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(NewsNation) — A former stylist for Casandra “Cassie” Ventura will resume his testimony Thursday after telling jurors he had to jump on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ back to stop him from abusing Ventura when the two were dating.
Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash worked for Combs from 2008 to 2018. He told jurors he was “very close” to Ventura and learned about her relationship with Combs early in his employment.
Nash testified to observing several abusive interactions. Nash also corroborated Ventura’s testimony that Combs frequently beat and tormented her. Combs would threaten to hinder Ventura’s fledgling music career and said he’d ruin her reputation by releasing recordings of their sexual encounters, Nash said.
On Thursday, Nash returned to the witness stand for his cross-examination by Combs’ lawyer, Xavier Donaldson.
Nash discussed a particular incident around 2014 in which Combs allegedly grabbed Ventura by the hair and yanked her off the couch before beginning to hit her.
The stylist said he was at Ventura’s apartment, helping her pack for a music festival, when Combs stormed in, grabbed her by the hair and beat her repeatedly. Nash said he jumped on Combs’ back in an attempt to get him to stop, but Combs bucked and threw him to the ground.
Combs resumed hitting Ventura, who’d fled to a bedroom with Nash and another friend, knocking her head into the edge of the bed frame and causing a large, bloody gash above her eye, the witness said.
“Look what y’all made me do,” Combs said, according to Nash.
The stylist said he noticed “a lot” of blood coming from a cut on Ventura’s head from the beating. Jurors were shown photos of the injury.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey said she expects “Mia” — listed as “Victim-4” in the indictment and one of Combs’s former employees — to be called to the stand Thursday.
Diddy’s defense team filed a motion for mistrial on Wednesday after a Los Angeles Fire Department investigator admitted evidence was destroyed without permission following the arson on Kid Cudi’s car in 2012. Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, had been dating Ventura.
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo called it “outrageous,” implying that “someone here” had something to do with the improper destruction of evidence.
Judge Arun Subramanian denied the motion and told the jurors to dismiss the related testimony.
Jiminez, who has been with the LAFD since 2003, was called to Cudi’s residence after the rapper’s Porsche was lit on fire.
Jiminez said a Molotov cocktail appeared to have been used to ignite Mescudi’s vehicle, but it did not explode due to a malfunction; however, the damage can be quite extensive if it had gone off, he explained.
Chris Ignacio, a 16-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, took the stand Wednesday. He was the officer who took the call Dec. 22, 2011, when Combs allegedly broke into Mescudi’s Hollywood Hills home.
The police officer corroborated Cudi’s testimony that some Christmas presents were opened. Ignacio said he and his partner noticed a Black Escalade drive by twice. The second time, he said he ran the plates and found it was registered to Bad Boy Productions, Combs’ music label.
The police officer filed a trespassing report — it was not reported as a burglary because no items were stolen, he said — and said he was not told of any death threats.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
