Witness: Deonte Nash

Deonte Nash’s Testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ Sex Trafficking and Racketeering Trial: Days 11 and 12 Highlights On May 28 and May 29, 2025, during Days 11 and 12 of Sean 'Diddy' Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial in Manhattan, celebrity stylist Deonte Nash testified at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse in New York. Nash, the prosecution’s 20th witness, provided a detailed account of his experiences with Combs and Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura from 2008 to 2018, alleging multiple instances of physical violence, threats, and coercion by Combs against Ventura and himself. His testimony aimed to support the prosecution’s claims of Combs’ use of violence and intimidation to control Ventura, central to the charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Nash began his testimony on May 28, explaining his background and relationship with Combs and Ventura. He told the jury he was hired in 2008 through Craigslist to work as a stylist for Bad Boy Entertainment, initially as an intern, before styling both Combs and Ventura. Nash described Ventura as a close friend, noting he last spoke to her on May 27 to congratulate her on the birth of her third child. He detailed his role in styling Ventura, including helping her select outfits for her trial testimony earlier in May, as she struggled to find clothes that fit during her third trimester of pregnancy. A significant portion of Nash’s testimony focused on a violent incident in 2013 at Ventura’s apartment while they were packing for the OVO Festival in Canada. Nash testified that Combs arrived unannounced, angrily saying, 'B----, didn’t I tell you to answer your phone?' He alleged Combs dragged Ventura by her hair and began hitting her, eventually slamming her head into a bed frame, causing her eyebrow to split open and bleed. Nash, alongside Combs’ former assistant 'Mia,' jumped on Combs’ back to stop the attack, with Nash stating he acted not only to protect Ventura but also to prevent Combs from 'doing something more serious.' The next day, Nash saw Ventura on FaceTime with stitches on her forehead, and Combs mentioned taking her to a plastic surgeon. Nash also noted that Combs’ security guard, D-Roc, and others outside tried to convince Combs to stop and leave them alone during the incident. Nash recounted another incident in 2013 or 2014 at a hotel where Ventura had fled after an argument with Combs. He testified that Combs sent him to find her, and upon locating Ventura in her room, she appeared distressed and headed to the balcony, saying she was going to climb over it, which Nash feared might lead to self-harm. Additionally, Nash alleged that Combs threatened to release sex tapes of Ventura to her parents’ workplaces to get them fired, and later told her he was the only one protecting her. Ventura, in tears, confided to Nash that the tapes showed her with other men, not Combs, and that she 'didn’t want to' participate in those acts, indicating coercion in what she described as 'freak-offs.' He further testified about Combs’ controlling behavior, stating that Combs approved all of Ventura’s looks, songs, and events at Bad Boy Entertainment, but not for other artists, whom Nash quipped 'looked terrible' due to lack of oversight. Nash alleged Combs banned him and Ventura from going out together without his permission, and on one occasion at the 2014 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Combs grabbed Nash by his jacket, upset that Ventura’s hair was styled down instead of up. Nash and Ventura fixed her hair in a bathroom, and Combs later agreed it looked better down. Nash also claimed Combs threw him against a parked car in 2013, threatening him with violence. Nash admitted to witnessing Ventura use drugs like cocaine, molly, ecstasy, and prescription pills in her home, and confirmed his own drug use, including smoking marijuana before a meeting with prosecutors, which was cut short by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey to ensure he had a 'clear mind.' He also testified that Ventura confided in him about being forced to attend hotels for 'freak-offs' against her wishes, though on cross-examination by defense attorney Xavier Donaldson, Nash admitted Ventura never explicitly mentioned 'freak-offs' to him from 2008 to 2013. During cross-examination on May 28 and 29, Donaldson challenged Nash’s motives and consistency. Nash confirmed he had not filed a lawsuit against Combs and had no plans to, saying, 'I’m focused on getting out of here.' Donaldson suggested Combs helped launch Nash’s career, to which Nash responded, 'Go ahead.' The defense highlighted Ventura’s work with a clothing brand in 2015 or 2016, approved by Combs, to argue he wasn’t holding her back. Donaldson also pointed out Nash’s delayed disclosure of Ventura’s 'freak-off' confession until a May 17 meeting with prosecutors, to which Nash replied, 'It must have been something they asked.' The cross-examination drew mixed reactions in the courtroom, with some jurors rolling their eyes at repetitive questions, and Judge Arun Subramanian appearing annoyed when Nash requested a break. Nash’s testimony concluded on May 29 after a brief redirect, with his accounts providing a firsthand perspective on Combs’ alleged abusive behavior toward Ventura and the fear it instilled in those around him.

Compiled from news sources and summarized by Grok.

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