Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense claims false testimony and withheld evidence warrant a mistrial, as explosive accusations and courtroom drama continue to mount.
New York, June 8, 2025 — For the second time in just over a week, Sean “Diddy” Combs has requested a mistrial in his ongoing sex-trafficking and racketeering trial, alleging prosecutorial misconduct and false testimony. The latest motion, submitted by defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro to Judge Arun Subramanian, insists the government knowingly allowed a key witness to present materially false claims that could wrongly influence the jury.
“In this trial the government has presented testimony that it knew or should have known was materially false,” Shapiro wrote, pointing specifically to Bryana Bongolan’s account — the friend of singer Cassie Ventura — who alleged Combs dangled her off a 17th-story balcony in Los Angeles in 2016. According to the defense, Diddy was provably on the East Coast during the alleged incident.
The letter highlights discrepancies in Bongolan’s account, including her physical stature relative to Combs, and timeline conflicts. Shapiro asserts that federal prosecutors possessed hotel records showing Combs stayed at Trump Hotel in New York from September 24–29, 2016, directly contradicting Bongolan’s testimony about events in Los Angeles on September 26.
“The government knew or should have known this testimony was perjured,” Shapiro wrote, referencing exhibit GX7Y111, which includes Diddy’s hotel stay evidence. She also cited media coverage of Diddy’s Bad Boy reunion tour in Newark on September 25, with a linked article from a New Jersey outlet further confirming his East Coast presence.
The defense motion expands beyond Bongolan’s testimony, reiterating a previous mistrial request that was denied on May 28. That filing focused on destroyed fingerprint evidence related to Kid Cudi and alleged attempts by the prosecution to imply that Combs had corrupt ties to law enforcement. The defense argues that testimony from a fire inspector and subsequent witness Mia — Diddy’s ex-personal assistant — was meant to subtly suggest Combs influenced authorities in Los Angeles.
“This constitutes another instance of prosecutorial misconduct,” the letter concludes. “Accordingly, the Court should grant a mistrial.”
The defense has framed this case as a trial by implication, pointing to inconsistencies and suggestive questioning that go beyond the factual basis of the charges. Diddy’s team believes that the jury has been misled, particularly in relation to the location and timeline of key alleged events.
Since the trial began on May 12, the Manhattan courtroom has heard graphic and disturbing testimony. Witnesses, including Combs’ ex-girlfriends and former staff, described sexual violence, emotional abuse, drug-fueled orgies, cross-state narcotics transport, and even an arson attempt on Kid Cudi’s car. Testimony from “Jane” — another alleged victim — is expected to continue when the trial resumes on Monday, June 9.
Adding to the drama, Judge Subramanian reprimanded Combs earlier this week for attempting to interact with jurors — a move that nearly got him ejected from his own trial.
While the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment on the latest mistrial motion, legal experts suggest this development could further complicate the prosecution’s strategy, particularly if more inconsistencies are proven in witness testimonies.
The trial is scheduled to run daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET, with the prosecution likely to rest its case by early next week, handing over to the defense to begin presenting its counter-narrative.