Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial: Juror dismissed over 'concerns about his candor'

The fate of another juror, who might have spoken improperly about the case with a former colleague, was left unresolved when Judge Subramanian left the bench this afternoon.

Earlier in the day, the court said a second member of the panel might have acted improperly and his fate would be taken up after testimony. But when Judge Subramanian sent jurors home, this issue wasn't addressed.

Judge Subramanian had dismissed a juror earlier in the day for giving conflicting answers about where he lives. That juror, who is Black, might live in New Jersey and outside bounds of the Southern District of New York.

Judge Subramanian dismissed the jury, letting them know to return again for another day of testimony starting at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

The prosecution is playing videos entered into evidence under seal, meaning the jury can see and hear what is going on, but the public is left in the dark.

Combs and Ventura ran up a $795.63 bill at the Trump International Hotel & Tower New York on Oct. 14, 2022, records introduced as evidence in court showed.

The total charge for a night in Room 612 included $34.95 for a movie, $67.24 for breakfast, and another $100.33 for refreshments.

A sex worker was asked to come to the room of a "Frank Black," a Combs code name, records showed.

The jury is back in court following the day's lunch break to resume the questioning of the special agent with the U.S. Attorney's Office.

During the break, prosecutors told Judge Subramanian that Deleassa Penland's testimony is expected to take the rest of the day.

Judge Subramanian declared a recess for lunch, asking jurors to return to the courtroom before 1:30 p.m. EST.

U.S. Attorney’s Office special agent Deleassa Penland will continue her testimony this afternoon about charts and records associated with Combs' case.

Prosecutor Emily Johnson is having U.S. Attorney’s Office special agent Deleassa Penland review flight records belonging to Jules Theodore, an escort frequently hired to engage in "freak offs" with Combs and Ventura.

Penland went over text messages between the two men from December 2009, in which Combs arranges plans to have Jules travel between New York and Los Angeles to "party" for a weekend.

The special agent testified to the flight itinerary and hotel arrangements, confirming that a meeting took place at the London Hotel between Dec. 11 and Dec. 14, 2009.

This appears to be a line of questioning to support the two transportation charges to engage in prostitution that Combs is also facing, in addition to racketeering and sex trafficking.

The government called its next witness to the stand, U.S. Attorney's Office special agent Deleassa Penland.

While she did not work directly on this case, she was tasked with reviewing the Combs investigation's charts and data. 

Ananya Sankar, a paralegal for the U.S. Attorney's Office, has left the witness stand.

Prosecutors used Sankar as a summary witness to go over much of the evidence the paralegal reviewed for the court.

A text message to Combs from his chief of staff around the time the Ventura lawsuit dropped in November 2023 seemed to show some discord between him and Khorram.

According to the message shown in court, Khorram texted Combs to tell him that "this doesn't work" if he wasn't honest with her. She wrote that his keeping things to himself put them in the "situation we are all in right now," adding that she felt like they were about to relive it over again.

It's not clear what the messages are referencing, though it's notably around the time Ventura filed her suit and as Combs' relationship with "Jane" was breaking down. Combs' defense then went over a text from "Jane" to Combs telling him that she felt sexually exploited, manipulated and drugged by Combs.

Text messages introduced into evidence during Sankar's cross-examination show that in 2016, Combs' team was worried about upcoming reports of him breaking up with Ventura in a confrontation that involved police.

The Combs team was particularly concerned about TMZ's reporting on the incident, but Combs' chief of staff, Khorram, was ultimately relieved by what was published.

"It’s better than it was…definitely could have been worse," Khorram wrote in a text message to his PR strategist Nathalie Moar.

Combs attempted to reach "Mia," a former employee who previously testified for the prosecution, by calling and texting her multiple times in the months after Cassie Ventura's lawsuit dropped.

Phone records show that in February 2024, Combs called Mia at least six times in one day and then messaged her apologizing for blowing up her phone, adding that he needed to "clear up a few things." Combs said he needed to know who was around him and when.

Around the same time, evidence showed Combs' guard D-Roc messaging Mia and offering her a gift, though she said she didn't ask for anything.

Ventura’s lawsuit was filed in November 2023 and federal agents raided Combs’ homes in March 2024.

Text messages entered into evidence show that Ventura's bombshell lawsuit shook up Combs and those around him in November 2023.

Just days after Ventura filed her civil complaint against Combs in 2023, the music mogul's security guard, D-Roc, texted him: "I need to hear your voice, bro. I love you."

Combs responded on Nov. 19 that year: "Thank you for checking on me, really appreciate it, love you." 

Prosecutors then showed messages "Jane" shared with Khorram in December 2023, stating that Combs threatened to expose sex tapes, appearing to show that Combs' chief of staff was aware of his blackmail threats to his alleged victim.

In the message, Jane wrote that Combs was threatening to show the tapes, in which she was heavily drugged, to the father of Jane's baby. Jane wrote that she was "traumatized" by her time with Combs and was filled with emotion.

Khorram told Jane she had not seen Combs in two days and would call her.

