On May 12, 2025, D.C. rapper Wale clarified a rumor concerning Diddy during his appearance on The Morning Hustle radio show. Wale addressed the alleged story about Diddy dangling him over a balcony by his ankles for making his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, work too hard in the studio.
Clarifying the same and dubbing the rumor "preposterous," a seemingly irritated Wale said:
"I never got in an altercation with that man. I never been in an altercation with nobody in the industry. I've had close calls, but not him. It was made up by somebody whose just trolling... It's preposterous man."
Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Wale has commented on the rumor concerning Sean "Diddy" Combs. In November 2023, the D.C. rapper's management told TMZ that the rumor originated with rapper-turned-YouTuber Ant Glizzy, and it is fake.
Wale's management had said:
"It’s a shame that a complete fabrication has gotten this far and that we have to dignify it with a response. It is a fantasy written by an outsider to exploit a viral story for clicks… the author must have watched 'The Five Heartbeats' on basic cable and got inspired."
The rapper's management added that Wale had never met Cassie Ventura, nor had he been involved in any kind of altercation with Sean Combs. Additionally, the management mentioned that Wale wished "peace for everyone involved in the settlement."
Testimonies in Diddy's trial begin with controversial statements from male escort
On May 12, 2025, a 41-year-old male escort, Daniel Phillip, was called to the witness stand in Diddy's trial, where Phillip detailed his s*xual encounters with the rapper and his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
As per Variety's report dated May 12, the male escort's testimony covered the encounters he had with the ex-couple between 2012 and 2014. Phillip mentioned that he was paid between $700 and $6,000 to get physical with Cassie Ventura multiple times, as Combs watched and pleasured himself.
In addition to describing the physical encounters, Daniel Phillip claimed to have witnessed the rapper assaulting Ventura. The male escort further stated that he wouldn't always get an er*ction, describing one of the instances when it happened. Phillip recalled that Ventura was using her computer for some personal work when Diddy ordered her to come to him in the bedroom.
As per the New York Post on May 12, the male escort claimed that since Ventura didn't come fast enough, the rapper threw a bottle at her, which flew past his former partner. Phillip then said that Diddy proceeded to grab Ventura by the hair and started dragging her into the bedroom, further adding:
“She (Cassie Ventura) was yelling, she was screaming. Mr. Combs pulled her into the bedroom, and I could hear him, could hear what sounded like him slapping her."
Phillip claimed that he could hear Ventura apologizing to Diddy. Subsequently, he questioned her about why she was indulging in a relationship with the rapper despite him physically assaulting her. The witness added:
"I tried to explain to her that she’s in real danger if she stays with him. She basically tried to convince me that, ‘It’s okay, I’m okay.’"
As per The Independent on May 13, in addition to Daniel Phillip, the first day of Sean Combs' trial also featured a testimony by another witness: Los Angeles police officer Israel Florez.
The LA-based police officer testified that the rapper attempted to bribe him into staying quiet after he reviewed the 2016 surveillance footage showing Sean Combs assaulting Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel.