Ex-Death Row Records boss Marion “Suge” Knight has words of advice for his longtime rival Sean “Diddy” Combs in regard to his sex trafficking and racketeering case – take the stand.
According to CNN, during a prison phone interview with Laura Coates, Knight said Combs needs to take the stand in order to humanize himself to the jury.
“I feel if he do tell his truth, he really would walk,” Knight said. “If Puffy goes up there and says, ‘Hey … I did all the drugs, I wasn’t in control of my life at the time, or myself’ – he can humanize his old self and the jury might give him a shot.”
“But if they keep him sitting down, it’s like he’s scared to face the music,” Knight added. “He should just have his faith in God, put up his pants and go up there and tell his truth.”
While there has no confirmation as to whether or not Combs will take the stand, some experts have said it could be risky because cross examination can be brutal.
Combs has plead not guilty to the charges but could face up to life in prison if convicted.
Benjamin Chew, who served as co-lead counsel for Johnny Depp during his defamation trial, shared with CNN earlier this week that defendants are generally advised against testifying. However, he noted that in Combs’ case, taking the stand could be advantageous, allowing him to defend himself and demonstrate remorse regarding the allegations raised by the prosecution.
Knight and Combs have been bitter rivals since the 1990’s and were heavily involved in the growing rivalry between rap stars on the West Coast and the East Coast which included Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace, also more commonly known as Notorious B.I.G.
Both Wallace and Shakur lost their lives in the rivalry. Knight was in the car with Shakur when he was shot and killed in Las Vegas in 1996. Wallace was gunned down a few months later.
Knight was found guilty of manslaughter in 2018 and was sentenced to 28 years in prison after a man was killed after allegedly being hit by Knight’s truck during the production of the movie “Straight Outta Compton.”
