Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial day 9: Ventura spars with defense lawyers during final day of testimony

Cassie Ventura concluded four days of usually painful and intimate testimony on Friday, as she sparred with attorneys for her former boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs, over the consistency of her testimony and the hurt she allegedly endured by the hands of the rap mogul.

Ventura’s testimony, coming proper firstly of the much-anticipated Combs prison trial, appeared to put a basis for the prosecution’s racketeering and sex-trafficking case towards Combs. They allege Combs subjected Ventura to common violence and blackmail threats to maintain her in line so she would fulfill his sexual needs by arranging days-long intercourse events referred to as “freak offs” and “wild king nights.”

Combs has pleaded not responsible to fees of intercourse trafficking, transportation to interact in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy, and his legal professionals, by means of two days of cross-examination, tried to reframe Ventura as a prepared intercourse associate who loved a swinger’s way of life and contributed to an admittedly poisonous relationship. His legal professionals have acknowledged that Combs was violent with Ventura however argued his actions don’t quantity to intercourse trafficking or racketeering, as federal prosecutors have alleged. In addition they highlighted episodes when Ventura was violent towards Combs as a way to show their level that the ugliness that marked their relationship went each methods.

Ventura largely maintained her composure throughout two days of protection questioning, whilst attorneys confronted her with textual content messages and emails replete with graphic sexual particulars, and a few jurors appeared to lose focus through the at-times meandering and disjointed cross-examination. When his lawyer Anna Estevao concluded the cross-examination, Combs embraced Estevao in court docket and appeared to thank her for the extraordinary questioning.

When questioned by prosecutors one ultimate time on Friday, Ventura broke down in response to questioning about how she suffered following the allegedly common beatings from Combs, telling jurors that she felt “nugatory, identical to grime, that I did not matter to him, like I used to be nothing.” Ventura informed the jury she would return the $20 million civil settlement she acquired from Combs in 2023 if it meant she by no means needed to take part in a freak off.

“I might give that cash again if I by no means needed to do freak offs. I’d have company and autonomy,” she mentioned by means of tears. “I would not have needed to work so arduous to get it again.”

Protection legal professionals try to recast moments of violence on the heart of Ventura’s testimony

Protection attorneys targeted on two central moments described by Ventura throughout her direct examination: a 2016 assault at a Los Angeles lodge and an alleged rape close to the top of their relationship. Throughout cross-examination, Combs’ legal professionals tried to make use of these episodes to solid doubt on Ventura’s credibility.

Requested concerning the 2016 lodge assault, Ventura mentioned she believed Combs was intoxicated through the encounter. On Thursday, throughout Ventura’s third day of testimony, protection attorneys tried to counsel the medicine he was taking on the time contributed to his violence.

“While you get f—— up the mistaken method you all the time need to present me you’ve the facility and knock me round. I am not a rag doll. I am somebody’s baby,” Ventura wrote in a textual content message after the incident that was entered into proof Friday.

Protection lawyer Anna Estevao additionally probed Ventura about her recollection of how her relationship with Combs ended. The once-up-and-coming singer testified earlier within the week that Combs raped her after a dinner she mentioned they deliberate as their relationship was coming to an in depth.

“You do not say something to the impact of, ‘the final time we noticed one another you raped me,'” Estevao mentioned of Ventura’s messages with Combs on the time.

Earlier, the protection confirmed Ventura transcripts of her interviews with regulation enforcement brokers, stating that she informed them the night time of the alleged rape Combs was appearing “good however unusually.” The protection additionally identified how Ventura puzzled whether or not the alleged assault occurred due to Combs’s bipolar dysfunction, the primary time such a prognosis was talked about at trial. Combs has beforehand mentioned he isn’t bipolar however has temper swings.

Protection legal professionals deal with Ventura’s alleged infidelity

Throughout cross-examination, the protection launched scores of textual content messages that contained a mixture of affection, sexually-charged banter, home negotiation, bickering and jealousy. Jealousy first emerged as a central tenet through the protection’s opening statements, when Combs’ legal professionals informed the jury the case towards their shopper is about “love, jealousy, infidelity and cash.”

