Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Bribed Hotel Staff $100K for Cassie Video

Sean “Diddy” Combs paid a hotel security officer $100K to hand over surveillance footage showing the hip-hop mogul attacking his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, the officer testified at Combs’ federal trial.

Eddy Garcia, who worked as a security officer at an Intercontinental hotel, told jurors that Diddy bribed him to hand over surveillance footage showing the star brutally attacking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. Garcia testified on Tuesday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ongoing federal sex trafficking trial, which is now in its fourth week.

“He was concerned that this video would get out and that it would ruin his career,” said Garcia, who was granted immunity to secure his testimony. Garcia said shortly after the incident occurred, Combs contacted him, telling Garcia he would “take care” of him if he handed over the footage.

Garcia relayed Combs’ message about the video to his boss, who said he would give Combs the footage for $50,000. The next day, Garcia said he saw his boss enter the room that hosted servers for the surveillance cameras.

He testified that his boss gave him a USB drive, which Garcia gave to Combs, who later returned with a brown bag and a cash counter. Garcia said Combs ran the cash through the counter, which displayed $100,000. Combs then returned the money to the bag and handed it over to Garcia.

Jurors had previously been shown footage of the surveillance video, dated March 2016, which took place in the hallway of the Intercontinental hotel in Los Angeles. There, Combs, wearing only a towel, is seen throwing Ventura to the ground, kicking her, and dragging her back to their room.

Combs’ attorneys have admitted the star has, at times, been abusive in his domestic relationships. However, they argue that the so-called “Freak Offs” were consensual sexual encounters.

Ventura testified earlier in the trial that the incident shown in the surveillance video took place after Combs had given her a black eye during a “Freak Off.” Prosecutors say that such encounters took place over two decades, in which Combs coerced women such as Ventura to take part in drug-fueled sexual performances with male sex workers.

According to the prosecution, bribery is among the racketeering acts that either Combs or his employees used to facilitate the “Freak Off” encounters and prevent word of his abuse from getting out. If convicted on all counts in the federal trial, Combs could face life in prison.