By T.L. Reigns

The Scoop Digital Newspaper: June 2025

Key Testimony from First Witness Officer Israel Florez and Second Witness Daniel Phillip in Sean “Diddy” Combs Federal Sex Trafficking, Prostitution, and Racketeering Trial.

Week 1 of Testimony – May 12

In a packed courtroom during Week 1 of the federal trial against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, the jury heard powerful and disturbing testimony from two key witnesses: Officer Israel Florez of the Los Angeles Police Department and professional dancer Daniel Phillip.

The first to take the stand, Officer Florez recounted a 2016 incident involving Combs and singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, where Florez was then Assistant Director of Security. On March 5, 2016, Florez responded to a distress call from a female guest in the sixth-floor lobby. The guest was later identified as Cassie.

“She looked distressed,” Florez testified. “She said, ‘I want to leave, and I have to get my cell and bag.’” According to his statement, Combs blocked her exit and told her, “You’re not leaving.” Florez intervened, asserting, “Yes, she is leaving,” and warned Combs that any property damage would be charged to his room. He observed purple bruising on Cassie’s face, partially hidden by her sunglasses. She ultimately left the scene in an SUV, declining assistance.

After Cassie left, Combs allegedly offered Florez cash to remain silent. “I don’t want your money,” Florez stated in court. He said he recorded hotel surveillance footage with his iPhone as a backup and filed an incident report that included photographs of damage to the sixth-floor lobby. However, when he returned to work two days later, the video had been deleted from the hotel’s system.

During cross-examination, the defense challenged the report’s credibility, noting omissions such as the man on the pull-out bed and the alleged bribe. Florez responded that the man was not in the bedroom but in the front area and insisted he documented the most critical details of the incident.

The second witness, Daniel Phillip, a male dancer, offered graphic and emotionally charged testimony. He was called as a last-minute replacement for a bachelorette party at the Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan, where he encountered a man in a white robe, bandana, and cap alongside a woman he recognized as Cassie. She handed him a few hundred dollars, and once the man spoke, he realized it was Sean Combs.

Phillip testified that Combs orchestrated “scenarios” involving himself and Cassie, frequently requesting large amounts of baby oil and maintaining control over interactions. He stated that Combs later photographed his driver’s license, implying it was “for insurance,” which Phillip took as a veiled threat.

In later encounters, Phillip said Combs offered him ecstasy, which he eventually accepted. After one such experience, he recalled feeling euphoric and disoriented, handing out $100 bills on the street. He also described a violent incident in which Combs threw a bottle at Cassie, dragged her by the hair into a bedroom, and assaulted her. Security guards allegedly did not intervene.

Phillip said despite feeling uncomfortable, he continued working with them for some time. Although he claimed not to charge for his services, he was paid each time. On cross, he admitted to having romantic feelings for Cassie, but denied that his testimony was motivated by jealousy or rejection.

These early testimonies offer a glimpse into the complex and disturbing allegations surrounding Combs, marking a pivotal start to what is expected to be a high-profile and emotionally intense trial.

^{Testimony read from Official Court Transcripts from Down the Rabbit Hole News on YouTube.}

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