U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian denied a second mistrial request from Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team in his ongoing sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan federal court.
The motion, filed Friday, by defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro, accused prosecutors of presenting “demonstrably false” testimony from Bryana “Bana” Bongolan, a friend of Combs’ ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Bongolan testified on June 4, 2025, that Combs dangled her over a 17th-floor balcony in Ventura’s Los Angeles apartment on September 26, 2016, and presented a photo of a bruise allegedly from the incident. The defense countered with hotel receipts showing Combs was in New York from September 24 to 29, 2016, arguing that Bongolan’s testimony constituted perjury and that prosecutors knew or should have known it was false. They claimed this prejudiced the jury by portraying Combs as “an angry and dangerous man.”
The prosecution’s case has relied on witnesses like Ventura, who testified for four days in May 2025 about an 11-year abusive relationship with Combs, and others, including former stylist Deonte Nash and ex-assistant Capricorn Clark, who alleged witnessing Combs’ violence toward Ventura. The defense has argued that relationships were consensual, if volatile, and challenged witness credibility, as seen in their cross-examination of Bongolan. The trial is expected to continue into mid-June, with prosecutors potentially resting their case soon