A former reality TV personality, named by Cassie Ventura as one of the escorts she was allegedly directed to partake in a ‘freak off’ with by her former partner, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, insists he is the victim of a mistaken identity.
Vin Armani told Daily Mail he has never had any sexual contact with the singer or the disgraced Bad Boy mogul.
He expressed confusion as to why his photograph was presented alongside images of other male escorts by federal prosecutors when they showed them to Ventura in court last week.
Armani, who has relocated from the United States and now thrives as a tech entrepreneur in Saipan, Guam, asserts that federal prosecutors never notified him that his name and image would be used during Combs’s criminal proceedings in Manhattan.
‘This has sucked for me that my name has been brought into this because, as I said, I have absolutely no information — nor have I ever witnessed — regarding anything even approximating an unethical behavior, never mind criminal behavior, from Diddy or Cassie,’ Armani exclusively told Daily Mail.
Vin Armani told DailyMail.com that federal authorities had not reached out to him concerning the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs criminal trial. He claimed reports that he was involved in a ‘freak off’ with the disgraced Bad Boy mogul and former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, were false
During the trial, Ventura detailed the abuse she allegedly endured under Diddy, who allegedly beat her and made her have sex with male escorts for his kinky pleasure
‘I have never once been contacted by any lawyer or authority associated with this case, even though, clearly, it’s not hard to contact me. Clearly, there are lots of problems with what is being said on the stand and shown by the prosecution.’
He also wrote a book titled the Tao of the Gigolo that was released in 2011. Since leaving the entertainment world, however, Armani has become involved in crypto currency, tech development and authored other books on philosophy.
The former escort admits he ‘hung out with literally hundreds of celebrities on a regular basis,’ but maintains he never was involved with Diddy or Ventura.
An emotional Ventura broke down during her testimony last week and claimed Combs would direct her to have unprotected sex with male escorts during their 10-year relationship.
The singer said it was ‘humiliating’ and ‘disgusting’ that she was allegedly forced to take part in the freak offs.
Cassie, who is about to give birth, cried on the stand last week as she testified about the abuse she allegedly endured on-an-off during her 10-year relationship with Combs. She also identified male escorts who allegedly were paid by Combs, including Vin Armani
‘I never wanted anyone to ever see me like that,’ she said on the stand last week. ‘It was not OK for me and I felt the idea of it, being tossed around like I was nothing … objectifying me and putting me in these really compromising, gross positions with strangers.’
Ventura was shown pictures of several male escorts and identified Armani as one of the men she had sex with in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Armani denies these claims.
‘I have never had an interaction with Diddy and/or Cassie that included — or where I witnessed — violence, illegal drugs, contracting for sexual services/acts (prostitution), or the transportation of any person from anywhere to anywhere whatsoever,’ he said.
Armani, who is a tech entrepreneur, has moved on from the entertainment world after filming the Showtime reality TV series Gigolos for six years
‘So, just as with the hundreds of interactions I have had with celebrities, and the thousands of interactions I have had with other people in my life, I have no knowledge of any interaction that would be pertinent in any way to a criminal case of any kind. Had any attorney or authority ever contacted me, this fact would have been plain for them to see.’
DailyMail.com has reached out to officials with the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, who declined to comment on Armani’s claims that he was never contacted by investigators, and that he never had any sexual interactions with Combs or Ventura.
Armani said he has received even more scrutiny after other media outlets mistakenly ran his picture and identified him as ‘Jules’, another the male escort who was allegedly with Ventura and Combs at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Calif. in March 2016.
Ventura testified she was participating in a freak off with Jules and Combs when her ex suddenly slapped her in the face, causing her to have a black eye.
The 2016 incident has been a major focus of Combs’ criminal case as prosecutors played for jurors the extended surveillance video footage of the rapper kicking Ventura and dragging her by her hair as she tried to leave the hotel.
Armani said he has never used the name ‘Jules’ and he was not in California the day of the March 2016 incident.
Ventura claimed she was in the middle of a freak off session with ‘Jules’ (pictures above) and Diddy at the InterContinental Hotel before the rapper suddenly hit her and gave her a black eye in March 2016
‘I lived in Vegas during that period and I was in New York the entire weekend in question,’ Armani told DailyMail.com. ‘I have the records of my plane tickets and even receipts from purchase of in-flight WiFi.
‘Clearly, there are lots of problems with what is being said on the stand and shown by the prosecution. Again, I have proof that I could not possibly have been in Los Angeles on the day this Jules person — someone who is absolutely and categorically not me — supposedly was.
‘Had any lawyer or authority ever contacted me, it would have been immediately obvious to them that any claim that I was present at the incident in question is completely false.’
Armani said he has moved on from his life in Las Vegas and entertainment. He moved out of mainland US a few years ago, has authored a few books and is focusing on bringing new technology to Saipan, where he now lives.
Armani is often seen in the community volunteering his time and is the board president of the Trade Council of the Marianas, which has a goal to bring educational opportunities, businesses and global technology to the islands.
Vin Armani said having his name dragged in Diddy’s trial has caused him and his community in Saipan unnecessary stress and attention. He is pictured here with Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds and other prominent community members who recently visited the Saipan District Office
A frustrated Armani said being mentioned as part of Combs’ criminal case has caused damage not only to his name but his community.
‘I live in Saipan, a US commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, which now shows up in any Google search of my name, and where this TMZ bulls–t and the lack of professionalism or competence from the prosecution has damaged my reputation in our small, conservative community,’ he said.
TMZ named and pictured Saipan in their reporting of the trial, but have since made a correction on being informed that Saipan denies any connection to Diddy or his freak offs.
Diddy, 55, faces life in prison if convicted of all charges, which include racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He has plead not guilty to all charges. His trial will resume on May 27.
