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The security guard who gave Sean "Diddy" Combs the footage of him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie in 2016 testified that the mogul paid $100,000 for the video.
Eddy Garcia, who worked as a security supervisor at the InterContinental in Century City, Los Angeles, took the witness stand on Tuesday, June 3. During his testimony, Garcia told the jury how he and his colleagues received the alleged massive paycheck after they provided the footage. He said he got a phone call from Diddy's associate Kristina Khorram, who requested the video on behalf of Combs. Garcia told her to ask for management or file a subpoena.
Garcia didn't give up the video right away, but he did tell Khorram, "It's bad." He recalled another phone call from Khorram, who had Combs on the line with her. Combs sounded nervous and stuttered as he told Garcia that he was intoxicated in the video. In another call to his personal phone, Combs told Garcia, "That something like this could ruin him. He wanted the video. He said if it got out it would ruin his career." That's when Combs offered to "take care" of him by giving him money for the video.
Garcia said he reached out to his supervisor, Bill Medrano, after Combs made the offer. Medrano advised him to go back to Combs' team and tell them they could buy the footage for $50,000. Combs agreed, called Garcia his "angel," and arranged a meeting in West L.A. Garcia took the footage to the meeting. After he made sure it was the only video, Combs had Garcia sign a non-disclosure agreement and gave him $100,000. Garcia said he took $30,000 for himself, gave $50,000 to Medrano, and the rest to another security officer.
Combs wasn't charged for his violent attack on Cassie, however, the video was mentioned in the indictment when he was originally arrested last September. The Bad Boy Records founder is facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face life in prison.