Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former personal assistant has testified that the music mogul brought three handguns to a Los Angeles diner in 2008 after learning that rival Suge Knight was present. David James, who worked for Diddy from May 2007 to May 2009, gave the evidence on Tuesday in a New York federal court during Diddy’s sex trafficking trial.
James recounted an incident in November 2008 at Mel’s Drive-in, a famous diner chain in Los Angeles. He and D-Roc, Diddy’s security guard, had gone to fetch cheeseburgers for their boss around 3 a.m. In the car park, D-Roc spotted Knight, then-CEO of Death Row Records, just three spaces away. D-Roc approached Knight and introduced himself as “Biggie’s boy,” referring to rapper Biggie Smalls. After they exchanged greetings, four SUVs suddenly pulled up, and James saw a man from Knight’s car pass a gun to the Death Row boss. “We have to go,” D-Roc told James.
The pair drove back to Diddy’s home, where they found Diddy and his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura arguing in the street. Diddy then ordered James to take his black Escalade and drive him and D-Roc back to the diner. When James turned around, he saw three handguns on Diddy’s lap. “Motherf***ing go,” Diddy said, according to James. After driving the 10 minutes back to Mel’s, the SUVs were gone. Diddy instructed James to drive around the block. “I was really shook up by [the incident],” James testified. “It was the first time in the job I realized my life was in danger.”
Under cross-examination, Diddy’s attorney Marc Agnifilo questioned the accuracy of James’ account, pointing to inconsistencies with previous interviews. When pressed about his role, James said he was “there to drive the car” and that refusing wasn’t an option: “Respectfully, sir, there was somebody with three guns in close proximity. I didn’t think that was an option.” Diddy, wearing a light blue sweater, frequently passed notes to his lawyers and watched intently.
