Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash took the stand today in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ high-profile federal trial, delivering harrowing testimony about years of alleged abuse toward singer Cassie Ventura.
#DiddyTrial, #DeonteNash, #CassieVentura, #CelebrityNews, #CourtTestimony, #SexTraffickingCase, #EntertainmentNews, #BreakingNews, #JusticeForCassie, #DiddyAbuseAllegations
00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Hey, hey everybody. This is Deia Avery
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 of the Demia Avery Show. Thank you for
00:00:05 --> 00:00:07 uh checking in with me. Thank you for
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 listening. So, you know, I have your
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 Diddy update for today. Um it's going to
00:00:12 --> 00:00:15 be in two parts. This is part one where
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 the prosecution
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 um they have Deontay Nash, a celebrity
00:00:20 --> 00:00:24 stylist on the stand. So, I'm going to
00:00:24 --> 00:00:27 go ahead and start. Um again, it's kind
00:00:28 --> 00:00:30 of long, so here we go. Uh, Cassie
00:00:30 --> 00:00:32 Ventur's friend called to the stand.
00:00:32 --> 00:00:35 Prosecutors are calling Deonte Nash, a
00:00:36 --> 00:00:38 friend of Cassy's, to the stand. All
00:00:38 --> 00:00:41 right. Prosecutor Comey will question
00:00:41 --> 00:00:43 Nash, on direct
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 examination. Nash is a celebrity
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 stylist. He said he's testifying under a
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 subpoena. And when asked if he wanted to
00:00:50 --> 00:00:54 be here, Nash said absolutely not. So,
00:00:54 --> 00:00:57 it goes on to say, "Deonte Nash said he
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 began working with Diddy and Cassie
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 around 2008. He said he was an intern in
00:01:03 --> 00:01:05 the fashion department at Bad Boy
00:01:05 --> 00:01:07 Entertainment." Uh, Nash said he stopped
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 working for Combmes around
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 2018. Um, it goes on to say, "Asistant
00:01:13 --> 00:01:17 US Attorney Comey showed Deontay Nash
00:01:17 --> 00:01:20 um a head shot of himself taking during
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 the time he was working with Diddy. He
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 laughed and said, "No." When Comey asked
00:01:26 --> 00:01:29 if that was how he looked at the time,
00:01:29 --> 00:01:31 he confirmed it was a glamorous shot and
00:01:31 --> 00:01:33 said, "Yes, I look amazing." Prompting
00:01:33 --> 00:01:34 laughs throughout the
00:01:34 --> 00:01:38 courtroom. So, it goes on, uh, Deontay
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Nash is describing sometimes he said,
00:01:40 --> 00:01:43 "Diddy Combmes threatened Cassie." Nash
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 testified that on multiple occasions he
00:01:46 --> 00:01:48 heard Commes tell Ventur that he would
00:01:48 --> 00:01:51 beat her. A Ventur would be super
00:01:51 --> 00:01:54 emotional after the incidents. He said
00:01:54 --> 00:01:55 she would cry. Sometimes she would just
00:01:55 --> 00:01:57 stay in the house for days and go in a
00:01:57 --> 00:02:01 cocoon. Nas said. Nas said he heard
00:02:01 --> 00:02:03 Combmes making other threats toward
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 Ventur, including telling her he would
00:02:05 --> 00:02:07 not release her music and threatening to
00:02:07 --> 00:02:10 get her parents fired from their jobs.
00:02:10 --> 00:02:12 Combmes also threatened to send smeually
00:02:12 --> 00:02:15 explicit videos of Venura. Nash said
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 Combmes would threaten not to release uh
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 Vento's music anytime she did something
00:02:21 --> 00:02:22 he didn't
00:02:22 --> 00:02:26 like. Um Nash goes on to say he attended
00:02:26 --> 00:02:30 a party in 2014 with Cassie. She looked
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 bomb. Her hair was down. He testified
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 when they arrived. Nash said Diddy
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 grabbed him by the jacket and lifted him
00:02:37 --> 00:02:41 up. Nash testified that Combmes told him
00:02:41 --> 00:02:43 Victoria's hair needed to be worn up.
