Judge threatens to remove Combs, defense accuses witness of lying

Court artist Jane Rosenberg, who has had her eyes and binoculars on Combs for more than a month, tells NBC News that Combs has been making facial expressions at jurors since the start of the trial.

Combs has been attempting to interact with various members of the jury, both affirmatively and negatively depending on the testimony, Rosenberg said. Several NBC reporters and producers have witnessed the same.

Judge Subramanian threatened to kick Combs out of court for allegedly flashing facial expressions at jurors.

Combs was nodding and looking at the panel during recent testimony which is “absolutely unacceptable,” Subramanian admonished.

Subramanian asked defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo if this would happen again.

“No your honor, it’s not going to happen again,” Agnifilo replied.

An animated Subramanian made admonished the defense, saying, “This cannot happen again.”

Cassie Ventura’s friend finished her testimony in the wake of Combs’ side accusing the witness of lying.

The defense implied in questions that Bongolan couldn’t have been dangled over an L.A. balcony in 2016 because Combs was in New York City at that time.

Combs’ lawyer also accused Bongolan of suing Combs because it was her opportunity to become a millionaire. But Bongolan held firm on the stand, saying she was telling the truth: “I care about justice.”

Bongolan left the witness stand and Judge Subramanian declared the court to be in recess until at least 1:30 p.m. ET.

Bongolan said she has “no doubt” that Combs dangled her over a balcony edge and said she wanted to testify “to seek justice.”

She said that although she does not remember every single detail, there are moments she will never forget.

“I will never forget him holding me on that balcony,” she said, telling the court that she was “terrified.”

The defense insisted Combs was in New York City on the day that Bongolan claimed she was dangled over a balcony in Los Angeles.

Combs’ attorney, Westmoreland, showed a hotel receipt that appeared to show her client was at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Manhattan between Sept. 24 and Sept. 29 in 2016.

Bongolan claimed she suffered injuries when Combs dangled her over the balcony of Ventura’s L.A. apartment on or around Sept. 26.

And in a dramatic showdown, Westmoreland said: “You came in here and lied to the jury, isn’t that true?”

Bongolan replied: “I can’t agree with you.”

Bongolan testified that she continued to hang around Combs after he dangled her over a balcony edge because she was “trying to be cool” with him.

Bongolan testified she returned to Cassie Ventura’s apartment within two weeks of Combs allegedly dangling over a balcony edge.

Ventura invited Bongolan back to her place for an overnight stay of drinking, smoking and cooking, a text message chain showed.

Bongolan admitted she said yes and returned to the scene of Combs’ alleged assault on her.

The defense’s cross-examination seems to either dispute or minimize the alleged dangling incident by showing Bongolan did not appear worried about returning to that locale.

Combs’ defense returned to a common refrain of cross-examination, reminding witnesses they kept socializing with him even after claiming they’d been victimized by the music mogul.

Bongolan admitted to defense lawyer Westmoreland that she shared a blunt with Combs following the alleged balcony incident.

But Bongolan insisted she was trying to maintain some distance with Combs.

Bongolan was asked about a lawsuit her attorneys filed claiming she was sexually assaulted by Combs.

She said she was aware of the claim. When asked if she thought the only way to file a lawsuit was to say Combs had sexually assaulted her, Bongolan said: “I don’t recall.”

Bryana Bongolan said some of the allegations made by her lawyer, Tyrone Blackburn, against Combs were incorrect, including a claim that he grabbed her breast so hard he left bruises.

Bongolan said she did not remember all the claims made by Blackburn, but told defense lawyer Nicole Westmoreland that some of them were “incorrect.”

Combs’ lawyers continued the same strategy as yesterday, calling into question Bongolan’s memories of the alleged 2016 dangling incident.

When defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland pointed out that she had previously said Cassie Ventura witnessed the incident, Bongolan responded with, “I don’t recall.”

Bongolan also said she suffered from nightmares from the incident, even as recently as a few days ago.

Bryana Bongolan testified that she continued to do drugs and associate with Cassie Ventura even after when she says she was threatened by Combs.

When asked if she was scared, Bongolan responded: “I guess not.”

Jurors entered the court and witness Bryana Bongolan returend to the stand for continued cross-examination by defense lawyer Nicole Westmoreland.

With the late start this morning, U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian reminded jurors that the lunch break would come later than usual and will be shorter.

Combs closely watched the jury in court yesterday when they first took their seats and was attentive during testimony. Much of yesterday was spent looking at security footage and cellphone videos, and he peered at the monitor before him.

Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Cassie Ventura, will return to the witness stand today for more cross-examination.

Afterward, a Combs accuser who will go by the pseudonym “Jane” is expected to begin multiple days of testimony. Jane, who was identified as “Victim-2” in the prosecution’s indictment, was allegedly engaged in commercial sex acts “as a result of force, fraud or coercion.”

Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Combs’ former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, testified yesterday about an alleged terrifying moment involving the music mogul in September 2016.

Bongolan said she was sleeping on the couch at Ventura’s 17th-floor Los Angeles apartment when Combs banged on the door. She testified that she went out to the balcony to smoke marijuana, and Combs, who had gotten inside, “came behind me and lifted me up and had me on top of the rail.” Combs allegedly held her for about 10 to 15 seconds, she said, and “for a second, I thought I was going to fall.”

She said that Combs was yelling at her at the time and that she didn’t know why.

In another part of her testimony, Bongolan said, Combs allegedly told her something along the lines of, “I am the devil and I can kill you.” She testified that Combs had taken cocaine at the time he made the comments.