Witness: Bryana Bongolan

Bryana Bongolan’s Testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Trial: Days 16 and 17 Highlights On June 4 and June 5, 2025, during Days 16 and 17 of Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, Bryana 'Bana' Bongolan, a longtime friend of Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, testified at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York. Bongolan, the prosecution’s 26th witness, alleged that Combs physically assaulted her in September 2016 by dangling her over a 17th-floor balcony at Ventura’s Los Angeles apartment and throwing her onto balcony furniture, leaving her with cuts and bruises. Her testimony aimed to support the prosecution’s claims of Combs’ pattern of violence and intimidation, central to the racketeering conspiracy charge, though her credibility was heavily challenged during cross-examination. Bongolan began her testimony on June 4, identifying herself as a fashion designer who met Ventura around 2014, forming a close friendship that included frequent drug use. She told the jury they used marijuana, cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, and 'cocoa puffs'—marijuana sprinkled with cocaine—weekly, admitting, 'We had a problem,' but often tried to get sober together by cooking instead. Bongolan described meeting Combs in 2016 at a dinner at his home, finding him 'very standoffish' toward her, and said their interactions were marked by his volatile relationship with Ventura, whom she saw with a black eye and bruises on multiple occasions. A central focus of her testimony was the alleged balcony incident in September 2016. Bongolan testified that she was staying at Ventura’s apartment when Combs arrived unannounced early one morning, banging on the door and shouting. She hid her then-girlfriend in the guest bathroom to shield her from potential trouble and went to the balcony to 'act casual.' Combs approached her, yelling, 'Do you know what the f--- you did?'—a statement she said she still doesn’t understand—and grabbed her, lifting her over the balcony railing by her armpits. Bongolan, who is 5 foot 1 and weighed 100 to 115 pounds at the time, described Combs as 'bigger,' noting her feet rested on the railing for about 15 seconds as she feared falling. She recalled thinking, 'For a split second, I was thinking about if I was going to fall.' Combs then pulled her down and threw her onto the balcony furniture. The jury saw photos she took later that day showing a large bruise on her leg, bandages on her back, and a neck brace. Bongolan said the incident left her with lasting trauma, including nightmares, paranoia, and screaming in her sleep, though these effects had 'dissipated a little bit' over time. She also alleged other violent encounters with Combs. Bongolan testified that during a 2016 beach photo shoot with Ventura, Combs approached her, got close to her face, and said, 'I’m the devil and I could kill you,' leaving her 'terrified' without understanding why he said it. She claimed she once saw Combs throw a knife at Ventura in a hallway, with Ventura throwing one back, though both missed, and Combs 'left swiftly.' Bongolan admitted to using drugs with Combs a few times and seeing him use drugs, often selling drugs like oxycodone, cocaine, and ketamine to Ventura. During cross-examination by defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland, which began on June 4 and concluded on June 5, Bongolan’s credibility came under intense scrutiny. Westmoreland highlighted inconsistencies in her accounts, noting that Bongolan initially told prosecutors the 'I could kill you' threat occurred at a party, not a photo shoot, and that her first demand letter claimed Combs said it while she was over the balcony. Bongolan repeatedly responded, 'I don’t remember,' when pressed on these discrepancies. The defense also pointed out that a 2024 sexual battery lawsuit filed by Bongolan against Combs, through her then-attorney Tyrone Blackburn, alleged Combs groped her breasts during the balcony incident—a claim Bongolan admitted was 'incorrect,' leading her to fire Blackburn. Westmoreland questioned why Bongolan continued associating with Combs and Ventura after the alleged assault, showing texts where Bongolan returned to Ventura’s apartment within two weeks for a night of drinking, smoking, and cooking, and even asked Combs if he wanted a T-shirt shortly after. Bongolan whispered, 'I guess not,' when asked if she was scared, and said she was 'trying to be cool' with Combs. A significant blow to her testimony came when the defense presented evidence that Combs was performing in New Jersey with the Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour on September 25, 2016, the night before Bongolan’s photo of her injuries dated September 26, and showed a Trump Tower hotel receipt indicating Combs was in New York from September 24 to 29. Bongolan admitted she couldn’t recall the exact date, saying she assumed it based on the photo, but insisted, 'I will never forget him holding me on that balcony.' Westmoreland directly accused her of lying about the incident and injuries, to which Bongolan replied, 'I can’t agree with you.' On redirect, prosecutor Madison Smyser refocused on the core allegation, with Bongolan reaffirming that Combs held her over the balcony, despite the timeline uncertainty. Bongolan’s testimony, delivered under an immunity order after invoking her Fifth Amendment rights due to her admitted drug use, concluded on June 5. Her account aimed to illustrate Combs’ use of force and coercion, but the defense’s cross-examination raised significant doubts about her reliability, potentially impacting the jury’s perception of her claims.

Compiled from news sources and summarized by Grok.

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