Diddy drew a stern warning from the federal judge overseeing his racketeering and sex trafficking case on Thursday (June 5) after allegedly making exaggerated gestures toward jurors during testimony in Manhattan federal court.
U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Subramanian addressed Diddy’s attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, directly, cautioning that if the behavior continued, the court would consider issuing a limiting instruction or even barring the rap mogul from attending his own trial.
The judge said Diddy was “nodding vigorously” at jurors, behavior that could be interpreted as an attempt to influence the panel.
The courtroom tension came during the cross-examination of Bryana “Bana” Bongolan, a designer and longtime friend of Cassie Ventura, who previously testified that Diddy dangled her over a 17-story balcony and threw her onto patio furniture in 2016.
Bongolan also claimed Diddy threatened her life, telling her, “I’m the devil, and I could kill you.” Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland spent most of Wednesday trying to dismantle Bongolan’s credibility, pressing her on inconsistencies and past behavior.
Westmoreland questioned why Bongolan continued associating with Ventura and Diddy even after the alleged assault, pointing to text messages and concert attendance in the weeks that followed.
“You’re still doing drugs with Cassie on May 31, 2016, right?” Westmoreland asked, to which Bongolan responded, “Yes.”
Westmoreland also challenged Bongolan over claims made in her civil lawsuit, suggesting her former attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, included allegations of sexual assault that she later repeated despite knowing they were false.
Bongolan admitted she didn’t write the demand letters and hadn’t reviewed her interview notes.
When asked whether she knowingly accused Diddy of sexual assault to pursue a lawsuit, Bongolan hesitated, saying, “It’s really hard to commit to the whole sentence.”
Westmoreland pointed out that Bongolan never went to urgent care or reported the incident to police and continued to communicate with Diddy and Ventura, including asking if “Puff would like a sweatshirt” just two weeks after the alleged balcony incident.
The defense also questioned the timeline of the alleged assault, noting that metadata from a photo showing Bongolan’s injuries placed her in New York while Diddy was reportedly on the West Coast.
During redirect, prosecutors attempted to reaffirm Bongolan’s testimony, asking whether she had any doubt that Diddy held her over the balcony. “No doubt,” she replied.
The trial resumes Thursday (June 5), with testimony expected from another alleged victim identified only as “Jane.”