Ben Barry (5:51)

Well, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.

Kayla Brantley (5:55)

Obviously, this is a podcast, so if our listeners haven't seen that footage, can you describe a lot of what goes on in it?

Ben Barry (6:04)

Essentially, it was a birthday party that P. Diddy put on for Meek mills back in 2014. And yeah, in the video, I think is sort of the typical what you'd expect from a celebrity party. Hundreds of people there, a lot of faces that you might recognize. But I think one aspect of the video, perhaps the most shocking aspect of the video for me was when you got that footage of people eating sushi off a naked woman. I think that along with the allegations, which I'm sure we'll get onto from the property manager, were the most shocking part for me.

Kayla Brantley (6:47)

Yeah. And I saw the video. You do see just women laying out on the table, people all around her, sushi all over her naked body, everyone just grabbing like she was a serving platter.

Ben Barry (7:00)

Yeah, I mean, it is shocking. And obviously, you know, I couldn't imagine being a woman in that situation. It's not nice. It's not what you expect to see. And yeah, I think that was definitely the most shocking part for me.

Kayla Brantley (7:12)

Yeah. And Ben, you're a journalist, so obviously you can't tell us all of your secrets of how you get your scoops, but is there anything that you can tell us of how you obtained this footage?

Ben Barry (7:25)

Yeah, well, I mean, like all major news organizations, we have a way that people can connect with us and share their stories. Obviously, on our side, we've had a big push in the last year or so with US content, and we are an international news agency. So Jason obviously thought we were the best people at the time to get the story out there. He contacted us saying he had this video to share. And yeah, obviously, like all journalists at the minute covering pdd, you're going to want to see that video. He sent me the video over and like, I most shocking element for me was that moment when people are eating sushi off that woman. But we had an in depth chat, an interview about what it was like, what the party was like, how he became to be the one hosting it, and what it was like dealing with P. Diddy and his management. And yeah, it kind of went from there.

Kayla Brantley (8:15)

Yeah. And to catch our listeners up, Jason Haight, who turned over the footage, was the property manager where the Las Vegas party was thrown. So he was managing the property. It was a big mansion in Las Vegas where this huge bash was.

Ben Barry (8:29)

Yeah, exactly. Jason was the property manager at the time. Yeah. And he was one running the party.

Kayla Brantley (8:35)

So speaking to Jason, what was he.

Ben Barry (8:38)

Like speaking to Jason? It was great to speak to him and get his input on the story. I think, as well, you know, the fact that he was okay to be named as well was amazing because it kind of showed the legitimacy of what he had to say. He did have, as I'm sure you've read and people might have read, he did have a number of allegations against P. Diddy and his management. Whether that was that they required the locks to be changed on the rooms and alleging that all the keys were passed over to P. Diddy or, you know, the fire alarms being replaced for one reason or another, or the life insurance on the property that they had put on there. So it was fascinating to speak to him because, yes, we have this video. Some elements of the video were shocking. Some of them were what many people might expect a celebrity party to be like. Hundreds of people there drinking, doing all sorts, you know. But I think for me, it was speaking to him and getting those allegations and those details that were the most shocking parts for me.

Kayla Brantley (9:39)

And do you know Jason's motivation for coming forward and giving you that footage?

Ben Barry (9:45)

I mean, I don't, you know, I don't know personally his motivation. I think, obviously, like everyone, he has seen these allegations. I can't speak for Jason, but I got the sense from talking to him that if he knew what everyone knows and all the allegations part today, the party probably wouldn't have gone ahead. So I think it was just a sense of wanting to get this information out there for him. But like I said, I obviously can't speak for Jason.

Kayla Brantley (10:10)

And do you know if federal authorities have, after your report came out, either spoken to Jason or have they contacted you to seize that footage? Is. Has there been any movement with that?

Ben Barry (10:23)

So, I mean, we haven't ourselves heard from anyone. I have been speaking to Jason since the footage of an hour, and he hasn't mentioned anything to me. So I presume that the answer is no to both of those, that no one's reached out to him for the footage or to question him about the event.

Kayla Brantley (10:51)

One of the things, especially in such a huge case like this, a difficulty that I know a lot of journalists have, is getting people who may know things to speak. So covering this case and, you know, covering even a lot of other big cases. How difficult has that been for you?

