In a shocking turn of events, Kanye West arrived — and left —Sean “Diddy” Combs’s sex trafficking trial in New York on Friday.
Wearing all white and stepping out of a black Maybach, West entered the courthouse around 11:20 a.m. His wife, Bianca Censori, did not accompany him. He left the courthouse around noon.
The “Power” rapper confirmed to a reporter outside the courthouse that he was there to support Diddy, although he never actually went into the courtroom.
The controversial rapper’s arrival came a day after Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, “Jane,” testified that she witnessed a “freak-off” involving a sex worker and the wife or girlfriend of another iconic rapper. Online speculation quickly surfaced, with many questioning whether that rapper was West.
Before West arrived, HSI Agent LaMon testified Friday that a March 2024 raid of Diddy’s LA home uncovered firearms, armor-piercing ammo, and hundreds of bottles of baby oil and Astroglide.
Diddy’s former personal assistant, Jonathan Perez, also testified. He said tasks like arranging “King Nights,” buying drugs, and purchasing lingerie for Jane made up only about 1 percent of his overall duties.
Diddy is facing sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy charges. He was arrested in September 2024 as federal authorities alleged he threatened, abused, and coerced victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024.
The rapper has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
Mystery rapper takes center stage as testimony at Diddy trial centers around sex parties
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer complains about trial secrecy as a famous rapper's name goes unmentioned
Diddy wrote ‘love letters’ to Cassie Ventura while high with girlfriend ‘Jane’, trial told
Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ lawyer makes his ex-girlfriend read loving texts until she cries
Key Points
- Mystery rapper takes center stage as ‘Jane’ conclude testimony and hugs attorneys
- Diddy’s lawyers complain about trial secrecy as a famous rapper goes unnamed
- Judge to weigh showing jurors text recounting clash between Combs and ‘Gina’
Courtroom re-open
21:41 , Erin KellerAfter being sealed from the public for a moment on Friday, the courtroom is now reopened to the public and media.
Jurors were previously dismissed for the day.
Judge clears courtroom to talk potential juror replacement
21:28 , Erin KellerJudge Subramanian cleared the courtroom to privately discuss a juror’s potential removal.
"We have a sensitive matter in the courtroom," Subramanian told spectators.
Judge intends to remove juror no. 6
20:56 , Graig Graziosi and Erin KellerJudge Subramanian said he intends to dismiss a juror because the man reportedly gave conflicting information about where he lives.
Juror No. 6 gave different answers about his primary residence, reportedly saying he lives both in New York and in New Jersey with his girlfriend, which caused concerns for the judge.
Subramanian initially seemed reluctant to dismiss the juror, assuming that there was a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy, but by the end of the day changed his mind because there were "serious question about [the juror’s] candor and ability to follow instructions."
Diddy’s team objected to the juror's dismissal, and Subramanian will decide on the juror’s dismissal after the weekend.
Jurors dismissed
20:38 , Graig GraziosiJudge Subramanian has sent the jury home for the day.
The judge thanked the jurors for their attention and reminded them not to speak about the case with anyone.
Defense shows texts between Perez and 'Jane'
20:36 , Graig GraziosiDiddy’s defense attorney, Brian Steel, presented the jury with a selection of text messages between the rapper’s ex-assistant, Jonathan Perez, and “Jane.”
The messages were from different times during Perez’s employment with Diddy and contained discussions about “king nights.”
In some of the texts the pair planned for the events. They discussed items “Jane” would need and tasks Perez needed to finish for her and Diddy.
Steel asked Perez confirm to the jury that “Jane” does not appear upset in the messages.
Company card used to buy 'Jane' outfits at sex shops and Diddy's personal items
20:14 , Graig GraziosiDiddy’s ex-assistant, Jonathan Perez, said that he used his company credit card to purchase personal items for the rapper, including outfits for “Jane” at sex shops.
He also said he did not know if the charges on the cards were paid back using company money or Diddy’s personal funds.
Only 1% of assistant duties were 'personal'
19:46 , Erin KellerPerez said only “1 percent” of his employment duties as Diddy’s assistant were personal.
He’d classify personal duties as setting up King Nights, buying drugs, and lingerie for “Jane.”
Perez also said he’d help Diddy with setting up Bluetooth connection because he wasn’t very high-tech.
'Jane' was 'always' willing sexual participant: Ex-assistant
19:41 , Erin KellerPerez testified “Jane,” Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, “always” appeared to him as a willing participant in “Kings Nights.”
Diddy called ex-assistant the night of 2024 altercation
19:37 , Erin KellerPerez testified that on June 18, 2024, he delivered items to Jane’s home ahead of her night with Diddy, then later dropped off Combs.
Hours later, Combs called Perez angrily, asking him to confirm whether another woman had been on a prior trip.