In a May 2, 2017, text from the singer Cassie Ventura to Khorram, Combs' then-girlfriend said "no one deserves to be dragged by their hair," following an alleged attack by the defendant.

A concerned Khorram asked Ventura if she was OK. The singer responded that she didn't know why Combs was acting out, but that she needed to "stay focused" on her career.

Combs asked his employees to pick up illegal substances for him in 2022, according to text messages entered into evidence.

Prosecutors reviewed messages between Combs, Khorram and Combs' head of security, Faheem Muhammad, from Nov. 24, 2022. In the messages, Khorram asks Combs what Muhammad needs to pick up before flying to Miami.

Combs texts "15 pills of molly" before instructing Khorram not to text about it.

Combs' frequent employment of male escorts for marathon sex sessions became a bit of a running joke among his employees, according to text messages entered into evidence.

According to testimony earlier in this trial, Combs and his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, frequently hired the service, Cowboys 4 Angels.

Combs' assistant Ryan Lopez texted Khorram on Dec. 29, 2019: "Lol, think I saw one of the Cowboys today. You can spot them in a lobby like a escort. I forgot to tell you about it."

Khorram texted back four laughing face emojis, “By the way, how long is he gonna stay awake?”

"Lol I’m guessing until tomorrow night," Lopez responded.

According to a text message entered into evidence from his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, to other assistants in March 2016, Combs had some very specific needs for a Four Seasons hotel room.

Khorram told staffers to ensure the room was stocked with Gatorade, water, and chicken noodle soup.

In another text, Khorram asked workers to fetch $4,000 in cash and ensure that a male escort had access to that hotel room.

The prosecution is having Sankar review the evidence she reviewed, which was extracted from the phone of Kristina Khorram, or "KK," who served as Combs' chief of staff.

Some of the messages include apparent discussions about an escort, and others include Khorram instructing an assistant to set up Combs' hotel room for him before he arrived. Prosecutors also looked at messages where assistants were told to give Combs large quantities of cash.

The line of questioning appears to be the government's way of bolstering its allegation that Combs used his employees to assist in his "criminal enterprise."

A 57-year-old accountant from Westchester County was promoted from the alternate pool and into the primary panel of 12.

The white male will replace Juror No. 6, a Black male who gave inconsistent answers about his residence, the court said.

There could be an issue with another juror over conversations he might have had with a colleague. This juror was questioned by the judge Friday and handed his phone to Subramanian.

The judge will ask the panelist more questions after the testimony today.

Prosecutors called Ananya Sankar, a paralegal for the U.S. Attorney's Office, to the stand.

Sankar is to serve as a summary witness, or someone who offers a simplified testimony about the large volume of evidence in the case. She told the court that she reviewed text messages from cellphone extractions, call logs, other files and two charts.

U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed a juror this morning, saying he had "concerns about his candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the panel."

An alternate will replace Juror No. 6.

Subramanian said he shared defense concerns about dismissing the juror, a 41-year-old Black male.

But Subramanian said he couldn't get past the juror's inconsistent answers about where he lives, either in New York City, within the bounds of the Southern District of New York, or with his girlfriend in New Jersey.

Court is now in session for Day 24 of Combs' trial.

Defense attorneys yesterday filed a 14-page letter with the court to make a last-ditch appeal to keep Juror No. 6 on the panel.

In the letter, the defense argued that there is no valid basis to dismiss the juror and that it would be discriminatory not to allow him to remain. Citing more than a dozen examples, attorneys for Combs say the case has been an extreme exercise of overreach from its inception.

"All of this was part of a coordinated effort to try to destroy one of the most successful black men in American history," the letter said.

As we begin week six of Combs' trial, prosecutors are expected to conclude their case this week with summary witnesses Ananya Sankar and DeLeassa Penland.

Prosecutors say Penland will focus on the timeline of the alleged March 2016 assault on Combs' former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles that was captured on security video. After that, Combs' assistant Brendan Paul, summary witness Joseph Cerciello, and Omar Hazoury, a law enforcement agent, are expected to testify.

Ye, the controversial hip-hop artist formerly known as Kanye West, arrived at the courthouse Friday in an apparent show of support for Combs. The scene was wild, with reporters running for the elevators or sprinting across the outdoor promenade to get a closer look.

Ye’s appearance was notable partly because so few high-profile celebrities have publicly aligned themselves with Combs since he came under federal investigation. However, Ye didn’t enter the courtroom and left the building after about 30 minutes, following a brief stop in the overflow area.

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian said there were serious questions about a juror’s candor and ability to follow directions.

Subramanian said it was unclear whether the juror lives in New York or New Jersey based on his seemingly conflicting answers during jury selection and subsequent discussions with attorneys and the court.

If the latter, he would be ineligible to serve on a jury in the Southern District of New York.

The juror, a 41-year-old Black male who works in communications at a correctional facility, sits in the front row on the far right, facing the parties. He’s attentive and takes notes. The defense said it’s very much opposed to removing this juror.

Subramanian said he’ll hold off on making a final decision until today, when he will interview the juror again. If the juror is removed, he’ll be replaced by one of the alternates.