Ben Barry (11:09)

I think as an experienced journalist, you know, yourself, like you just said, it is very difficult. We've been quite lucky with our reporting here at SW&S that whether it's been people like Jason or alleged victims of pdd, they're willing to speak out and share their story and be pictured and share their name. So in that regard, we have actually been quite lucky. But, I mean, you always get some people that don't want to be named. We have sent out footage of P. Diddy the day before he was arrested in Central park, talking to fans, you know, laughing and joking, and those people didn't want to be named for different reasons. He's a big celebrity.

Kayla Brantley (11:49)

Yeah. Whether it's intimidation or whatever it is. Yeah.

Ben Barry (11:54)

But, yeah, like I said, I think maybe that's kudos to us at sgms, but we've been quite lucky that people who have come forward with their stories have been willing to be named and, yeah, full on share their story with the world.

Kayla Brantley (12:06)

Yeah. And you mentioned some of the requests that he had told you from Diddy's team, whether it was changing locks. But one of the details that we found really interesting in your story was that Diddy's team sent Haight their own smoke detectors, which they requested to be installed in place of regular ones. Do you know if Haight's people had inspected those smoke detectors at all? Because it kind of makes you wonder why. Why, you know, put smoke detectors. I know a conspiracy or a rumor that's been floated is that maybe there were cameras in them because allegations have been floated around that Diddy did have cameras at his parties.

Ben Barry (12:49)

I'm sure if the smoke detectors were inspected, obviously that's a question for Jason as well. But what I do know is that he was told that, as I mentioned, the insurance policy that P. Did his people had taken out on the property required the use of these new smoke detectors to be put in. In my reporting, I share how Jason was a bit hesitant on that because of the artwork in the mansion and the painted on the ceiling. But that was a request that they wanted and he stuck by and did.

Kayla Brantley (13:23)

And of course, with a piece of information like that, it could be as innocent as, you know, they. It's just a policy thing or, you know, some people's minds after all these allegations goes straight to the worst thing possible. So, of course, that's for the investigators.

Ben Barry (13:40)

To find out for sure.

Kayla Brantley (13:41)

That's not our jobs.

Ben Barry (13:43)

No, exactly. Yeah. I Think obviously, you know, again, with the age of social media, when you get these massive stories, people are always going to have their own takes on every aspect. And I think obviously maybe that's one of those takes. But like you said, the investigators will find out that information.

Kayla Brantley (13:57)

Definitely. And the release of the shocking footage of Cassie being assaulted by Diddy, that was definitely a major turning point both in his criminal case and, you know, in the court of public opinion. Obviously, you know, this was footage from a party. You didn't see any abuse going on. But do you think that a video like the one that you released could have an impact in the case?

Ben Barry (14:24)

I mean, that video of Cassie was shocking. I remember seeing it. I'm sure you do as well. And it is just absolutely horrific footage that we've all seen. I don't know if the footage of the party will have quite the same impact. Like I said, you know, the footage isn't great, but it is more what Jason's got to say that really made a difference for me and I think in this story as well. I don't know if it's got the same impact as that shocking footage that we've all sadly seen.

Kayla Brantley (14:52)

And have you received any feedback or pushback after this story went live?

Ben Barry (14:57)

No, we haven't. Whether that's to come or not, I don't know. Obviously, as journalists, especially here in the UK and the us, we do our due diligence to make sure everything's correct and factual. We obviously did reach out to PDD's people and. And haven't got a comment back or anything back to them.

Kayla Brantley (15:16)

So no odd emails dropping in your inbox ever since?

Ben Barry (15:20)

No, nothing. I mean, as journalists, we all get emails dropping into our inboxes, but yeah, nothing. Nothing like that.

Kayla Brantley (15:27)

Well, thanks for listening, everyone. Marjorie will be back next week and we are planning another Q and A episode, so we will both be diving into all of your comments, thoughts and suggestions for the show. In the meantime, what would you like us to cover? What other trials are you interested in? Let us know by email thetrialailymail.com or you can WhatsApp us at 447-7966-57512 and make sure to start your message with Trial as ever, thank you for listening. Please share all your comments, suggestions and thoughts on the Trial of Diddy on Apple or Spotify and follow us on TikTok@DailyMailCrime. Do follow the podcast the Trial of Diddy as we will be here each week with new information and expert guests. Goodbye.