The latest bombshell witness to take the stand is David James, the former personal assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs who is currently on trial for federal sex crimes. As you can expect, riding so closely with Combs exposed the man to a slew of things— so much so, he broke down in tears on the stand.
Diddy’s “Kingdom”
James told the jury Monday (May 19) he worked for Combs from 2007 to 2009. Overcome with emotion, he explained that during his interview for the job to be the rapper’s assistant, an unnamed label executive pointed to a picture of Combs on the wall and said, “This is Mr. Combs’ kingdom and we are all here to serve in it.”
Prosecutors previously claimed Combs called himself a “king” and made everyone else around him refer to him as such.
Lie Detector?!
On two occasions when Combs’ lost some of his possessions or money, James claimed he was subject to a lie detector test administered by a former Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) agent. He was clean each time.
“It was very intimidating,” James said. “I had never taken a lie detector test before.”
Diddy’s Alleged Drug Use
James claimed part of Combs’ typical travel items was a small Louis Vuitton bag that kept $10,000 in cash or more. Other items allegedly included 25 to 30 pill bottles, some with a picture of Barack Obama on them. Additionally, James said Combs carried Advil, Tylenol, Viagra, water pills and “pills to increase sperm count.”
As far as narcotics, James claimed he saw Combs take Percocet and ecstasy. James said a person dubbed “One Stop” was responsible for bringing Combs drugs. On some occasions, however, James himself was also responsible for procuring drugs for the rapper and his friends. He cited one time he was asked to get cocaine and another alleged instance when he was asked to fetch ecstasy for a party.
New Freak-Off Details?
James claimed in order to stock Combs’ hotel rooms, he was instructed to buy baby oil, Astroglide lubricant, and condoms. He was ordered to pay for it in cash as opposed to other items so there wouldn’t be a record of it and was told he’d be reimbursed.
James also said on one occasion when he was delivering the items to the rapper’s hotel room, he saw Casandra “Cassie” Ventura asleep in bed while a man with “long hair” walked across the room. Combs was in the shower, he said. James said he never asked any questions about it.
More About Cassie and Diddy
James testified that Combs considered his late girlfriend Kim Porter to be his “main girlfriend” but also had a slew of “other girlfriends,” which included Ventura. The pop singer previously claimed that Combs had “a lot” of girlfriends while they dated.
James also shared a tender moment he shared with the singer while the two were on a boat in Miami. He recalled Ventura telling him “this place is crazy.” When he asked Ventura why she didn’t leave, she allegedly responded that she couldn’t because Combs “controlled her career.” James broke down in tears explaining that she was “super happy” about a track list she picked for an album that never debuted.
“ ‘I got her right where I want her, she’s young,’ ” Combs allegedly said, according to James, adding that Combs described Ventura as his “queen” but also “moldable.”
James stated that he heard the couple argue about Ventura’s career but never saw violence. However, James testified that after Combs searched his computer, he accused him of being behind a blog about him allegedly assaulting Ventura.
Two days later, James stated he was ordered by Combs to bring Ventura food at a nearby hotel. He said he was “surprised” to see one of Combs’ staff members answer the door instead of the singer. Ventura stayed in for a week, James said. Ventura previously testified herself that after physical beatings, Combs would force her to stay inside a hotel room for days at a time to heal from her injuries.
Suge Knight Manhunt
James claimed he and one of Combs’ security guards went out to Mel’s Diner in Los Angeles to fetch the rapper some food when they saw Suge Knight. When they returned to Combs’ house, James said he was ordered by Combs to drive to the restaurant and circle the block, looking for Knight’s vehicle. In the car with him was Combs and two members of his staff along with three firearms, James said.
James said he was “shook up” by the incident and said it was the first time he felt like he was in danger on the job. He then gave a six months notice following the alleged incident.