Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs allegedly paid $100,000 to purchase and bury a damning video showing him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura in 2016, according to testimony from former hotel security guard Eddy Garcia.
Taking the witness stand on Monday, Garcia revealed the elaborate measures Combs took to obtain the security footage from the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, which captured Combs kicking and dragging Ventura in a hallway, according to Rolling Stone.
Garcia testified that he initially rejected several calls from Combs’ chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, before she unexpectedly reached him on his personal phone. Khorram then handed the phone to Combs, who began appealing to Garcia’s sympathies, calling him a “good guy” and claiming the footage would “ruin his career.”
After consulting with his supervisor, Garcia agreed to sell the video for $50,000. Upon hearing this, Combs reportedly gushed, “Eddy, my angel, I knew you could help. I knew you could do i.”
Garcia was directed to a high-rise office building with the video on a thumb drive. Noticing Garcia’s nervousness, Combs allegedly ordered Khorram to “go get him that tea I like.” When Garcia expressed concern about potential repercussions if Ventura reported the incident, Combs placed a video call to Ventura, who was wearing a hoodie.
“Let this guy know you want this to go away too,” Combs instructed Ventura, who allegedly agreed, mentioning she had a movie coming out. In her own testimony, Ventura had previously shared photos of her busted lip and bruised face following the assault.
Garcia signed a declaration confirming the thumb drive contained the only copy of the video and a non-disclosure agreement on Combs Enterprises letterhead with a $1 million penalty for violations. He testified that he barely reviewed the documents and received no copies.
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Following the signing, Combs presented Garcia with a brown paper bag containing $100,000, which he counted in front of him. Garcia gave $50,000 to his boss, $20,000 to another security officer who surrendered his ID card, and kept $30,000 for himself.
Garcia recalled Combs calling him weeks later to wish him “Happy Easter,” again calling him “Eddy my angel” and checking if anyone had asked questions about the incident. “God put you in my life for a reason,” Combs allegedly told him.
Jurors also heard that the security guards’ ID photos and the non-disclosure agreement shown during Garcia’s testimony were extracted from devices belonging to Khorram, seized when Combs and his entourage were detained at an airport in March 2024. One of Garcia’s numbers was saved in the phone under the contact “Eddy My Love.”
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. If convicted, he faces potential life imprisonment.
Prosecutors have claimed Combs ran a criminal enterprise that manipulated women into drug-fuelled, orchestrated sex marathons with male escorts that he watched and recorded, known as “freak-offs” and “wild king nights.” They allege that beyond bribery and obstruction of justice, Combs and his inner circle also engaged in forced labour, kidnapping, and arson.
Combs’ defence lawyer, Teny Geragos, countered that the $100,000 payment wasn’t to obstruct justice but ‘”solely related to preventing bad publicity for both Combs and Cassie.” The defence team has maintained that Combs was a “swinger” engaging in “kinky” preferences with consenting adults, while acknowledging Ventura was the victim of domestic violence at the InterContinental.
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