Diddy had 'devilish' look on his face after Cassie Ventura hotel assault, ex-security guard tells court

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A former hotel security guard testified how he found Sean “Diddy” Combs in just a towel with a “devilish” look on his face on the night he allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016.

The hip-hop mogul’s federal trafficking trial is already making headlines. The opening witness, Israel Florez, a former InterContinental Hotel guard, recalled the disturbing encounter. He said he responded to a sixth-floor emergency call about “a woman in distress” and found Diddy half-naked, with a “devilish” stare, standing near a broken vase.

Cassie (born Casandra Ventura) was cornered in the room with what he described as a “purple eye," Time reported.

Florez said the rapper tried to buy his silence. “He was telling me, ‘Don’t tell nobody,’” Florez testified, adding that the cash offer felt like a bribe.

Cassie Ventura’s 2023 civil lawsuit

The federal investigation into Sean "Diddy" Combs was triggered in part by Cassie Ventura’s bombshell 2023 civil lawsuit. In it, she accused the Bad Boy Records founder of assault and years of physical abuse. Though the case was quickly settled, it cracked the floodgates wide open for further scrutiny. 

Soon, dozens of new accusers stepped forward with similar horror stories, ranging from assault to drugging and coercion. 

Then, last May, CNN released CCTV footage from that same 2016 hotel hallway, showing Diddy punching and kicking Ventura. That footage sent shockwaves through the industry.

Diddy, backed into a corner, released an Instagram apology video and called his actions “inexcusable.”

Of course, apologies don’t hold much weight in federal court.

What the jury’s already heard

With jury selection wrapped and opening statements underway, Monday saw testimony that laid the foundation for a bombshell trial. According to Florez, who now works as a Los Angeles police officer, after Ventura fled the hotel, he and the front desk manager went to Diddy’s room to “remind him of the hotel rules.” That didn’t go over well.

Florez claimed Diddy got angry and snatched the manager’s phone, prompting him to pin the rapper against a wall. The courtroom also watched the now-infamous hotel footage, further backing up the testimony. 

But this is just the beginning. Prosecutors said that Diddy ran a sprawling operation involving racketeering, kidnapping, forced labor, and trafficking, allegedly using his celebrity status to lure victims into his orbit, then drug and coerce them into various acts.

The details are rather stomach-turning. Some victims were allegedly given ketamine, ecstasy, and other substances to “participate.” When federal agents raided Diddy's Beverly Hills mansion in March last year, they seized firearms, drugs, and over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant — allegedly used in wild parties dubbed “freak offs.”

Diddy's trial: Anonymous victims, famous names and no cameras allowed

Sean "Diddy" Combs, 55, is staring down the possibility of life in prison. He’s currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his arrest on September 16, 2024. 

While many of Diddy’s alleged victims have chosen to remain anonymous, some have come forward. These include former adult film star Adria English, model and actress Crystal McKinney, and music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr.

The charges just keep stacking up. In March, prosecutors added a charge of forced labor, and in April, three new charges were included.

But don’t expect live coverage of this courtroom drama. There is a strict no-cameras rule because it’s a federal criminal case.

The same statute kept R Kelly’s federal trial off TV.