Ventura recounted how Combs would develop jealous if he suspected she was seeing one other man, and on a number of events, took her cellphone from her to be taught concerning the suspected infidelity.

“Mr. Combs was insanely jealous?” protection lawyer Anna Estevao requested. “He was upset with you when he suspected you of dishonest?”

Ventura responded, “After I was with anybody else. I do not know if I’d name it dishonest.”

Estevao mentioned, “You understood he thought it dishonest?”

Ventura responded, “That is a technicality. We weren’t married.”

Protection attorneys try to point out completely different aspect of Ventura

Jurors heard a dramatic audio recording of a March 2014 dialog in Atlantic Metropolis between Ventura and a person referred to as Sugit, who had informed her he had seen her in a sexually specific video taken throughout a “freak off.” A number of jurors appeared attentive and took notes through the testimony, as they heard a markedly extra aggressive model of Ventura than had appeared on the stand, who herself appeared amused by the response captured on tape.

“Inform me what precisely you noticed,” Ventura is heard telling Sugit. “You informed me anyone else was in there f——- me.”

A second later, her voice is heard rising. “You have got it? Why did not you present me?” Ventura requested.

“As a result of I am not disrespectful,” Sugit is heard answering meekly.

“You have had it the entire time?” Ventura mentioned. “It is my f****** life and I will kill you. I will kill you for those who do not present me. Pull it up. If in case you have it, pull that s— up or I will kill you!”

Ventura acknowledged the aggressiveness in her voice, having testified on direct examination a few fixed worry that Combs would possibly launch the intercourse tapes from freak-offs that might destroy her profession and her status. Ventura testified that Combs had proven her the movies and used them as blackmail, threatening to launch them if she disobeyed him.

“I used to be simply sick about it and was feeling stress from Sean,” Ventura informed jurors, including that Combs directed her to talk with Sugit.

On the conclusion of her testimony, Ventura, by means of an announcement learn by her lawyer Douglas Wigdor outdoors court docket, thanked her supporters for his or her kindness and vowed to always remember what she mentioned Combs did to her.

“I hope that my testimony has given energy and a voice to different survivors and may help others who’ve suffered to talk up and likewise heal from abuse and worry. For me, the extra I heal, the extra I can keep in mind, and the extra I can keep in mind, the extra I’ll always remember,” she mentioned in an announcement.

Prosecutors name federal agent, Daybreak Richard of Danity Kane to witness stand

Federal prosecutors referred to as two further witnesses on Friday after the conclusion of Ventura’s testimony.

Particular Agent Yasin Binda of Homeland Safety Investigations informed jurors a few search of Combs’ lodge room on the time of his arrest in 2024, when his legal professionals mentioned he traveled to New York to give up to authorities. Binda testified that brokers seized $9,000 in money, substances that later examined optimistic for ketamine and MDMA, a number of bottles of child oil, and a tool used for “temper lighting,” which Ventura alleged had been the sort of gadgets Combs would use throughout freak offs. Jurors had been in a position to contact and study among the supplies seized from Combs’ room.

For his or her fifth witness, prosecutors referred to as Daybreak Richard, a singer-songwriter who, in a civil lawsuit, has accused Combs of sexual assault, compelled labor and compelled imprisonment. A former member of the lady group Danity Kane, Richard allegedly witnessed a number of situations when Combs abused Ventura, together with an incident she described in her testimony. Combs had broadly denied the allegations in that case.

Richard testified that she witnessed Combs beat Ventura in Los Angeles in 2009, describing how Combs had a violent outburst whereas Ventura tried to prepare dinner breakfast.

“He got here downstairs offended. He mentioned, ‘The place the f—- is his eggs?'” Richard testified. “He took the skillet with the eggs” and took a swing at Ventura, including that Ventura dropped to the bottom, “actually making an attempt to cover her face or her head.”

After a collection of objections, the choose adjourned court docket till Monday whereas he considers probably hanging parts of Richard’s testimony.