that were normally inside that Gucci pouch. Then came the question, Had Brendan ever taken drugs with Diddy? Yes, he said once. He said it happened at Coachella at an after party. According to Brendan, Diddy handed him something called tusi and asked him to try it first to see if it was, quote, good. Brendan told the jury that he did it not because he wanted to party, he said, but because he wanted to prove his loyalty. Then came a term that the jury has heard before, but this time with a twist. Wild King Nights. Brendan said that that phrase came from KK and that it was her way of describing a specific type of night. Drugs, sex, partying, what some witnesses have already described as free coughs, hotel nights, or king nights. Now they were being referred to as Wild King nights. Brendan confirmed that Jane, the pseudonym used for one of the women at the center of this case, participated in these women Wild King nights. And when asked whether Diddy had other girlfriends, Brendan said yes. But as far as he knew, those women weren't involved in the Wild King nights. Still, Brendan said his job was to help both with setup and cleanup of those nights. And it happened three or four Times, by his count, the setup for the Wild King Nights was very specific. Extra sheets, extra towels, fruit plates, mood lighting, and Astroglide and baby oil. All of it prepared in advance. Brendan told the jury that KK didn't want him directly involved in those nights, but never explained why. And he followed orders. Wild King Nights didn't happen often, Brendan said, maybe once a month. Hotel reservations for those nights were made under assistance names or under the alias Frank Black, a name that jurors have heard now many times. An alias for Diddy. And then came one of the more perplexing exchanges that was shown in court. A text chain between Brendan and KK, dated February 29, 2024. Brendan texts, Diddy is active. KK responds, Wild King mode active or Gucci bag active. Brendan replies in between the two. This was shorthand, something Brendan clearly understood. Gucci bag active referred to the pouch where the drugs were kept. Wild King mode meant something more. Something more extreme, involving sex. As Brendan's testimony continued, prosecutors zeroed in on the gritty details of what really went down behind the scenes of those so called Wild King nights. Brendan admitted to bringing $5,000 in cash to at least one of these sex parties, but said he didn't know exactly what the money was for. He wasn't given an explanation, he said, just an order. And then came the visuals. Prosecutors showed the jury a series of glaring photos, outfits from a sex store. Brendan had texted the images to Diddy himself, looking for input, but Brendan said Diddy never replied. Prosecutors wanted to reiterate to the jury that these were not just casual nights out for Diddy. They were orchestrated events staged by his staff, themed, curated and chock full of illegal drugs and sex. As for the cleanup afterwards, Brendan described that in detail, too. And yeah, it's pretty cringe worthy. Brendan said that he had to use gloves when cleaning up after the ditty Wild King Nights, not because he was told to, but instead, quote unquote, for sanitary reasons. The jury was shown a photo of one of those hotel rooms after the fact, and man, was it trashed. Bed sheets strewn everywhere, towels furniture pushed around, and an abundance of oil. Oil. Just weeks before Brendan was arrested, he told the jury that the arrest happened at an airport in Miami. Police found three quarters of a gram of cocaine in that fancy designer Goyard handbag, the same bag he used to carry items for Diddy. Brendan admitted that he did not tell police the drugs belonged to Diddy, but instead he said the drugs belong to him. Why would he do that? He answered. He said out of loyalty. He testified that the charges against him were eventually dropped, not because the drugs weren't real, but because, as he put it, quote, I had a really good lawyer. Brendan explained that the cocaine had been picked up during a final hotel sweep after a free cough, part of the cleanup that he often handled. He said he tossed the drugs into the bag and promptly forgot about them. When police stopped him and asked him what was inside the bag, Brendan said he told them everything in the bag was his. But when the drugs came out, he said, quote, my heart dropped. Then it was time for cross examination, and Diddy's lawyer, Brian Steele, stepped up to the lectern. And his first move was to humanize Brendan. Paul Diddy's lawyer reminded the jury that Brendan Brendan was an extremely hard worker, a former college basketball star at Syracuse University who earned honors in the ACC even through the chaos of COVID And then after college, in 2022, Brendan, at just 23 years old, was making $75,000 a year working for one of the biggest names in the entertainment business. And according to Brendan, he took that opportunity seriously. As the job progressed, he helped Diddy with workouts and meals and his schedule, especially because Diddy was constantly texting, often with dozens of requests per day. Brendan told the jury that Diddy trusted him and that he earned that trust by working those 80 to 100 hour a week work weeks, often working till 11 o' clock at night or later. And then Diddy's lawyer asked about one of the prosecution's more explosive suggestions that Brendan was a, quote, unquote, drug mule. Brendan responded, absolutely not. Brendan told the jury a drug mule was someone who traffics kilos and kilos of drugs, and that wasn't him. Brendan said he bought drugs for Diddy somewhere between five and ten times, never more. He said he estimated that in total he spent no more than 500 on drugs. He also said he only ever saw Diddy use drugs once and that kk to his knowledge, didn't use them at all. Then came the Wild King Knights, or at least the defense's version of them. Brendan described them not as criminal or exploitative, but as Diddy's escape, his private time, especially with Jane Doe. And Brendan said that after those nights, he never once saw Jane appear hesitant or distressed. One of the government's earlier references had quoted Brendan as saying KK ran the enterprise. And when Diddy's lawyer asked him to clarify, he said he was referring to the business, not a criminal operation. Kk, he