Sean “Diddy” Combs is once again seeking a mistrial in his ongoing federal sex trafficking case, arguing that recent testimony presented in court was false and misleading.
According to TMZ, Diddy’s legal team has filed a new motion claiming that testimony by Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura’s friend, Bryana “Bana” Bongolan, was fabricated and unfairly influenced the jury during the trial’s first week.
The heart of the mistrial request lies in Bongolan’s dramatic allegation that Diddy physically assaulted her in 2016. Testifying in New York on June 4, she stated that while staying at Cassie’s apartment in Los Angeles, Diddy allegedly burst in, grabbed her from behind, and placed her over a balcony railing, yelling, “You know what the f*** you did,” before throwing her into patio furniture.
However, Diddy’s attorneys are challenging the validity of this account. They argue that Cassie—who previously testified in May—claimed to have witnessed the altercation, but her own text messages allegedly tell a different story. In one message, Cassie reportedly wrote, “I just found out some … s***,” suggesting she learned of the incident after the fact and had not seen it firsthand.
The defense team also presented evidence claiming that Diddy was not even in Los Angeles when the alleged assault took place, citing photos and other documentation to dispute Bongolan’s timeline.
This isn’t the first time Diddy has requested a mistrial. Just two weeks ago, his legal team attempted to have the trial thrown out following testimony related to artist Kid Cudi, but that request was denied by the presiding judge. The court has yet to rule on this latest motion.
Bongolan had previously filed a civil lawsuit against Diddy based on the same claims, which he has publicly denied. The music mogul has entered a plea of not guilty to multiple federal charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
As the trial continues, all eyes remain on whether the court will accept Diddy’s renewed plea for a mistrial—a decision that could significantly impact the course of this high-profile case.