Sean "Diddy" Combs
Security Guard Who Pinned Diddy After Cassie Assault Says Rapper Gave Him Cash — and Said 3 Chilling Words
· Yahoo NewsSean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who is on trial at a Manhattan court on several allegations of sex crimes, was allegedly pinned against the wall by a security guard who claims Combs tried to bribe him after the music mogul assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, the former guard said in court.
Israel Florez was a security guard at the InterContinental in Century City, Los Angeles, in 2016, where a security camera captured Combs violently beating his Ventura. On Monday, May 12, as Combs stood trial on a series of sex crimes, Florez testified that the music mogul allegedly tried to bribe him following the assault.
In the security camera video, which was previously published by CNN, Combs is seen chasing Ventura down a hotel lobby, grabbing her by the throat and shoving her to the ground. He kicks her as she lies on the ground, motionless, and at one point throws an object at her.
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On Monday, Florez, now a Los Angeles Police Department officer, told the jury that after responding to a call about a woman in distress on the hotel's sixth floor, he encountered Combs wearing only a towel and sitting on a chair, “slouched down, like with a blank stare … like a devilish stare, just looking at me."
Combs allegedly offered him a wad of cash and said, "Don't tell nobody," which Florez interpreted to be a bribe, Florez testified, adding that he declined the money.
After Ventura left the hotel with a "purple eye," Florez said he headed to Combs' room with another guard to remind him of hotel policy, CNN reported.
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During their interaction, Combs allegedly snatched the other guard's phone, accusing him of recording their conversation, Florez said.
Florez pinned the Grammy-award winner against a wall, demanding he return the other guard's phone, he said.
Related: A Timeline of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sexual Assault Allegations and Arrest
Combs is on trial for sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution stemming from a September indictment. He has pleaded not guilty.
The accusations against him emerged months after a lawsuit Ventura filed against him in 2023, alleging he raped and sex trafficked her over the course of an abusive 10 years. He settled that lawsuit with Ventura shortly thereafter.
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He was arrested on Sept. 16.
Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs on Trial: Live Updates
On Monday, his defense team acknowledged the video and said it showed "horrible, dehumanizing violence" but was not proof of sex-trafficking, the Associated Press reported.
Ventura is expected to testify in court on Monday.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Read the original article on People