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(NewsNation) — After a two-day pause, the criminal trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs resumed Friday with the testimony of the rapper’s alleged “drug mule” as the government gets closer to resting its case.

The court was adjourned Wednesday after a juror suffered a bout of vertigo. Without the juror, the trial could not proceed. The court was closed the following day in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. 

The government brought Combs’ former assistant and alleged “drug mule,” Brendan Paul, to the stand Friday as one of its last witnesses. 

Paul graduated from college in 2022. He was Combs’ assistant from late 2022 to March 25, 2024. At the time he was hired, the rapper had five assistants, and during Paul’s tenure, it dropped to three, then two. His starting salary was $75,000, and he eventually earned $100,000 after receiving a raise.

He said he was always on call but worked roughly 80 to 100 hours per week, four to six days a week. The then-assistant lived in Miami and Los Angeles.

Ex-Diddy assistant testifies to packing ‘joints’ for music mogul

One of his responsibilities as the hip-hop mogul’s assistant was to pack “joints” for Combs.

Additionally, he would focus on food and fitness planning for Combs.

The former Combs assistant testified he was arrested in Miami for cocaine possession. He had it in a bag that he used to store items for his then-boss.

While working for Combs, Paul said the mission of his job was to keep the entertainment entrepreneur happy.

Paul said that Combs “wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

He said that sometimes he was unable to sleep, and the longest he had stayed awake was for three days. Paul noted that he was young, so it was not too much of a struggle; however, he used prescription Adderall and the “rare, rare use” of cocaine.

Paul said Combs fired him a few times. He recalled one particular incident around October or November 2022, when he forgot Combs’s Lululemon fanny pack. Combs was upset and instructed the assistant to call his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, to inform her that he had been fired. Khorram told Paul to keep a low profile, and she would resolve things on his behalf.

Ex-Diddy assistant testifies he was not rapper’s ‘drug mule’

Paul was questioned during cross-examination if he was Combs’ “drug mule,” to which he responded, “Absolutely not!” He added that a drug mule “traffics kilos and kilos of drugs.”

The ex-assistant continued to work for Combs. He said he would purchase drugs such as marijuana, ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and tuci [pink cocaine] for his then-employer. He said he would buy the drugs from a dealer known as “Babygirl,” and when she asked who the drugs were for, he would say Combs, but if anyone asked, they were for him since the rapper was a celebrity. The drugs were usually kept in a Gucci bag carried by Combs or in a bag carried by an assistant.

He would pay for Combs’ alleged drugs in cash provided by the entertainer’s security.

Ex-Diddy assistant testifies he set up for ‘wild king nights’

Paul said on the stand he was tasked with setting up for “wild king nights,” another term for drug-fueled sex parties where Combs instructed former romantic partners to allegedly engage in sex with male sex workers as he instructed them.

The former assistant said he would bring liquor, baby oil, lights and the lubricant Astroglide for the “wild king nights.” He would also clean up afterwards. He noted he wore gloves for sanitary reasons.”

Paul was arrested for cocaine, to which he said he did not tell the police it was Combs out of loyalty to his then-boss. He claimed the charges were dropped in thanks to having a “really good lawyer.”

He said he bought drugs for Combs about five to 10 times.

When asked how he feels about Combs presently, he said, “It’s complicated.”

A former Syracuse University basketball player, Paul worked for Combs for several years and was named in civil suits against his former boss.

Paul has been referred to in previous suits as Combs’ “mule” and was accused of procuring, transporting and distributing ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana and mushrooms by packing the substances in his carry-on luggage and going through TSA.

He briefly appeared in court earlier this week to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. He was given an immunity order, which will insulate him from prosecution as long as he is truthful on the stand. 

It is unclear if prosecutors will call more witnesses. 

The prosecution will enter the final lap Friday in its six-week case against Combs. They had previously said they would rest their case Friday, but with the pause, they may stretch into Monday.

The rapper’s defense team said their case would take between two and five trial days, a significantly lower estimate than the multiweek presentation they had previously anticipated. 

The estimated timeline makes it almost certain that Combs will not take the stand given the length of the testimonies of his two ex-partners. Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and another accuser under the pseudonym “Jane” took at least two weeks to testify.

Court ended Tuesday with the testimony of a federal agent who spoke to evidence, including hotel receipts and text messages detailing “Freak Offs” allegedly conducted by Combs. U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Agent DeLeassa Penland constructed a timeline of some of the sexual events allegedly orchestrated by Combs. 

Jurors were also shown three video clips of the rapper’s “Freak-Off” sex parties.

They were part of a larger argument that Combs and his chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, were involved in organizing these parties.