Diddy’s team reportedly files for a mistrial claiming Cassie’s friend Bryana Bongolan gave false testimony

Sean "Diddy" Combs' lawyers are stepping up their fight, asking for a second mistrial in under two weeks. They sent a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian on June 7, stating that prosecutors had misbehaved and allowed false testimony about a major event involving Bryana Bongolan, a close friend of singer Cassie Ventura.

The main issue in this request is that prosecutors allowed false information to be presented in court while knowing it wasn't true. Diddy's team asserts that Cassie's story about witnessing Diddy hold Bongolan over a 17-story balcony in 2016 is incorrect. To support this claim, they provided text messages Cassie sent to Diddy's employee, Kristina Khorram. These messages suggest that Cassie learned about the incident after it occurred, which contradicts her assertion of having witnessed it herself.

The defense has also challenged the reliability of photos submitted by prosecutors as evidence of Bongolan’s alleged injuries. These pictures, said to be taken after the balcony event, have a date stamp of September 26, 2016.

The American rapper's lawyers claim that travel documents show he was in New York when this happened and nowhere near where the alleged attack took place in Los Angeles. They argue that this contradiction raises questions about the accuracy of both the timeline and the narrative presented by the prosecution.

The defense said in the letter, which PEOPLE obtained, that:

“The government has presented testimony that it knew or should have known was materially false related to its allegation that Mr. Combs dangled Bryana Bongolan from the balcony of Cassie Ventura’s apartment in September 2016.”

“Accordingly, to avoid an unfair conviction in this case the Court should grant a mistrial,” the defense team added.

Prosecutors haven't answered the new request for a mistrial, and the court still needs to make a decision. This situation shows increasing friction about the evidence base for the trial.

Diddy’s second mistrial request could alter the course of the high-profile trial

The charges against Diddy include claims of sex trafficking and physical abuse over many years. This is not the first time Diddy’s legal team has raised concerns about the prosecution’s conduct. In late May, they asked for an earlier mistrial. This happened after a fire expert talked about destroyed fingerprint evidence tied to the burning of Kid Cudi's car, a separate but related claim. The defense said this testimony hinted that the music mogul might have pushed law enforcement to get rid of evidence. They argued this idea was unfair.

Judge Subramanian said no to that request. He decided the questions were okay and didn't hurt the defense too much.

Now, with the second mistrial motion hinging on a potentially pivotal piece of testimony and its associated timeline, the outcome could significantly influence the trajectory of the case. The defense maintains that the credibility of key witnesses has been compromised and that continuing the trial without addressing these concerns would lead to an unjust result.

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As the court reviews the motion, legal observers are watching closely. The case has drawn widespread media attention. The judge’s decision on whether to grant a mistrial remains pending.

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