explained, managed logistics, schedules and operations. He Said she ran the office, not a criminal ring. Ryan Steele then asked a question that went straight to the heart of the reputation that this kid thinks he has. Question was this. Do you care about your name, your future? And Brendan answered, absolutely. Toward the end of the cross examination, the defense shifted gears, painting a very different picture of Diddy. Diddy's lawyer suggested that when Diddy used drugs, he wasn't violent or chaotic, but was instead the opposite. He asked Brendan if Diddy ever hurt anyone while high. Brendan's answer, no. Steele followed up, saying that if anything, Diddy seemed more creative, more energized, even happy when using drugs. And then came a more personal question. Do you feel indebted to Diddy? Brendan paused, quote, what do you mean by indebted? End quote. So Steele rephrased the question. Did you have a good experience working for him? Brendan answered, yes. And that was the end of testimony for Brendan Paul, a day almost certainly he wishes never happened, and one that he'd like to forget. After he stepped down, instead of calling a witness, prosecutors turned to the evidence. They began reading a series of text messages aloud in court between Diddy and Cassie Ventura. And these particular text Messages were dated March 12 to March 14, 2017. In one message, Diddy complained about being left to pleasure himself for 10 hours. Frustrated, angry, and clearly feeling ignored, Cassie responded with something far more serious. She brought up physical abuse. She said she needed a break from the relationship. She told Diddy he was sending mixed signals. Quote, one moment you're down, the next you're not. She wrote, make up your mind. End quote. In one message, Cassie wrote, quote, I was your hooker for 10 years. And in another message, quote, boris had to tackle you, Puff. That's not love, that's possession. End quote. At that point, defense attorney Tenney Garrigo stood up to object, raising what's known as a 106 issue. She argued that the government had cherry picked those text messages, leaving out important context. Speaking specifically, she said the omitted parts of the messages included Cassie expressing affection and even saying she loved the fos, short for Free Coughs. And then the government called its next witness, Special Agent Joseph Cerciello with Homeland Security Investigations. Agent Cielo told the jury that he's been with Homeland security for over 18 years. But he was quick to clarify that he wasn't involved in this case until about two and a half weeks ago. And his role? Strictly analytical. Agent Circiello said that he was brought in to review and verify a series of government exhibits. He combed through thousands of pages of bank records and cell phone logs and text messages and airline itineraries and ground transportation receipts. The jury was then shown a massive chart, 44 entries in total. Serciello explained that these were all travel and hotel records tied to Diddy and his associates. And only one female name appeared throughout Jane. The government began walking through each entry, showing the jury a trail of bookings, flights and damage reports. Their goal here was to illustrate a consistent pattern linking P. Diddy and Jane and paid escorts to high end hotel stays under alias names. They said these weren't isolated events, but part of a larger enterprise involving travel, sex, work and expensive cleanups. And by tying it all to Diddy's personal communications and financial records, the government is working to connect the dots for their racketeering case. First up, a reservation in the one hotel in South Beach. The the guest listed Phil Pines, an assistance name that we have heard Diddy use regularly to book hotels. The date was May 22 to May 23 in 2021. The cost for that one night stay was $3,050.90. Then came a flight record for that very same time period. JetBlue from New York to Miami. Passenger Jane. Agent Circiello continued walking the jury through the chart. And the next stop was another hotel bill. On December 6, 2021, Diddy checked out of the Bal harbor resort in Miami. The final charge was just over $6,000 specifically for damages. Then agent Circiello pivoted to travel records. He pointed to a set of flights booked for Jane, One from Los Angeles to Miami and another returning her to la. Soon after, there was also a flight book for someone named Cabral, a man previously identified in testimony as an escort who had sex in the free coffs. His travel from Miami to Atlanta, definitely crossing state lines here, folks. A predicate act of rico. Then another hotel, the London hotel in West Hollywood. The stay was from January 20th to January 23rd in 2023. And bill, $3,750 in damages. Cerciello read aloud from the hotel's internal security report, noting that the damage included bodily fluids on the floor and the couch and discarded linens scattered throughout the room. Ick. Can you think about the security person who had to actually note all that, like put eyes on and write it down. Oh God, these poor people. Then came a message, this one from Diddy to Jane. He asked her to send $1,100 to Quote Cowboys for Angels, a high end escort service. And that was how court wrapped up today. I know it's a lot, and it was just a half day. The judge gave everybody the rest of the day off because one of the jurors had to go to their son's graduation. So far, the case has lasted six weeks, and we have heard from more than 30 witnesses for the government. We thought we might actually see the end of the prosecution's case by Friday, but with today's early adjournment, that did not happen. Homeland Security Special Agent Joseph Circiello is going to return to the stand on Monday, but he is expected to wrap up his role as a summary witness, walking the jury through charts built from thousands of pieces of digital, financial and travel records. The government says they hope to rest their case on Monday, and then the defense is up to bat. And we will have all the details for you if you haven't already. Make sure that you're subscribed on your favorite podcast platform because not every episode makes it to YouTube and you don't want to miss what's happening. I'm Ashley Banfield. Thank you so much for listening. And remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead seriously.