The federal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs continued in New York on Wednesday, marking the eighth day of proceedings. A Homeland Security Investigations agent returned to the witness stand to resume testimony related to a federal raid conducted at Combs’s Miami Beach property in March 2024.
Combs, 55, faces serious federal charges including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for the purpose of prostitution. He was arrested in September and has pleaded not guilty.
Special Agent Gerard Gannon, who led the raid, told the court that agents discovered multiple items in Combs’s main bedroom closet, including AR-15 rifle parts, high heels, sex toys, lubricants, baby oil, and lingerie.
On Wednesday, Gannon detailed additional findings, including a Gucci bag containing MDMA tablets, white powder that later tested positive for cocaine and ketamine, and other substances located in a separate closet.
Photographic evidence shown in court depicted the contents of a hallway closet, where agents reportedly found more than 20 bottles of baby oil and lubricant.
Gannon also testified that a loaded .45-caliber handgun was discovered inside a suitcase in a guesthouse on the property.
Under cross-examination, Gannon confirmed that the AR-15-style weapons were disassembled and therefore inoperable at the time of the search.
The prosecution also called forensic and clinical psychologist Dr. Dawn Hughes to testify as an expert witness.
Known for her work in trauma and for previously testifying in the 2022 defamation trial between Amber Heard and Johnny Depp, Hughes explained the psychological dynamics of abusive relationships.
According to Hughes, victims often remain with abusers due to emotional entrapment and trauma. “They don’t want to talk about it,” she said. “They don’t even want to think about it in their own brain.”
She noted that such relationships usually involve an “intense psychological bond” and said it often takes multiple attempts for victims to permanently leave.
Hughes added that financial control is commonly used by abusers to exert dominance, and that trauma victims frequently turn to drug use and memory repression.
She disclosed to the court that she is paid $600 per hour for her work and received $6,000 for a day of in-court testimony.
During cross-examination, defense attorneys attempted to portray Hughes as biased, pointing out that she has never testified in defense of a person accused of a sex crime. Hughes confirmed this, stating that she does not “evaluate offenders.”
The next witness to take the stand was George Kaplan, a former executive assistant to Combs. Kaplan testified that he began working for Combs Enterprises in 2013 and was promoted to Combs’s personal assistant within a year.
He said Combs frequently threatened to fire him and often reminded staff that he only wanted the “best” working for him.
Kaplan said he was in daily communication with Combs and was responsible for preparing hotel rooms for his use—stocking them with items such as clothes, candles, lubricant, and baby oil—and later cleaning them. He emphasized that maintaining Combs’s public image was “very important.”
Wednesday’s session concluded around 3 p.m. ET, with Kaplan scheduled to resume testimony Thursday morning.
Earlier this week, the jury heard from several witnesses, including a former assistant, a male escort, and Regina Ventura, mother of singer Cassie Ventura. Regina accused Combs of assaulting her daughter and using blackmail tactics.
On Monday, singer Dawn Richard and Kerry Morgan, a former close friend of Cassie Ventura, testified that they had witnessed Combs physically abuse Ventura.
Cassie Ventura herself spent four days on the stand last week. She testified about enduring years of physical and emotional abuse throughout her 11-year relationship with Combs.
She alleged that he orchestrated drug-fueled sexual encounters with male sex workers, which he referred to as “freak-offs,” and said she was coerced into participating. Ventura also claimed that Combs raped her in 2018, after their breakup.
Prosecutors aim to paint Combs as a controlling and abusive figure who maintained power over nearly every facet of Ventura’s life. Meanwhile, Combs’s legal team has sought to discredit Ventura’s claims, portraying her as a willing participant in the alleged events.
The trial is expected to last another seven weeks. If convicted, Combs could face life in prison.
