Former Assistant Testifies in Diddy’s Federal Trial, Reveals Drug Use and Why He and Not Hotel Staff Always Cleaned Up Rooms After Diddy

Sean "Diddy" Combs and Cassie Ventura at the 2018 Met Gala in Manhattan

NEW YORK — Sean "Diddy" Combs' former assistant took the stand Wednesday, May 21, offering new details about the rap mogul’s lavish lifestyle and alleged drug use during the ongoing federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial. The assistant, George Kaplan, testified in Manhattan federal court that preparing for Combs’ frequent travel was an intense and demanding task.

Kaplan described receiving calls from Combs or his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, often with just hours' notice, instructing him to arrange hotel accommodations in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Combs reportedly insisted on precise conditions for his hotel rooms, which Kaplan said he prepared under a strict checklist.

Among Combs' preferred hotels were The InterContinental in Los Angeles — the site where surveillance footage captured Combs allegedly assaulting singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura — and the Trump International Hotel & Tower in New York City. To avoid public attention, Combs used the alias “Frank Black,” a reference to “Frank White,” the nickname of late rapper Notorious B.I.G., one of the first artists signed to Combs' Bad Boy Records.

Kaplan told jurors he often unpacked a travel bag for Combs ahead of his arrival, which typically included clothing, a portable speaker, candles, alcohol, baby oil, and Astroglide. He testified that he personally purchased many of these items using a corporate credit card.

"As he grew to trust me a bit more, he had me around a bit more,” Kaplan said, adding that Combs would frequently contact him from hotel rooms to request food, clothing, and “sometimes drugs.”

“I did it,” Kaplan testified when asked if he fulfilled those requests. He also admitted that Combs maintained a toiletry bag stocked with Advil and ketamine and that he picked up drugs for him. When asked if he cleaned the hotel rooms, Kaplan said he did, noting the rooms were often littered with empty bottles of liquor, Gatorade, and baby oil.

When questioned about why he, rather than hotel housekeeping, cleaned the rooms, Kaplan replied, “It was implied — protecting him and protecting his public image were really important.”

Kaplan’s testimony is the latest in a series of witness accounts detailing Combs’ alleged behavior in the high-profile federal case. The music mogul is facing charges of racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. If convicted on all counts, Combs could face life in prison.