Testimony resumed Friday in the sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs after the Juneteenth holiday, with the music mogul’s alleged “drug mule” Brendan Paul taking the stand.
The former Syracuse University basketball player testified on June 20, about working for Combs as a personal assistant.
Paul told the court he was hired in 2022 after graduating from college and said he worked for the mogul until March 25, 2024, the day he was arrested for cocaine possession at a Miami airport, according to reporting by USA Today.
Elie Maroun, one of the mogul’s previous assistants, told Paul about the job opening with Combs.
“[Maroun] told me to get in, to get out, if you have a girlfriend break up with her, and you’re never going to see your family,” Paul testified.
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Paul thought the position would help him make contacts for a career in the music industry. He said his starting salary was $75,000 a year, with his pay later climbing to $100,000. On average, he worked between 80 and 100 hours a week.
When asked by a prosecutor how he would stay awake while working long hours, Paul answered, “Prescription Adderall and sometimes cocaine.”
Job Duties
He said his job was “to make sure Mr. Combs was always happy. [Combs] would say, ‘I don’t take no for an answer.’ He told us to move like Seal Team 6.”
Paul testified that he sometimes arranged and cleaned up after “freak offs” or “hotel nights” sex parties.
The former assistant said he saw Combs use several different drugs, including cocaine, ketamine, ecstasy, and marijuana.
Music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones described Paul as Diddy’s “drug mule” in a civil lawsuit he filed against the mogul in February 2024. The lawsuit alleged Paul “acquires, and distributes, Mr. Combs’ drugs, and guns.”
Paul testified under an immunity deal with the government. He told jurors his job responsibilities included obtaining drugs for Combs.
Drug Deals
Paul said he bought marijuana every two months at a cost of $4,200 for 16 oz. He told jurors he purchased the marijuana from Phillip Pines, one of Combs’ previous assistants, who appeared in Investigation Discovery’s Fall of Diddy docuseries.
Paul testified that he bought other drugs for Combs five to 10 times. He said he would text dealers, set up buys, and they would deliver drugs to the mogul’s home.
He confirmed one of those drugs was tusi or pink cocaine. Paul said Combs wanted him to try it out, which he did “to prove my loyalty.”
Paul said he picked up cash from Diddy’s security guards, and handed the money over to drug dealers with street names including One Stop, Guido and Babygirl. Prosecutors read text mmessages he exchanged with the drug dealers.
There was also a text Combs sent Paul in 2024 saying: “You get me zans,” referring to Xanax. Paul testified he would pick up prescription drugs for Combs at pharmacies under the mogul’s real name or his alias “Frank Black.”
The ex-assistant said he was on his way to the Bahamas with Combs and the mogul’s chief of staff, Kristina “KK” Khorram, on a private jet when Paul was arrested by local police at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. That same day, federal agents raided Diddy’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami.
The cocaine belonged to Combs, the former assistant testified. “I was sweeping his room and put it in my bag and forgot it while I was packing,” he said.
A prosecutor asked Paul why he didn’t tell police the drugs belonged to his boss. Paul said he remained silent out of “loyalty.”
Denies Being “Mule”
Asked by defense attorney Brian Steel if he knew the definition of a “drug mule,” Paul said: “Someone who traffics kilos and kilos across the world.”
“You were not some drug mule, am I right?” Steel asked.
“Absolutely not,” Paul responded, adding that he moved small amounts of drugs for “personal use.”
“You would not work for a criminal, would you?” Steel asked.
“Absolutely not,” Paul responded.
Last year Paul struck a deal with local prosecutors in Miami and his case was dismissed after he attended a drug diversion program.
On Friday, he testified that the case was dropped “because I have a really good lawyer.”
The prosecution is expected to rest on Monday. The defense says it will take about two days to present its case.
Combs is charged with five felony counts, including sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. The music mogul faces up to life in prison if convicted.
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