A hotel security officer has testified in federal court that music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs paid $100,000 in cash to suppress surveillance footage showing him violently attacking singer Cassie Ventura in 2016.
Eddy Garcia, who was working at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles at the time, took the stand in the fourth week of Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial in New York. Garcia revealed that shortly after the now widely circulated incident, Combs contacted him with a clear message: obtain the footage and he would be “taken care of.”
“He was concerned that this video would get out and that it would ruin his career,” Garcia told jurors, testifying under immunity.
The footage, now central to the prosecution’s case, shows Combs, clad in only a towel, throwing Ventura to the ground, kicking her, and dragging her in a hotel hallway. Ventura, who has publicly accused Combs of years of abuse, said the altercation came shortly after he gave her a black eye during what he called a “Freak Off”—a term used to describe drug-fueled group sex encounters Combs allegedly orchestrated over two decades.
According to Garcia, he passed Combs’ request to his superior, who agreed to hand over the video for $50,000. The following day, Garcia said he witnessed his boss access the hotel’s surveillance servers and retrieve the footage. He then handed a USB drive to Combs.
Later, Garcia testified, Combs returned with a brown paper bag and a money counter. He ran cash through the device—confirming $100,000—then handed the bag to Garcia.
Federal prosecutors argue the bribery is part of a broader pattern of obstruction, forming one of several alleged “predicate acts” under the racketeering charges. Combs faces multiple counts including sex trafficking, and could receive a life sentence if convicted.
While Combs’ legal team admits he engaged in abusive behavior in some relationships, they maintain the sexual activities described by the prosecution were consensual.
The trial continues next week, with prosecutors expected to conclude their case soon before the defense begins its presentation.