Perez said no, Diddy thanked him, and he hung up the 20-second call. Jane was in the room for the call, but her back was to the camera, Perez said.
“Heads up him & guest are fighting. I’m about to head back and pick him up,” Perez texted Khorram and Diddy’s security guard Faheem in texts shown to the jury.
Perez also told Faheem that Combs wanted him to bring cash.
In another group message with Combs and Faheem, Perez wrote he needed $3,500 “for his guest,” testifying that he was referring to Jane.
The last time ex-assistant spoke to Diddy...
19:29 , Erin KellerPerez testified that he spoke to Diddy for the last time on the day he was arrested in New York City, which would be September 16, 2024.
“There was a lot going on personally for Mr. Combs, and there wasn’t a lot of communication about what was happening, so I thought it was a good time to leave to hopefully avoid a situation like this,” Perez said, according to CNN.
Former assistant reveals jaw-dropping reason he stopped working for Diddy
19:25 , Erin KellerProsecutors asked Perez why he stopped working for Diddy.
“To avoid a situation like this,” Perez responded from the witness stand, Inner City Press reports.
Still, Perez says he feels “great” about Diddy, “the same way as when I worked there,” he added.
Ex-assistant talks Diddy's drug use
19:14 , Erin KellerPerez testified that Combs kept cash, cocaine, ketamine, Adderall, Xanax, and molly in a Gucci pouch, which he always brought on “king nights” while traveling.
Diddy wanted investigation into iPad incident
18:28 , Erin KellerThe jury heard a recording of Khorram questioning Perez about finding a sex tape of “Jane” and another man on a company iPad at Diddy’s LA home.
Khorram said someone outside the company mentioned the video. Perez told her he showed it to Combs, who deleted it.
Combs later suspected his data was compromised and wanted an investigation, though Perez wasn’t sure if one occurred.
Perez said the video appeared to be filmed on the iPad and that Combs' chef, “Chef K,” was present but wasn’t mentioned initially to avoid escalating the situation.
Ex-assistant says staffer found sexually explicit video of "Jane" on iPad
18:17 , Erin KellerPerez testified that a videographer once found footage on an iPad showing “Jane,” who is Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, and another man during a sexual act, with Diddy visible in the background.
Perez reported it to Diddy and his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram. He said Diddy appeared surprised, and Khorram later told Perez to give such footage directly to her.
Months later, Khorram questioned him again after hearing others had learned about the video. A recording of that conversation, seized from her phone in 2024, was played in court.
Kanye West arrival prompts courthouse chaos
18:10 , Erin KellerThe Independent’s Kelly Rissman is attending Diddy’s trial in New York.
She reports there was increased security, court marshals, and journalists who flocked to the overflow room, where media and others can watch the hearings on TV screens, upon Kanye West’s arrival.
A court marshal told Rissman that West would be going into the overflow room, but he never appeared. They even guarded and cleared out a back bench for the rapper, she said.
CNN reports West went into a different overflow room and briefly sat next tp Christian Combs, one of Diddy’s sons. Rissman adds West was then crowded by journalists and left the courthouse.
Photos of Kanye West leaving Diddy trial
17:58 , Erin Keller
Post 'king night' care
17:31 , Erin KellerPerez testified he would clean up the messy “king night” rooms, which often had sheets, towels, and oils left behind. His main job was ensuring nothing was forgotten.
After these nights, Diddy and his guest were usually tired, so his staff would arrange meals, massages, or IV drips for him, Perez said.
'King night' prep included a full day’s supplies: ex-assistant
17:29 , Erin Keller“It was a lot of packing materials, making sure that he was going to have everything he would need for 12 to 24 hours without having to bother anybody,” Perez testified, per CNN.
'King night' prep
17:28 , Erin KellerSince Perez usually worked during the day, he testified that he only set up about five “king nights” himself.
Preparations included packing food, liquor, music, red lights, condoms, lubricant, and sometimes honey to boost the male libido. He also bought adult outfits and heels using company funds or cash from security.
Assistant's pay and duties
17:26 , Erin KellerPerez testified that his shift as Diddy’s personal assistant was typically 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. His salary started at $85,000 and was later raised to $100,000.
Perez reported to Diddy’s Chief of Staff, Kristina Khorram, and described long hours alongside other assistants.
Perez said staff were informed of “king nights,” which involved Diddy “going to (a) hotel to have private time with a female.”
Staff typically had two hours to a day’s notice to prepare for the nights, Perez said.
Kanye West leaves Diddy trial
17:05 , Erin KellerAfter just 40 minutes inside the courthouse, Kanye West has left the building.
The rapper got into a car and drove away around noon on Friday. It is unclear if he ever entered Judge Subramanian's courtroom.
Personal assistant details
16:55 , Erin KellerJonathan Perez testified that he worked as Diddy’s personal assistant from December 2021 to September 2024.
