Diddy‘s sex trafficking trial is officially under way, and his defense team is coming to the table with the accusation that ex-girlfriend Cassie physically abused him in their relationship.
According to TMZ, the topic came up in the courtroom on day four of the trial after prosecutor Emily Anne Johnson told Judge Arun Subramanian that Victim 1 (who is believed to be Cassie) will not be cross-examined about certain medical issues.
The judge replied saying that whatever issues prosecutors do touch on, the defense can also do so and cross-examine the witnesses on the topic(s).
It was then that Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo said the defense “is going to take the position there was mutual violence in their relationship, hitting, on both sides. DV [domestic violence].”
He added, “We are absolutely going to admit to domestic violence. But at what point does it become coercive?”
In response to the judge asking whether “you’re arguing that they are just violent?” Agnifilo responded, “Right. We’re saying it’s relevant.”
While the abuse Cassie allegedly endured is not part of the charges Diddy’s facing, video of him beating her at the Intercontinental Hotel in L.A. in 2016 will be used in the trial in an effort to paint a picture of the embattled mogul’s personality – something he tried to exclude.
Diddy filed formal request that the judge excludes the tape on April 17.
His team revealed their plans to do so in a letter, where they claimed that “CNN purchased the only known copy of the Hotel’s surveillance footage, uploaded that footage into a free editing software, altered the video and then destroyed the original footage, even though it knew about and repeatedly reported about the federal investigation.”
The altering, his team says, includes “covering the time stamp and then changing the video sequence. It also includes speeding up the video to make it falsely appear that the actions in the video are taking place faster than they are.”
They argue that it is not an accurate representation of what really happened, and revealed plans to file a motion to exclude the video from the trial. Should what they allege be true, Diddy’s motion may be granted as courts rarely allow edited video evidence.
However, in a statement to HipHopDX, representatives for CNN said: “CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source. CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested.”
Johnson said in court this week that she plans to submit two cellphone videos and the corrected CNN footage of the beating.
Perry Farrell has released another public apology following an on-stage confrontation involving his bandmate Dave Navarro.
The Jane's Addiction frontman was involved in a physical altercation with guitarist Dave Navarro last year during a live performance, an incident that prompted the band to cancel their reunion tour and eventually led to their split.
“I'd like to address what happened on stage last year,” Perry, 66, said in a statement shared across both his personal Instagram account and Jane's Addiction’s official page. “I've reflected on it and know I didn't handle myself the way I should have. I apologize to our patrons and my bandmates for losing my temper and for disrupting the show.”
He went on to admit that he did not meet fan expectations and described himself as deeply remorseful toward everyone impacted by the incident.
“Jane's Addiction has been at the center of my life for decades. The band, the songs, the patrons, and the impact that we've had on music and culture mean more to me than any words I could ever possibly write down,” he shared.
“My aim has always been to give our audience the best possible show, something real, honest and positive. In Boston, we fell short of that, and I'm truly sorry to everyone who was impacted.”
Jane's Addiction also issued its own statement regarding the altercation, which ultimately led to the group’s remaining members filing a lawsuit against Perry alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract.
“Today we are here to announce that we have come together one last time to resolve our differences, so that the legacy of Jane's Addiction will remain the work the four of us created together,” the band wrote, signaling that the group would not move forward with Perry. “We now look forward to the future as we embark on our separate musical and creative endeavors.”