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 Nash then asked people for hair pins and
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 told Ventur to go to the bathroom with
00:02:47 --> 00:02:49 other staff to fix her
00:02:49 --> 00:02:53 hair. Nash said Combmes admitted to him
00:02:53 --> 00:02:55 later that night that Ventur's hair
00:02:55 --> 00:02:56 looked better
00:02:56 --> 00:03:00 down. Goes on uh Nash a celebrity
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 stylist Cassie a friend of Cassie said
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 he had to send all photos of Cassie's
00:03:05 --> 00:03:08 outfits to Diddy for approval. He would
00:03:08 --> 00:03:11 pick which one he liked and that was
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 usually the one we went with.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:17 Okay. Um, Deontay Nash testified that he
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 watched Diddy attack Ventur in a rage
00:03:20 --> 00:03:24 sometime in 2013 or 2014 when he was
00:03:24 --> 00:03:29 helping Vento pack for a trip. Nas said
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 he answered the door when Combmes
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 arrived because Ventur was asleep on the
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 couch. Combmes kept yelling at Ventura
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 about how she allegedly didn't answer
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 her phone. Nas said he watched Combmes
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 grab her by her hair and pull her off
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 the couch and start hitting her. Nas
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 said he ran into Ventur's bedroom with
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 Ventur and one of Combmes assistants.
00:03:50 --> 00:03:52 The assistant had been identified in the
00:03:52 --> 00:03:56 trial as quote unquote Mia. Combmes
00:03:56 --> 00:03:58 pushed the door open as they tried to
00:03:58 --> 00:03:59 lock him
00:03:59 --> 00:04:01 out. Combmes continued to attack
00:04:01 --> 00:04:04 Ventura, hitting a kick at her until she
00:04:04 --> 00:04:07 hit her head on the bed frame. Nash and
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 Mia both jumped on Combmes back, but he
00:04:10 --> 00:04:13 threw them off, Nash said. Combmes
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 finally stopped when he noticed the
00:04:15 --> 00:04:18 blood. When he noticed the blood, he
00:04:18 --> 00:04:21 just panicked. Nas said Combmes said to
00:04:21 --> 00:04:23 them, "Look what y'all made me do." Nas
00:04:24 --> 00:04:26 said he dialed 911, but someone told him
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 to hang up before the call connected. He
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 testified he can't remember who told him
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 to hang up the phone. Combmes told them
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 Ventur would go to plastic surgery with
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 his security guard. When Nash saw Ventur
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 on a video call that next day, she had a
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 gash on her forehead near her eyebrow
00:04:43 --> 00:04:44 and
00:04:44 --> 00:04:46 stitches. All right, it skips down. It
00:04:46 --> 00:04:50 says uh Deontay Nash recounted a time in
00:04:50 --> 00:04:54 2013 or 14 when he was at Ventur's
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 apartment and Diddy came over saying he
00:04:56 --> 00:04:59 wanted to talk to Ventur. He said
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 Combmes and Ventur went into the
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 bathroom and when they came out, Combmes
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 grabbed her by her hair and the back of
00:05:04 --> 00:05:06 her shirt and started pushing her her
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 out while telling her to get out of the
00:05:08 --> 00:05:11 house. Nash testified that he understood
00:05:11 --> 00:05:13 Combmes was referring to Ventur's
00:05:13 --> 00:05:15 apartment. Nash testified that Combmes
00:05:15 --> 00:05:18 pushed Ventur halfway out of the door
00:05:18 --> 00:05:21 and then began doing the same to him. He
00:05:21 --> 00:05:23 was more so popping me in the back of my
00:05:24 --> 00:05:26 head because I don't have her hair. I
00:05:26 --> 00:05:29 don't have hair and grabbing my shirt. N
00:05:29 --> 00:05:31 said he went downstairs to get in his
00:05:31 --> 00:05:35 car and and Ventur and Combmes came down
