The testimony just took a sharp turn as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former personal assistant, George Kaplan, dropped some major bombshells on the witness stand.
In a gripping courtroom appearance in New York on Wednesday, George Kaplan detailed exactly what it was like working under the hip-hop mogul, and it sounds like it was anything but normal.
Kaplan, who spent two years working at Combs Enterprises and about 15 months directly as one of Diddy’s personal assistants, testified that his job extended far beyond scheduling meetings or grabbing coffee. He was regularly ordered to clean up hotel rooms after Diddy’s stays, a task he said was all about protecting the rapper from potential scandals. “I tidied them. I made it as close as I could to the way it was found when he came in,” Kaplan told the court.
He said that Diddy would have “guests” in his suites, typically a “female partner,” and once the visit was over, the rooms were a mess. Kaplan described finding “lots of empty bottles” and baby oil “on the table, on the floor, on the bed.” On one occasion, he even noticed a crystallized powder left on the bathroom sink. Yet despite the hotel staff being an obvious option, Kaplan insisted he always handled it himself. When asked why, he explained, “I think that it was implied in the role as you continued to work closely with Mr. Combs that you protected him.”
Kaplan said he understood how hotel staff could leak footage or images to the media and wanted to avoid that at all costs. It wasn’t just about room service, it was about managing a celebrity image that could be easily shattered by a leaked video or photo. This wasn’t paranoia; it was standard practice, he implied.
But the testimony didn’t stop at hotel cleanups. Kaplan went further, claiming that Diddy asked him to procure drugs, specifically MDMA, on at least two separate occasions. One time, in Miami, Kaplan said the rapper gave him cash and a phone number. “He gave me a number to call and some cash to pick up what he wanted. The guy came, and I paid him for drugs,” Kaplan said bluntly. He testified that it was MDMA he delivered to Combs.
Another incident took place at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles. Kaplan recalled a nearly identical exchange: “Call this number, meet this person, bring this back to me.” Kaplan said he met the man in Hollywood, handed over the money, got a bag, which he claimed not to inspect, and delivered it to Diddy.
Kaplan was only able to speak so openly after being granted immunity from prosecution. Prior to taking the stand, he reportedly planned to invoke his Fifth Amendment right to avoid incriminating himself. With immunity, he spilled everything. He also shared how he was routinely threatened with being fired, monthly, in fact, and that despite working grueling 80- to 100-hour weeks, he was paid $125,000 a year.
More testimony from Kaplan is expected to continue Thursday, and if that’s not enough drama, rapper Kid Cudi is scheduled to testify next. The court is bracing for what could be more revelations involving the inner circle of one of the most powerful figures in hip-hop.
Meanwhile, Sean “Diddy” Combs has pleaded not guilty to a long list of serious charges, including racketeering, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. The testimony from Kaplan is just one piece of a much larger case that’s drawing intense media scrutiny and public attention.
As Kaplan paints a picture of a chaotic and highly secretive environment behind the scenes, the big question now is whether more of Diddy’s former inner circle will come forward, and what they’ll have to say.
