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The judge in his federal trial threatened to have Sean Combs, AKA Diddy, removed from the courtroom for looking at and nodding at the jurors. The warning came after testimony about the rapper allegedly holding a friend of his former girlfriend over the edge of a balcony 17 stories above ground.
The witness, Bryana Bongolan, was being cross-examined by Diddy’s legal defense team before jurors left for a break on Thursday. After they left the courtroom, Judge Arun Subramanian warned Combs’ lawyer Marc Agnifilo about his client “looking at jurors and nodding vigorously” during her testimony.
“It cannot happen again,” Subramanian said and if it did he would consider sanctioning him and including possibly removing him from the courtroom.
Bryana Bongolan had been recounting a story she previously shared in a lawsuit she filed in December in Los Angeles against Sean Combs. Bongolan is seeking $10 million in damages for emotional distress, sexual battery, and false imprisonment.
In her lawsuit, Bongolan claimed the incident happened in 2016 at the home of Cassie Ventura. She claims she was spending the night at Ventura’s home when Diddy showed up and started “violently” yelling and banging on the door after one of his alleged “freak off” parties.
After gaining entry to the home, Bongolan claims Diddy confronted her on the balcony on the 17th floor. It was there she says Combs molested her then lifted her up and dangled her over the edge of the balcony.
“He immediately lifted her up higher and higher over the 17th floor balcony of Ms. Ventura’s apartment with only Combs’ grip keeping her from falling to her death,” the lawsuit claims, adding, “Recognizing the threat of so many witnesses to his assault, (Combs) pulled Ms Bongolan back over the balcony. But he did not release her. In a last fit of violence, he slammed Ms Bongolan onto the balcony’s patio furniture, including a table.”
During Thursday’s cross-examination, the New York Post reports, Combs’ lawyer Nicole Westmoreland called into question the truth about her story. Westmoreland also accused her of suing Diddy in an attempt “to become a millionaire,” which Bongolan denied.