00:05:35 --> 00:05:38 later. Puff began to berate us both and
00:05:38 --> 00:05:39 finally let us
00:05:39 --> 00:05:42 go. Uh Nash said he and Ventur began
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 driving away when they received a call
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 from Combmes telling them to pull over.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:48 Combmes then came up to the window and
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 started talking to Ventur. Nash
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 testified that Combmes told her he would
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 put smeually explicit photos of her on
00:05:56 --> 00:05:59 the internet. Combmes said he was going
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 to release them on schedule and start by
00:06:01 --> 00:06:05 sending them to her parents' job by her
00:06:05 --> 00:06:07 parents' job. He said Combmes also told
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 Ventur he was the only one that
00:06:10 --> 00:06:13 protected her. Ventur was in tears as
00:06:13 --> 00:06:15 they drove away. Nash said, "That's just
00:06:15 --> 00:06:16 sign of abuse. I'm the only one that's
00:06:16 --> 00:06:19 protecting you from this while." Um,
00:06:19 --> 00:06:21 Nash testified that he told Ventur that
00:06:21 --> 00:06:23 if Combmes wanted to release the tapes,
00:06:23 --> 00:06:25 she should let him since he'd be on the
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 tapes, too. She said that he wasn't on
00:06:28 --> 00:06:31 the videos, that it was him taping her
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 with other guys. Nash testified that
00:06:33 --> 00:06:35 Ventur said she didn't want to have
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 smacks with the other men, but she did
00:06:37 --> 00:06:41 it because Puff wanted her to. Okay. It
00:06:41 --> 00:06:44 goes on to say, uh, Deontay Nash's boss,
00:06:44 --> 00:06:47 stylist Derek Ro, I'm sure. I think it's
00:06:48 --> 00:06:50 pronounced Ro, called him to say he had
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 given Nash's address to Diddy, who was
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 on his way there. Nash then dropped K
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 Cassie off on Sunset Boulevard so she
00:06:59 --> 00:07:03 could catch a cab. When Ro, Diddy, and
00:07:03 --> 00:07:05 his security guard arrived at Nash's
00:07:05 --> 00:07:07 house, Diddy searched the house, asking
00:07:07 --> 00:07:10 where Ventur was. He looked in the oven.
00:07:10 --> 00:07:13 I don't know why he looked in the oven.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:16 Combmes then took Nash's phone which
00:07:16 --> 00:07:19 show Ventur was calling him from a hotel
00:07:19 --> 00:07:21 nearby. Combmes then demanded that Nash
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 drive to the hotel while he followed so
00:07:24 --> 00:07:26 Nash could get Ventur to come out of the
00:07:26 --> 00:07:29 hotel. Nash knew the staff at the hotel
00:07:29 --> 00:07:31 so Combmes told him to sweet talk his
00:07:31 --> 00:07:34 way up to Ventur's room. Comb's security
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 guard and chief of staff Tony Fletcher
00:07:36 --> 00:07:39 went with Nash up to her room. Ventur
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 was frightened when they got there. When
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 they told her to go downstairs to
00:07:43 --> 00:07:46 Combmes waiting outside, Ventur said she
00:07:46 --> 00:07:49 was going to go over the balcony as she
00:07:49 --> 00:07:52 walked towards it. Nash testified that
00:07:52 --> 00:07:54 when he left the hotel, he noticed the
00:07:54 --> 00:07:56 car was following him and thought it was
00:07:56 --> 00:07:59 calm security. He said he turned off the
00:07:59 --> 00:08:01 lights and sped away until he lost them.
00:08:01 --> 00:08:03 And then he went into a different hotel
00:08:03 --> 00:08:06 to spend the night. I didn't think my
00:08:06 --> 00:08:08 home was safe to go to that night, he
00:08:08 --> 00:08:11 said. Nas said when he returned to the
00:08:11 --> 00:08:13 to his home the next morning, his
00:08:13 --> 00:08:16 backpack contained his ID, $1 in
00:08:16 --> 00:08:20 cash, and his iPad had been
00:08:20 --> 00:08:25 stolen. It goes on to say, uh, Nash also
00:08:25 --> 00:08:27 testified that Diddy was violent with
00:08:27 --> 00:08:29 him a few times. Nash recall rec
00:08:29 --> 00:08:32 recalled an occasion around
00:08:32 --> 00:08:35 2013 during a music video shoot for
00:08:35 --> 00:08:38 Ventur when Combmes attacked him while
00:08:38 --> 00:08:40 he was outside smoking a cigarette.
