As Cassie Ventura neared her twelfth hour on the witness stand, she informed jurors that the threats and constant sexual calls for from her ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs — in addition to a sample of coerced intercourse with strangers — drove her into habit, uncovered her to common spates of violence and led her to ponder suicide.
The star witness in Combs’ federal intercourse trafficking and racketeering case, Ventura spent her second day on the witness stand in a Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday providing a firsthand account of how her life was modified by the rap mogul, as she went from performing her music to spending her days planning intercourse events for Combs after which submitting herself to them. Had she not, she testified, Combs would have allegedly harm her or fulfilled a menace to launch damaging movies that she feared would destroy her fame.
Combs has pleaded not responsible and insists he neither sexually assaulted nor trafficked anybody. He as soon as once more sat stone-faced simply ft from Ventura – who’s eight months pregnant – as she spared no element and narrated for the jury a life that, she mentioned, made her not wish to stay anymore.
Sean “Diddy” Combs listens as his former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura testifies at his intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, Could 14, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Jurors see photographs of freak-offs that Combs allegedly used as ‘blackmail’
Ventura informed jurors that the freak-off periods she participated in remodeled into non-public pornography shoots for Combs, who would use the fabric as “blackmail” if she disobeyed him.
With Combs curbing her skilled work as a singer, paying for her dwelling bills and controlling her private life — right down to her on a regular basis actions — Ventura testified that she feared the discharge of the movies would jeopardize her profession prospects and embarrass her.
“I simply feared for my profession. I feared for my household. It is simply embarrassing and disgusting. No one ought to try this to anybody,” Ventura mentioned, explaining that Combs had informed her that the movies “may break all the things” that she labored for and make her look “like a slut.”
For the primary time, jurors noticed some examples of the supplies that Combs allegedly used as blackmail when prosecutors entered into proof seven nonetheless photographs remoted from the freak-off movies. Initially, prosecutors deliberate to play the movies for the jury — however they then declined to introduce any movies of the freak-offs into proof.
Prosecutors didn’t publicly establish a cause for the change of plan.
Ventura alleges repeated situations of violence
Ventura testified that Combs grew to become more and more violent towards her, along with forcing her to take part in freak-offs.
She particularly recounted the primary time Combs allegedly “knocked [her] round.” She mentioned they have been in New York Metropolis when he “hit me within the aspect of the top and I fell to the ground.” She testified they have been in a automotive, and the alleged assault occurred in entrance of a driver and workers.
One other alleged incident she recounted for the jury occurred in August 2013 when Combs entered her house in a rage and threw her onto her mattress as a result of she was asleep and never packing for a music competition.
“I had a reasonably vital gash on the aspect of my eyebrow,” Ventura testified, including she has a everlasting scar from the incident. She mentioned she texted Combs a photograph of the damage with the message, “So you may bear in mind.”
At one level throughout her prolonged testimony, prosecutor Emily Johnson requested Ventura what number of occasions Combs grew to become violent along with her throughout their practically 11-year relationship. Ventura let loose a sigh and mentioned softly, “Who is aware of.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs drags ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in a nonetheless picture from a March 5, 2016 surveillance video taken within the hallway of a Los Angeles lodge.
Division Of Justice by way of Reuters
Jurors get a full image of the 2016 on-camera assault
After seeing video of Combs bodily assaulting Ventura in a Los Angeles lodge on March 5, 2016, in the course of the first day of testimony, jurors heard the account immediately from Ventura on Wednesday.
Ventura testified that Combs pulled her to the ground, kicked her and dragged her towards the lodge hallway. She mentioned that after she received again up, Combs threw a vase at her, narrowly lacking her. Jurors have already seen a video of the assault and its aftermath.
Jurors had heard testimony earlier this week from Israel Florez, a safety guard who responded to the incident and tried to make sure Ventura may depart the lodge.
“He did inform her at one level that — he mentioned you are not going to depart,” Florez testified, including that Combs tried to bribe him after the incident. He didn’t take the cash.
As Ventura narrated the video displaying the assault, her husband Alex Nice, seated in courtroom, fastened his stare squarely on Combs.
In line with Ventura, Combs despatched her a barrage of textual content messages as soon as she left the lodge begging her to return. She added that she was bruised from the assault and needed to cowl up the accidents for an upcoming film occasion.
“Yo pls name me. I received six children. Pls name me,” Combs wrote in a message. “Name me. Name now,” one other mentioned.
“I’ve a premier Monday for the most important factor I’ve ever executed and I’ve a black eye and fats lip,” Ventura messaged again. “You might be sick for considering it is alright to do what you have executed.”
Ventura testifies in regards to the conclusion of her relationship with Combs
Ventura testified that her relationship with Combs, which started in romance and a pull towards the joy that surrounded Combs, resulted in violence when he raped her on her lounge flooring after she tried to hunt closure after their relationship had ended.
“I simply bear in mind crying and saying no nevertheless it was very quick,” she mentioned. “I do not know if he seen.”
Within the years following the tip of the connection, Ventura mentioned she tried to get skilled assist to beat her trauma and contemplated suicide. She sobbed on the witness stand as she recalled how the trauma drained her will to stay.
“I used to be spinning out and I did not wish to be alive anymore at that time,” she testified, breaking down as she described how “I could not take the ache I used to be in anymore.”
She mentioned she tried to course of the ache by writing down what occurred to her, and she or he provided Combs the proper to purchase what grew to become a e-book for $30 million, a random value she mentioned she thought would “alert him.” No deal was made.
When Ventura sued Combs for the last decade of violence and abuse in 2023, the case was settled the following day with no request for forgiveness from Combs. She revealed on the stand on Wednesday, and for the primary time publicly, that she acquired a $20 million settlement.
“What number of freak-offs did you might have over the course of your relationship?” prosecutor Emily Johnson requested in her closing query of 12 hours of direct examination.
“It is unattainable to know, however a whole bunch,” Ventura replied.
