JUST IN: Barack Obama Named In High-Profile

Pop star Usher and former President Barack Obama were mentioned in testimony during Sean “Diddy” Combs’ third-week sex trafficking and extortion trial. Combs, 55, pleads not guilty to charges including racketeering and sex trafficking. Witnesses include ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, her mother, former assistants, and artists like Kid Cudi and Dawn Richards. David James, a former assistant, testified Combs carried pill bottles, some with Obama-shaped ecstasy. Richards recalled a 2010 dinner where Combs allegedly punched Cassie in front of Usher, Jimmy Iovine, and Ne-Yo. Kid Cudi claimed a break-in and car fire followed Diddy learning of his contact with Cassie, though the jury was told to ignore his assertion of Diddy’s involvement. The trial centers on “freak off” parties involving coerced sex and drug use. Opening statements began May 12 after jury selection on March 5, ongoing in Manhattan federal court.