00:08:40 --> 00:08:42 Combmes grabbed Nash and threw him on a
00:08:42 --> 00:08:44 parked car saying to Nash, "I thought I
00:08:44 --> 00:08:47 told you about going out y'all wilding,"
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 Nash said. Nash testified that Combmes
00:08:50 --> 00:08:52 was referring to the occasion he
00:08:52 --> 00:08:54 testified about earlier when Combmes
00:08:54 --> 00:08:56 told Nash he couldn't go out because
00:08:56 --> 00:08:59 Ventur would want to go with
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 him. All right, guys. We almost done. Uh
00:09:02 --> 00:09:05 Deontay Nash, a celebrity stylist,
00:09:05 --> 00:09:08 testified he saw Diddy slap Ventur
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 across the face one time in 2015. Nash
00:09:11 --> 00:09:13 said that they were with a few other
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 people in a parking lot outside of the
00:09:15 --> 00:09:18 music studio when he heard a commotion.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:20 Nash said he looked over and saw Comb
00:09:20 --> 00:09:22 slap Ventur across the face and said,
00:09:22 --> 00:09:25 "Get this bee out of here." Nas said he
00:09:25 --> 00:09:27 took Ventur away and she was in tears.
00:09:27 --> 00:09:30 The stylist also testified that the that
00:09:30 --> 00:09:32 he facetimed with Ventur while she was
00:09:32 --> 00:09:35 getting ready for quote unquote the
00:09:35 --> 00:09:39 perfect match premiere in 2016. That was
00:09:39 --> 00:09:42 a movie. Nas said he noticed she had a
00:09:42 --> 00:09:45 black eye. Nas said he saw her in person
00:09:45 --> 00:09:47 at a premiier event and could see the
00:09:47 --> 00:09:49 black eye under the makeup. He said he
00:09:49 --> 00:09:51 also noticed Combmes grabbing at her
00:09:51 --> 00:09:54 side during the event. Nash also
00:09:54 --> 00:09:56 testified he observed bruises on
00:09:56 --> 00:09:59 Ventur's legs, arms, and neck quite
00:09:59 --> 00:10:02 often.
00:10:02 --> 00:10:04 Nash testimony so far has detailed the
00:10:04 --> 00:10:07 ways Diddy Combmes control that uh
00:10:07 --> 00:10:10 Ventur's life which the prosecution is
00:10:10 --> 00:10:12 using to prove the underlying
00:10:12 --> 00:10:14 racketeering conspiracy
00:10:14 --> 00:10:16 charge. CNN
00:10:16 --> 00:10:21 um Misty Maris said uh Nash testified to
00:10:21 --> 00:10:25 quote elements of control. He witnessed
00:10:25 --> 00:10:29 Maris said he testified that Cass's
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 entire persona, her wardrobe, her hair,
00:10:31 --> 00:10:33 that was all controlled by Combmes, but
00:10:33 --> 00:10:35 more so he actually heard Combmes say,
00:10:36 --> 00:10:38 "I'm going to beat you." That he had
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 heard Combmes say, "I'm not going to
00:10:39 --> 00:10:41 release your music." Then he heard
00:10:41 --> 00:10:44 Combmes say that he was actually going
00:10:44 --> 00:10:46 to get her parents fired, Maris said. So
00:10:46 --> 00:10:48 all of these things are threats that
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 speak not only to the underlying RICO
00:10:51 --> 00:10:53 charge, which by the way, looking back
00:10:53 --> 00:10:55 to the indictment, part of the
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 prosecution's narrative is that he
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 coerces women into romantic
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 relationships under the guise of dating,
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 but it's really for the purposes
00:11:03 --> 00:11:06 engagement of SMEX
00:11:06 --> 00:11:08 trafficking.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:12 So, oh, we got a little bit more.