Diddy was arrested in this case in New York City on September 16, 2024.
Perez became the fourth witness compelled to testify under immunity after invoking the Fifth Amendment. Others who testified under immunity include Combs’ assistant George Kaplan, Bryana Bongolan, and ex-hotel guard Eddy Garcia.
HSI agent concludes testimony, personal assistant's turn
16:52 , Erin KellerLaMon concluded his testimony. After a short break, Jonathan Perez, a former personal assistant to Diddy, takes the stand.
Watch: Kanye West arrives at Diddy trial
16:45 , Erin KellerKayne West makes surprise appearance at Diddy trial
16:27 , Erin KellerWearing all white, controversial rapper Kanye West arrived at Diddy’s NYC trial on Friday in a black Maybach.
His wife, Bianca Censori, did not appear to accompany him.
Friday courtroom sketches are in
16:07 , Erin Keller
Guns only found in security office
16:04 , Erin KellerLaMon testified that all firearms and ammo in Diddy’s LA home were found in an on-site security office.
No guns or ammo were found in any of his kids’ rooms, LaMon confirmed.
Jury sees guns found at Diddy's home
15:52 , Erin KellerAgent LaMon said investigators found several guns in a security room at Diddy’s LA home, including a Glock, AR-15s, a Ruger, and a Mossberg shotgun.
Some of the guns were brought into court in a box set next to LaMon on the stand.
They also discovered a 60-round drum magazine. It had 59 rounds of green-tip ammunition in it. Green-tip ammo is designed to pierce body armor, LaMon said.
He testified that one gun did not have a serial number as it had been “sanded off with a machine.”
Over 1,000 bottles of lubrication found at Diddy's LA home
15:44 , Erin KellerLaMon testified that law enforcement seized 200 bottles of baby oil at Diddy’s LA home and 900 bottles of Astroglide, the mogul’s intimate lube of choice.
Jury hears texts between Diddy and staffer, Cassie and bodyguard
15:37 , Erin KellerBefore LaMon testified, prosecutors read a 2023 text from Diddy to his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, also known as KK, urging her to ensure his accountant, Robin, paid "Jane's" rent.
“Jane,” a former girlfriend and alleged victim, previously testified that Combs covered her Los Angeles rent.
“Robin said her rent was paid,” Khorram replied.
Prosecutors also read a January 2017 message exchange between Cassie Ventura, then dating Combs, and his security guard D-Roc.
“My bathroom door is broken down. He’s blaming me for going to someone else’s house when I pulled over to see if I was being followed and I was,” Ventura wrote. “He has my key so I’m leaving. I do not feel safe. I’m not f--king with anyone else.”
Ventura later texted D-Roc about three broken doors.
“You know I can't take your keys from him,” D-Roc wrote. “He is here you are there. I think that’s the best thing for now.”
Ketamine found in Diddy's nightstand: HSI agent
15:26 , Erin KellerLaMon testified that investigators found six manila envelopes labeled “K” in a nightstand at Diddy’s LA mansion.
Testing determined the envelopes contained ketamine.
HSI agent testifies
15:01 , Erin KellerHomeland Security Special Agent Andre LaMon takes the stand.
LaMon, who works in the human trafficking unit, searched Diddy’s Los Angeles home in March 2024.
Juror may have lied about NYC residency
14:53 , Erin Keller and Kelly RissmanThe issue with the male juror stems from a remark he made to the jury staff about where he lives.
During jury selection, the man said he lived in the Bronx. But when attorneys met with the juror the other day, the government said his answers were “inconsistent” with that statement.
Prosecutors say he may have lied about his residence because his employer might have a requirement to live in New York.
Diddy waived the juror issue with a hand gesture, prompting a chuckle from the judge.
Judge seeks to resolve juror concern
14:32 , Erin KellerJudge Arun Subramanian wants to resolve the government’s objections to a juror, possibly related to where the juror lives, though there’s not yet enough evidence for removal.
Prosecutors earlier cited a “lack of candor with the court” as their concern. Diddy’s team called it a “thinly veiled effort to dismiss a Black juror.”
A look inside the courtroom
14:25 , Erin KellerCameras aren’t allowed in Diddy’s federal trial, but these photos of a similar Manhattan courtroom show the layout.
Lawyers discuss guns in Diddy's mansion
14:18 , Erin KellerBefore a summary witness testifies Friday, both sides debated how to present the discovery of guns during the March 2024 raids on Diddy’s home.
Prosecutors said the agent testifying only secured the area, a standard Homeland Security protocol, and is expected to confirm that, despite any defense questions.
Day 23 begins
14:06 , Erin KellerDay 23 of Diddy’s trial is underway.
The disgraced mogul is wearing light pants and a brown long-sleeved sweater, according to NBC News.
