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In Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial, Cassie Ventura's friend and fashion designer Bryana "Bana" Bongolan took the stand on Wednesday. According to a November 29, 2024, report by Rolling Stone, Bongolan had filed a 17-page lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of dangling her over the 17th-floor balcony of Ventura's apartment in September 2016.
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According to CNN, in her testimony on June 4, Bongolan reiterated her claims when Assistant Attorney Madison Smyser asked her about her altercation with Combs.
"I was held over a 17-story balcony," Bongolan testified.
She also claimed that the rapper then threw her onto furniture placed on the balcony, due to which she was injured, as per CNN.
"I had a bruise on the back of my leg and back and neck pain," Bongolan said.
The outlet reported that she further claimed that after the incident, she faced night terrors and paranoia. The fashion designer also shared in her testimony that Combs or someone else from his team reached out to her on a video call a couple of days after the incident.
What did Bryana Bongolan tell the court in her testimony in the Diddy trial?
On Wednesday, when the fashion designer took the stand, she made the same accusations she had mentioned in her lawsuit. As per CNN, Bryana Bongolan gave a detailed account of the balcony incident. She said that one night in September 2016, Bongolan was with her ex-girlfriend at Ventura's place in LA when Combs started banging on the door of the apartment early in the morning.
She said that she hid her then-girlfriend in the bathroom and went to the balcony with a marijuana cigarette to try and appear "casual," according to the outlet.
"I either lit the blunt or was about to light it. He basically came up behind me. He lifted me up and then had me on top of the rail," Bongolan testified.
As per The Washington Post, she recalled that after dangling her from the balcony, Diddy threw her onto the balcony furniture, which earned her several bruises.
According to Fox News, Bongolan also recalled a 2016 incident in her testimony when she went shopping with Ventura. She said that although they didn't inform Diddy about their plans, the rapper kept sending Ventura their whereabouts throughout the day.
In her testimony, as per CNN, Bongolan recounted another time when she saw Ventura, who had a black eye, on FaceTime as the singer prepared for The Perfect Match's premiere.
"I remember saying 'I'm sorry,'" the fashion designer testified.
As per The Washington Post, Bongolan told the jury that she and Ventura used to do drugs together, including marijuana, cocaine, and ketamine. She also claimed that they both tried to quit drugs but failed often.
As per CNN, Bongolan also shared an incident when Diddy threw a knife at Ventura while she was staying over at Ventura's apartment. She said that the music mogul came to the door and started banging on it. She said that by the time Ventura reached the main room, Combs was already inside.
"I just remember seeing a knife get thrown in her direction," Bongolan testified.
She also added that Cassie threw back the knife at Combs, which didn't hit him, as per the outlet.
As per Fox News, Bongolan told the court that the last time she met Combs and Ventrua together was on January 2, 2018, in a hotel in Miami. She recalled that they had consumed ketamine for eight hours, after which she decided to get sober.
More about Bryana Bongolan's lawsuit filed against Diddy
On November 29, 2024, Rolling Stone reported on a 17-page lawsuit filed by Bongolan against Diddy. The report stated that the fashion designer filed a case in Los Angeles and accused Combs of sexual battery, false imprisonment, and emotional distress, among other charges. She asked for $10 million in damages for the emotional distress she suffered.
As per a December 1, 2024, report by People, her lawsuit read:
"He grabbed her, turned her back to his chest, and molested her by groping her breasts as she yelled to be left alone."
The outlet reported that the lawsuit further stated that Combs then lifted and placed Bongolan, who is around 5 feet tall, on the banister of the 17-story balcony while repeatedly yelling, "Do you know what the f*ck you did?" after she began to struggle.
In her lawsuit, she also mentioned that she had witnessed the violent behavior of Diddy against her friend, Ventura, as per the Rolling Stone report.
Before wrapping up her direct testimony, Bryana Bongolan said that she was seeking $10 million in damages for her lawsuit as she was looking for justice for what happened to her. She further said that she didn't expect money for her testimony, as per CNN.
