The trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs has been taking place in New York. We heard from his ex-assistant, who detailed the items he routinely delivered to the rapper’s hotel rooms. Cassie Ventura’s mother also gave evidence. Scroll below to read all the latest updates as they happened in court.
Tuesday 20 May 2025 21:31, UK
Here are the key moments from day seven of the trial:
We’ll be back with all the latest updates from the trial tomorrow.
The jury has now been excused, and court is adjourned for the day.
We are told the court will hear from new witnesses tomorrow – potentially including Scott Mescudi, who is known professionally as Kid Cudi.
Cassie and Mescudi dated in 2011.
The court is shown aerial photos of the property, and Gannon walks through the steps agents took as they searched the mansion.
He says each item was photographed and bagged, listing some of the items, which include:
We now meet our tenth witness, Special agent Gerard Gannon.
He is a former deputy US Marshall, and worked for Homeland Security Investigations, where he was responsible for planning the raids on Combs’s Miami home on Star Island, Florida.
Gannon says there were 80 to 90 people involved in the search due to the size of Diddy’s home, which was around 20,000 square feet.
He explains that instead of doing the raid early in the morning as was usual, they waited until mid-afternoon as they knew the family were away on a trip. They used a vehicle to break open the front gate and gain entry.
Gannon says officers were also monitoring the pier in case anyone tried to escape the house via boat.
The defence is now trying to establish Cassie’s willingness during their interactions.
Donaldson asks: “When you were with Cassie, you did not get any cues that there was discomfort?”
Hayes replies: “That is correct”.
He is asked again: “No cues about any discomfort?”
Hayes again says: “That is correct”.
He is asked if he “does prostitution” and says he does not.
He is asked: “Once you started intercourse, Mr Combs would say do this and do that?”
Hayes agrees.
Donaldson says: “You didn’t do anything she didn’t want to do?”
Hayes says: “It seemed like it was consensual as far as I was concerned”.
The lawyer confirms: “Combs was the director, you were the actors?”
He says that is so, and also confirms he never saw drugs, or filming during their interactions.
During a brief redirection with prosecution’s Meredith Foster, Hayes describes one occasion when he believes Cassie was “enjoying” herself.
Foster then clarifies that at other times Cassie would “wince and sigh” and her “focus was on Mr Combs”, which Hayes agrees with.
He says Cassie showed: “A consistent awareness to Mr Combs direction and his perception and his desires of the moment”.
The Punisher’s questioning is now over.
Hayes now moves into cross-examination from the defence, questioned by Xavier Donaldson.
Donaldson asks him: “Freezer Meat?”
Hayes answers: “Like you put meat in the freezer,” which is met with huge laughter from the court.
Hayes tells the jury he had been struggling with erectile dysfunction “for a long time,” ahead of working with Diddy and Cassie.
Donaldson asks him about his business, putting together groups of male strippers to perform at bachelorette parties semi-nude or in underwear.
He says: “Professional dry humping? 25 years, we are talking thousands of ladies?”
He is asked if he developed “feelings” for Cassie and says he did not.
He agrees he felt “special” because he was chosen to perform with Cassie and Diddy around eight to 12 times.
In September, Hayes began writing a book.
Published in 2025, it’s titled: “In Search of Freezer Meat: A Story of the Male Mental Health Crisis Caused by Erectile Dysfunction and the Only True Cure No One is Talking About… A Penis Implant”.
Hayes says he mentions Diddy and Cassie in the book, describing them as a “married couple”.
He says the situation was “sensationalized” so it “would be relatable, cantered around highs and lows around erectile dysfunction”.
Asked about Cassie’s “enjoyment level,” Hayes says: “We were creating a sexy scene that was enjoyable for her partner, it was a fetish type thing”.
The defence object to this description.
Hayes goes on: “I did occasionally see her sigh or wince from the frequency of the direction, it was random”.
He says prior to sex, Cassie would chat to him about his business and how things were going, what he calls “typical interaction”.
He said during sex, Cassie was “definitely seeking cues” and would look “in the direction of Combs”.
When asked, he says Cassie never refused to perform with him.
“Sometimes I felt anxiety, so there were problems getting and obtaining an erection,” he adds.
He says he would take “Cialis” or “Viagra” to try to tackle the issue.
Hayes says the last time he performed, in March 2015, Diddy was “assertive” and “aggressive” which left him and Cassie “startled”
He said he was unable to perform, and although he was paid, he wasn’t called back again.
Male escort Sharay Hayes describes going along to different hotels in New York to meet Cassie and Diddy, often on a Friday and Saturday night.
The dancer who goes by the name “The Punisher” says the encounters would start at around 2.30am and sometimes as late as 11am.
He describes a routine which would start with Cassie texting him.
“It always started the same, to create a sexy scene, but I understood it could escalate to sexual activity, oral sex or penetrative sex, always a similar pattern – put baby oil on each other and create a look, a sexy atmosphere,” he explains.
He says Diddy “would at some point come into the room, sit in the distance, and give instructions to Ms Ventura”.
He says the routine was always the same and always featured candles and covered furniture.
One time during sex, he says Diddy asked Cassie, “Are you OK?”
Hayes describes the “considerable amount of baby oil” used during the performances, saying “he wanted us to keep our bodies covered, to shine”.
He says each encounter lasted about four hours – made up of a lot of waiting time and then 45 minutes of sexual activity.
He says when he was “instructed to finish”, he would orgasm. Diddy would then leave the room and Cassie would follow. After waiting for a while, Cassie would return and tell him he could leave.
Hayes says he got paid between $1,200 and $2000 in cash each time.
The court is back in action, and male exotic dancer Sharay Hayes returns to the stand to give evidence.
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