00:11:13 --> 00:11:17 Um, Nash goes on to say he would help
00:11:17 --> 00:11:20 uh, Ventur hide from Combmes often in
00:11:20 --> 00:11:22 hotels. Combmes would then blow
00:11:22 --> 00:11:25 everyone's phone up, describing
00:11:25 --> 00:11:29 how how uh, Combmes chief of staff
00:11:29 --> 00:11:31 Christina Korm would also call them
00:11:31 --> 00:11:34 saying had saying Combmes had calmed
00:11:34 --> 00:11:36 down and they should be back to the they
00:11:36 --> 00:11:39 should come back to the house. Nash
00:11:39 --> 00:11:41 testified that he talked to Christina
00:11:41 --> 00:11:42 Cororm about the violence against
00:11:43 --> 00:11:45 Ventur. Quorm said she speak to Combmes
00:11:45 --> 00:11:49 about it. Nash said, "But the violence
00:11:49 --> 00:11:54 continued." Um he goes on to say he
00:11:54 --> 00:11:55 testified that Ventur would go to a
00:11:56 --> 00:11:58 hotel with Diddy about weekly. He said
00:11:58 --> 00:12:00 he often saw her packing a black duffel
00:12:00 --> 00:12:04 bag with Smeck's toys for those stays.
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 Nash testified that Ventur told she
00:12:06 --> 00:12:08 didn't want to go, but she did because
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 he wanted her to. Nash recounted the
00:12:10 --> 00:12:13 night that celebrated Ventur's 29th
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 birthday. Nash testified that Combmes
00:12:15 --> 00:12:18 and Ventur argued and did at dinner, and
00:12:18 --> 00:12:20 Combmes told her he did everything for
00:12:20 --> 00:12:23 her, but she couldn't do this one thing.
00:12:23 --> 00:12:25 Nash said Ventur told him that Combmes
00:12:25 --> 00:12:27 was mad because I don't want to go to
00:12:27 --> 00:12:30 the hotel and freak off with him. After
00:12:30 --> 00:12:31 going to a karaoke bar and then
00:12:32 --> 00:12:34 returning to Ventura's house, Combmes
00:12:34 --> 00:12:36 fronted confronted Ventura and later
00:12:36 --> 00:12:39 told the group she wouldn't she would be
00:12:39 --> 00:12:41 leaving with him. Ventura packed a bag
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 with personal items and money, telling
00:12:43 --> 00:12:45 Nash she didn't want to go, but she felt
00:12:45 --> 00:12:48 she had no choice. Nash testified that
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 both Ventura and Combmes appeared to be
00:12:50 --> 00:12:52 under the influence with Venturum
00:12:52 --> 00:12:55 seeming more affected.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:57 Um, Nas said he stopped working for
00:12:57 --> 00:13:00 Diddy in 2018, but they kept in touch,
00:13:00 --> 00:13:02 occasionally talking on the phone over
00:13:02 --> 00:13:06 text. He said he'd act loving towards
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 Com when they spoke despite everything
00:13:07 --> 00:13:10 he witnessed and personally he endured.
00:13:10 --> 00:13:13 He noted that he noted that he has not
00:13:13 --> 00:13:14 pursued legal action or made a money
00:13:14 --> 00:13:17 demand against Comb. Nas said he is
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 still close to Ventur and they speak
00:13:19 --> 00:13:21 pretty often. When asked how he feel
00:13:22 --> 00:13:24 about Combmes now, he said, "I don't
00:13:24 --> 00:13:26 hate him. I mean, I don't. It's just not
00:13:26 --> 00:13:30 in me." Nash testified that he never
00:13:30 --> 00:13:32 reported any of the violence he
00:13:32 --> 00:13:34 witnessed out of fear that Combmes would
00:13:34 --> 00:13:37 retaliate. All right, guys. So, that's
00:13:37 --> 00:13:39 part one, and we have the
00:13:39 --> 00:13:43 crossexamination on the next video.