Warning: This article contains allegations of sexual harassment and domestic violence which some readers may find distressing
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' former assistant has testified in court why the music mogul used the alias 'Frank Black'.
George Kaplan, who worked for Combs between 2013 and 2015, took to the stand on Wednesday (May 21) to describe his '80 to 100-hour' work weeks.
Kaplan testified that he was promoted from an executive assistant to Combs' personal executive assistant in 2014, as the job would involve regular contact with the producer.
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He told the court that he would communicate with the Bad Boy Records founder on a daily basis, in the form of phone calls, text messages and emails.
The assistant claimed he was tasked with prepping hotel rooms for Combs' 'freak offs', stocking them with lubricant, baby oil and candles.
Kaplan testified that he would often clean up after the freak offs, after the prosecution's key witness Cassie Ventura told the court would last up to four days.
Cassie, Diddy's on and off ex-girlfriend, testified that Kaplan quit Combs Enterprise after he witnessed him abuse her.
Kaplan claimed he had to clean up after Diddy's freak offs and try and make them as discreet as possible to 'protect [Combs'] public image' - and that meant using the 'Frank Black' alias.
"I was keen on doing that," Kaplan testified. "I found hotels would sell photos to newspapers to shame guests."
'Frank Black' was a nod to the late rapper Notorious B.I.G., aka Biggie Smalls, whose nickname was 'Frank White'.
Biggie reportedly used the nickname as a reference to Christopher Walken's drug lord character of the same name in 1990's King of New York.
Diddy discovered Biggie in the early 1990s when he was working at Uptown Records, later signing him to Bad Boy Records in 1993.
Biggie's debut record Ready to Die is considered to be one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.
At the age of 24, sadly, he was murdered in a drive-by shooting in 1997.
Years after the tragic death, Diddy went on to sign Cassie to the label. She testified that Combs controlled every aspect of her life, abused her, and treated her like a 'sex worker'.
Prosecutors said in the 14-page indictment that Combs used his 'influence' in the music world to 'create a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice'.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to all five charges, which includes sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering.
During a raid at Combs' estate on Star Island, Special Agent Gerard Gannon testified that federal agents uncovered high-powered firearms, drugs and baby oil.
Gannon also testified that they came across a Gucci bag in the closet which contained a number of different pills, white powder and a 'crystal rock-like substance'.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Alternatively, if you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Anish Vij