**Diddy Trial: Security Guard Testifies About Hotel Assault Video and Financial Dealings**

NEW YORK (TNND) - In the ongoing sex trafficking trial involving Sean "Diddy" Combs, former InterContinental Hotel security guard Eddy Garcia testified on Tuesday about a 2016 incident where Combs was caught on surveillance video hitting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. Garcia’s testimony revealed the lengths Combs allegedly went to suppress the footage, engaging in financial dealings and non-disclosure agreements to keep the video private.

Chaos erupted in the courtroom as a supporter of Combs interrupted proceedings, shouting accusations that the system was biased against the rapper. The disruptive individual, a woman who has not been publicly identified, claimed that Combs was mocked in every courtroom. She was swiftly removed by court marshals.

Key evidence in this trial includes the hotel surveillance video from March 2016, initially released by CNN in 2024. The footage, depicting Combs assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway, was presented to jurors at the start of the trial. Ventura, who testified over four days, described a decade-long relationship plagued by forced sexual encounters and abuse.

Garcia, testifying under an immunity order, described how Combs’ assistant at the time, Kristina Khorram, had urgently sought access to the video, claiming Combs was too intoxicated to remember the incident. Garcia initially denied her request, advising her to contact hotel management or secure a subpoena.

Later that night, Garcia testified, Combs himself requested the video, expressing concerns that its release could ruin his career. Combs offered Garcia financial incentives, and the security guard subsequently brokered a deal with his boss to provide the video for $50,000. Combs was recorded expressing gratitude once the deal was secured and requested assurances that no other copies of the video existed.

Garcia recounted receiving $100,000 from Combs, of which he kept $30,000 for himself, paying $50,000 to his boss and $20,000 to another security officer. Garcia used his portion to purchase a used car. He confessed to initially lying about his involvement with the video but came clean after he was granted legal counsel.

Additional testimony was provided by Derek Ferguson, the former CFO of Bad Boy Entertainment and COO of Revolt TV, Combs' media company. Ferguson's statements focused on financial practices within Combs' businesses, indicating that neither he nor Combs closely monitored company expenses. He maintained he did not witness any crimes or acts of violence perpetrated by Combs.

The trial has also included testimonies from other key individuals including Frank Piazza, a forensic video expert. Prosecutor Maurene Comey has indicated that more witnesses are to be called in the coming days. Combs, facing a five-count indictment, stands accused of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, among other serious charges. If convicted, the 55-year-old rapper could face a minimum of 15 years to life in prison.

Combs has been detained in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024, following raids by federal authorities on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami earlier that year. He has pled not guilty to the charges.