Diddy allegedly handed over $100,000 in cash to a hotel security worker in Los Angeles to bury surveillance footage showing him violently attacking Cassie Ventura in 2016, according to testimony Monday (June 3) in his ongoing federal racketeering and sex trafficking case.
The government’s witness, Eddy Garcia, took the stand to describe how he and a supervisor at the InterContinental Hotel negotiated the hush deal after reviewing disturbing footage of Diddy assaulting Ventura in a hallway.
Garcia said the mogul personally pressured him to retrieve the video, calling him “Eddy My Angel” and warning that the footage could ruin his career.
Garcia testified that he initially received a call from Kristina Khorram, then an employee of Diddy, who asked if he had access to the video.
After Garcia told her to speak with hotel management, she went to the property in person. Garcia said he eventually revealed to her, off the record, that “it’s bad.”
Garcia said Diddy later called him directly, pleading for the footage and offering help in return.
When Garcia said he didn’t have access to the server, the disgraced mogul allegedly responded that he believed Garcia could “make it happen” and promised to “take care of” him.
Garcia said he then contacted his supervisor, Bill Medrano, who agreed to retrieve the video for $50,000. Garcia said he relayed the offer to Khorram, who patched in Diddy. The music mogul allegedly responded, “I knew you could do it. Let’s do it right away.”
According to Garcia, Medrano entered the server room, returned with a USB drive, and handed it to him.
Garcia said he then arranged to meet Diddy at a high-rise in West Los Angeles, where he was greeted by a bodyguard and eventually brought upstairs to meet him.
Inside the apartment, Garcia said Diddy asked if it was the only copy. Garcia said he believed it was. Diddy then FaceTimed Ventura, who appeared in a hoodie and said she had a movie coming out and didn’t want the video to surface.
Garcia said Diddy requested identification from everyone involved, including a responding officer. He then presented non-disclosure agreements with $1 million in liquidated damages.
Garcia said he was earning $10.50 an hour at the time and did not receive a copy of the non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Garcia testified that Diddy counted the money using a machine, stacking $10,000 at a time until it reached $100,000. The cash, he said, was handed to him in a brown paper bag. Diddy allegedly told him not to make any large purchases and walked him to his car.
The video in question—first aired by CNN in 2023—shows him kicking, dragging and throwing objects at Ventura in a hotel hallway. It has since become a central piece of evidence in the federal case, which includes charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Diddy has pleaded not guilty. His legal team argues the video was manipulated and that all sexual encounters were consensual.
Ventura’s 2023 lawsuit against Diddy was settled for $20 million the day after it was filed.
Testimony continues.