Ja Rule on Diddy: ‘I didn’t know he was capable of some of these things’
13:45 , Joe SommerladFellow rapper Ja Rule, a near-exact contemporary of Diddy’s, has been speaking to Extra’s Billy Bush about the trial.
This is what he had to say:
“It’s all kind of shocking, seeing it, you know. Me knowing Diddy and what I know of Diddy, you know, I’m looking at some of this stuff and I’m like, ‘Wow, I didn’t know he was capable of some of these things.’
“I’ve never partied with that side of him. I’ve never seen that side. I’ve never seen Diddy be violent, so I don’t know that side of him, so it’s like when you’re watching all of this, it’s kind of unraveling.”
Celebrities ‘hiring lawyers’ to avoid testifying at Diddy trial
13:25 , Joe SommerladCombs’s sex trafficking trial reportedly has some celebrities so nervous about the prospect of being called to testify that they’ve hired lawyers to try to prevent it.
Ariana Baio has the story.
Celebrities are reportedly hiring lawyers to avoid testifying at Diddy’s trial
Judge to weigh showing jurors text recounting violent clash between Combs and ‘Gina’
13:05 , Joe SommerladThe prosecution is expected to call a special agent as its next witness on Friday, then Diddy’s former assistant Jonathan Perez and then the government’s first summary witness.
That will come after Judge Arun Subramanian weighs whether to show the jury a text discussing a violent clash between the defendant and “Gina,” another ex-girlfriend.
The message in question dates from 2015 and was sent between Combs and an Atlanta security guard, who reportedly advises the rapper that the incident in question would get him arrested “even if she begged” police not to.
“Gina” is not expected to testify at the trial, leading defense attorney Jason Driscoll to accuse prosecutor Christy Slavik of trying to get “two bites at the apple” by bringing the matter up.
After court adjourned yesterday, the judge allowed the government to admit 49-pages of group texts between Diddy, KK and the security officer in which the rapper asks for cash and approves transactions that correspond with hotel nights and drug payments, a prosecutor said.
These texts are meant to support the means and methods part of the racketeering charge and show some members of the “conspiracy.”
We’re looking at another 9am ET start time, with the lawyers once more arriving 30 minutes earlier.
Diddy’s lawyers complain about trial secrecy as a famous rapper goes unnamed
12:45 , Joe SommerladA lawyer for Combs protested the rising tide of secrecy at the hip-hop icon’s federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial yesterday after both his client and the public were excluded from lengthy arguments over whether another famous rapper’s name could be disclosed.
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo complained to Judge Arun Subramanian after Combs was left out of an hour-long meeting in a private room outside the courtroom where lawyers and the judge discussed a hotel room “event” in January 2024.
That meeting added a two-hour delay to the start of the sixth and final day of Jane’s testimony.
Here’s more.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyer complains about trial secrecy as a famous rapper's name goes unmentioned
Mystery rapper takes center stage as ‘Jane’ concludes marathon testimony and hugs attorneys
12:25 , Joe SommerladSean “Diddy” Combs’s ex-girlfriend Jane finished testifying on Thursday after spending several days on the stand being cross-examined and describing her three-year relationship with the music mogul.
The day got off to a rocky start, with testimony delayed nearly two hours as prosecutors, Combs’s attorneys and Jane’s attorney had private conversations with Judge Arun Subramanian.
After she took the stand, Jane described how she felt during her “hotel nights” with Combs, which involved her having sex with other men while he watched.
Jane testified she went on a trip to Las Vegas in 2024 with an unnamed rapper for a birthday celebration. They flew on the rapper’s private jet, she said.
Combs was not aware of the trip because they were on a break, Jane said. The rapper was “close” with Combs, she added.
Antoine, a sex worker who had done previous “hotel nights” with Jane and Combs, was at the birthday dinner, Jane testified. Later, Antoine had sex with another woman while several people watched, she said.
Combs went on to accuse Jane of attending another man’s “freak off,” she testified.
Jane told prosecutors she wishes she could forget “hotel nights.”
“I felt like a whore, I’m not a trained actress,” Jane testified.
After a 24-hour “hotel night” in Turks and Caicos, Jane texted an entertainer named Paul and told him Combs “didn’t make me feel like a human being.”
When the questions finally concluded, Jane hugged prosecutor Maurene Comey and defense attorney Teny Geragos as she left the stand.
Here’s Kelly Rissman’s report.
Mystery rapper takes center stage as Diddy trial focuses on sex parties
Good morning
12:05 , Joe SommerladHello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the sex trafficking trial of hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs as it resumes in New York.
Combs is facing sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy charges.
He was arrested in September 2024 as federal authorities alleged he threatened, abused and coerced victims “to fulfill his sexual desires” between 2004 and 2024.
Combs has denied any accusations of wrongdoing.
