Ex-college basketball player testifies Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs got ‘extremely creative’ on drugs | College basketball
A former basketball player from the University of Syracuse who recently worked for Sean “ Diddy ” Combs as a personal assistant testified on Friday during the sexual trafficking test of the musical magnate that Combs became “extremely creative” when he took drugs.
Brendan Paul, 26, was arrested last year at an airport in Miami with cocaine who, according to him, belonged to Combs, and he testified with immunity on what it was to work for the hip-hop entrepreneur for a year and a half. Paul was arrested in March 2024 – on the same day, federal agents carried out several research related to the Combs survey.
Prosecutors finish their file after six weeks of testimonies from a range of witnesses ranging from ex-girlfriends and former employees to male workers and rapper Kid Cudi. You, formerly known as Kanye West, even made a surprise appearance at the courthouse.
The accusation aims to convince the jury that Combs supervised a sprawling racketeering company for two decades which counted on obedience by employees ready to do anything for him, including the purchase of drugs if necessary.
Defense lawyers claim that Combs did not commit federal crimes, although they recognize that prosecutors have exposed domestic violence during the trial. After pleading not guilty following his September arrest in a Manhattan hotel, Combs was detained without a federal bail in Brooklyn.
The prosecutors had to rest their file on Monday. A defense presentation should last two to five days.
Paul said that he had bought drugs for combs between five and 10 times, spending up to $ 500 for drugs, including cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy and marijuana.
He said that he had not done drugs with combs once, when Combs asked him to try “TUSI”, also known as pink cocaine, to see if it was good.
Paul said he did it because he “wanted to prove my loyalty” and said he thought it was good.
“We continued in our night,” he told assistant lawyer Christy Slavic.
Paul said that before his arrest, he had forgotten cocaine after having recovered it while “sweeping” the Combres room that morning and accidentally left it in a bag he wore while he was preparing to go on vacation with combs and other collaborators. The charges were rejected after Paul finished a trial misappropriation.
Under the interrogations by defense lawyer Brian Steel, Paul said that his “heart had dropped” when he realized that there was cocaine in a travel bag after saying to the airport police that everything in the bag belonged to him.
Steel asked Paul if Combs was generally happy and did not hurt anyone when he had drugs.
“He became extremely creative,” replied Paul.
At another time, Steel asked the witness: “You wouldn’t work for a criminal, right?”
“Absolutely not,” said Paul.
Slave, however, aroused Paul’s mixed feelings about Combs when the prosecutor asked him just before finishing his testimony: “Sitting here today, how do you feel about Mr. Combs?”
“It’s complicated,” he replied.
Paul, from Cleveland, was a 2 -foot 2 -inch goalkeeper who walked at the University of Syracuse and left the bench in 16 games in two seasons, playing a total of 17 minutes and only scored three points. He was then transferred to the Fairmont State University of lower level in Virginia-Western, where he played for two more seasons.
