Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial updates: Jury shown ‘freak-off’ videos before court adjourns

When court ended for the day, the defense asked Judge Arun Subramanian to explain what, if anything, the jury was told about the dismissal of juror No.6 following questions about his candor.

Judge Subramanian said he would find out and inform the parties before court begins on Tuesday.

The judge did not address an issue with a second juror, which was the subject of a discussion when the courtroom was briefly closed to the public Friday.

The issue was not disclosed but involves alleged “communications with his former colleague” regarding his jury service, according to a letter from prosecutors.

The jury donned headphones and spectator screens went dark while the prosecution played excerpts of “freak-off” videos for the jury.

The videos were taken from a laptop turned over to prosecutors by Cassie Ventura, Sean Combs’ former girlfriend.

The jury saw the footage after federal prosecutors sought to establish Ventura’s presence in hotels in New York City, to which they say travel was also arranged for male escorts for the purpose of participating in “freak-off” sex encounters.

One video lasted 39 minutes, 10 seconds, though the jury saw only a portion.

The jury also was shown a text exchange from 2013 between Combs and Ventura in which he texted, “Want to celebrate Christmas and have a ‘freak-off?’”

The prosecution also presented subsequent text messages that summoned four escorts to the L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Court has adjourned for the day.

Credit card statements presented by the prosecution showed that Sean Combs used his American Express card to pay for Cassie Ventura and a male escort, Jules Theodore, to fly separately to New York in December 2009.

The jury saw a bank statement that encompassed the entirety of the bill. The account holder is Bad Boy Entertainment Worldwide.

Federal prosecutors contend that Combs intermingled his business and his personal interests as part of an alleged criminal enterprise that he has denied.

The jury also saw a series of messages and invoices from October 2012. Bad Boy Entertainment was listed on the travel invoice for a ticket to New York for former Combs girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Prosecutors also presented a reservation at the Trump International Hotel in Columbus Circle which was made under the name Janet Clark, an alias for Ventura seen in text messages.

“Janet Clark 408,” Ventura messaged an escort known as The Punisher, asking him to arrive at 3:30 a.m.

Combs messaged Ventura, “You ready for tonight” and Ventura messaged back “I just gta get stuff.”

“You had all day,” Combs’ reply said. “It’s always something.”

A summary witness for the prosecution, SDNY Special Agent DeLeassa Penland, is showing the jury a series of text messages, emails and documents pulled from one of Sean Combs’ electronic devices that they say relate to travel arrangements for a male escort named Jules, whom former Combs girlfriend Cassie Ventura has previously testified was hired to participate in so-called “freak-off” sexual encounters.

Text messages show Combs and Jules arranging a date and Combs sending him an itinerary for a Dec. 11 flight from Los Angeles to New York and instructions for “pickup inside baggage claim to London Hotel.”

An email from Combs shows him telling someone at his company to book the flight.

The court is now taking a lunch break.

Prosecutors have said they may rest their case as soon as Wednesday. Once they do, the defense has signaled it has as many as three witnesses lined up to testify beginning Friday, with additional witnesses possible.

Among the first defense witnesses expected to be called is Vashta Dunlap, who was a vice president at Combs’ company, Bad Boy Entertainment.