This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.
Testimony at the Sean Combs federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial returned on Tuesday to the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City, California, where Combs was caught on video surveillance footage in 2016 physically attacking his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Eddie Garcia, a hotel employee, testified under an immunity agreement with prosecutors that when he arrived for his security shift on March 5, 2016, “I was told there was a domestic dispute.”
“I was informed of the incident and I was shown video,” Garcia told the court, referring to the footage of Combs attacking Ventura at the hotel.
The jury once again saw the video that Garcia said he reviewed.
“Did you have an understanding why law enforcement was not contacted?” prosecutor Mitzi Steiner asked.
“Yes,” Garcia testified. “I was told Ms. Ventura did not request the presence of police or medical attention.”
An hour or so into his shift, Garcia testified, the phone rang at the security desk. “It was a New York area code,” Garcia testified. “The caller introduced herself as personal assistant to Mr. Combs, Kristina Khorram.”
Khorram asked if she could get a copy of the video, Garcia testified. “I told her that she would have to reach out to hotel management or get a subpoena.”
Garcia testified that about an hour later, Khorram, chief of staff for Combs, was in the lobby to see him. “She was asking about the video and if there was any way she could see it,” he testified.
Garcia told the court that he apologized and said he could not show the video to her.
Later that evening, according to Garcia’s testimony, Khorram called and put Combs on the phone.
Garcia told the court that Combs asked if Garcia could provide the video.
At home, Garcia told the court, he received a call from Khorram on his personal cellphone, which he testified made him “nervous that I was getting calls on my cellphone.”
Khorram passed the phone to Combs, according to Garcia’s testimony.
Garcia testified Combs “was concerned this video would get out and it would ruin his career.”
Garcia also testified that Combs told him “he would take care of me.”
Garcia testified that he told his supervisor Combs offered to pay for the video and that his supervisor agreed to the deal.
“He said he would do it for 50,” Garcia testified. “I understood it to mean $50,000.”
Garcia testified that he called Khorram to inform her and Combs of his supervisor’s decision, adding that Combs “sounded excited” and “referred to me as ‘Eddie my angel.’”
According to Garcia’s testimony, once he told Combs he had the hotel’s footage of the attack, he was provided with an address that was 20 minutes from the hotel because Combs “wanted the video as soon as possible.”
Garcia testified that someone who introduced himself as Combs’ bodyguard met him in the lobby of a building and brought him up to an apartment, where Combs was “smiling, excited” and looking happy.
Garcia told the court he handed over a USB drive containing the video and assured Combs it was the only copy.
“I told him that I did have a concern that if there was to be a police report made at a later time that it would affect me,” Garcia testified. “He said I didn’t have to worry about that.”
Garcia told the jury that Combs then contacted Ventura via FaceTime.
“She said ‘hi’ and she said she had a movie coming out and it wasn’t a good time for this to come out and she wanted it to go away,” Garcia testified.
Garcia further testified that Combs demanded copies of his ID and those of his supervisor, Bill Medrano, and Henry Elias, another security officer that he told the court was on duty the night of the incident.
The jury saw copies of their driver’s licenses, as well as copies of the non-disclosure agreement and certification that there was only one copy of the video, which Garcia testified he was made to sign.
Garcia then testified that Combs left the room and allegedly returned with a brown bag and a money counter. Garcia told the court that there were “stacks of money being put in through it. Stacks of $10,000 at a time.”
“In total at the end, it was $100,000,” Garcia told the court.
Garcia testified that later he noticed that neither the incident report nor the video file attached to it were in the hotel’s records.
A few weeks later, Garcia testified, he received a message from Combs asking “if anyone had asked about the video.”
Garcia told the court that he told Combs he’d heard nothing.
Garcia’s testimony concluded with minimal cross-examination from the defense. Garcia agreed with defense attorney Brian Steel that Combs had treated him professionally.
Tune in to Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy and follow ABC News’ live blog for real-time updates on the trial.
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
