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In front of a New York federal jury, Cassie Ventura wept for four days on the witness stand, declaring she would happily return the $20 million settlement from Sean "Diddy" Combs if it would bring her an end to being a part of what she termed embarrassing, drug-laced s*x parties. Cassie said:
"I’d give that money back if I never had to have Freak Offs. I would have agency and autonomy."
Cassie Ventura repudiated the defense theory that her complaints were money-driven. She described instead in graphic detail a decade of romance with Diddy Combs, including trips to the s*xually graphic "freak-off" parties that were a focus of trial testimony.
Cassie Ventura's testimony formed the core of the case against Diddy Combs, who is charged with racketeering, s*x trafficking, conspiracy, and transporting for prostitution.
One of the industry's former titans, Sean Diddy Combs, 55, entered not-guilty pleas to all the charges and faces 15 years to life behind bars if convicted on all counts. The case also drew tawdry media scrutiny, with much of the attention focusing on serious allegations against a high-profile entertainment industry executive and widespread concerns about abuse of power in the industry.
Cassie Ventura details alleged abuse and coercion in testimony against Sean Combs
During testimony in court this week, R&B singer Cassie Ventura reported a string of disturbing claims against Sean "Diddy" Combs, with whom she had been dating for almost a decade during the height of his power in the music world.
She recounted elaborate stories of supposed abuse in such encounters, including s*x-for-hire, beatings, s*xual coercion, and so-called "freak-off" parties, sessions where she claims Diddy instructed her to have s*x with male escorts while he looked on and took video.
In Cassie Ventura's version, these sessions were not consensual but coerced under threats and physical force, including an alleged r*pe in 2018 when she attempted to break with him. Defense lawyers on Friday extensively cross-examined Cassie Ventura, showing her previous messages where she sounded loving towards Diddy Combs and excited about their way of life, as well as records of emotional outbursts.
Cassie Ventura, however, insisted that her outward demeanor concealed inner trauma. The prosecution also summoned Danity Kane's former member Dawn Richard, who testified that she saw Combs hitting Cassie Ventura in 2009 for a small domestic dispute. More testimonies from other women under pseudonyms are anticipated within the coming days.
Cassie Ventura also spoke about a secretly paid $20 million settlement Diddy Combs made to her soon after she sued in November 2023. Though the defense left the impression of monetary reasons for the lawsuit, Cassie Ventura refuted this, claiming she would happily give up the payment in exchange for never having gone through the abuse that left her physically hurt and sabotaged her music career.
Cassie Ventura cross-examined as new witnesses testify in ongoing Diddy trial
Outside the Manhattan courthouse, huge crowds still converge as the high-profile trial of Sean "Diddy" Combs enters its next heated phase, with new witnesses, security cameras, and electronic files exposing previous events and the nature of his relationship with Cassie Ventura.
Within the courtroom, Sean Diddy Combs' defense attorneys sought to present the relationship as wildly volatile but non-criminal, displaying a chain of text messages between the pair stretching throughout their relationship. They contended that although the messages disclosed a cycle of emotional extremes, they didn't constitute proof of criminal activity.
As Ventura was about to conclude her testimony on the witness stand Friday, the defense turned its attention to another legal issue, her pending $10 million InterContinental Hotels settlement related to a 2016 attack on hotel surveillance video. The video, played in its entirety before the jury earlier this week, shows Combs punching, kicking, and dragging Cassie Ventura down a Los Angeles hallway.
Following that assault, Cassie Ventura sent a message to Combs stating, "I'm not a rag doll. I’m somebody’s child," though later messages between the two expressed affection, highlighting the complicated dynamics at play.
The cross-examination of Cassie Ventura continued over two days, while the prosecution moved quickly to introduce two additional witnesses before the weekend recess. Among them was Danity Kane singer Dawn Richard, who made her name on Sean Diddy Combs' MTV show Making the Band. Richard, who sued last year for abuse and financial exploitation by Combs, testified that she saw him beat up Cassie Ventura at his Los Angeles house in 2009.
Cassie Ventura collapsed to the floor and balled up into a fetal position, and then Combs pulled her into the hallway and told her the violence was "passion," saying that "where he is from, people disappear" if they speak out. The second witness, U.S. Homeland Security special agent Yasin Binda, testified about items seized at Combs' arrest in New York, such as great sums of money, drugs, and baby oil.
These accounts contribute to an already intricate and high-profile case, which continues to receive media attention and public interest. The proceedings are expected to pick up again next week when the prosecution is to call additional witnesses to testify.
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Cassie and her husband, Alex Fine, say they're ready to move on after testifying in Diddy's case
Following her testimony in the present trial case against Sean "Diddy" Combs, Cassie Ventura and her husband, Alex Fine, issued a joint statement to emphasize their decision to move forward.
The couple said they are shutting down this chapter of their lives, a sign that they need closure after Cassie's involvement in the highly publicized trial. Combs, who has a myriad of serious allegations, such as s*x trafficking and racketeering, pending against him, has been at the forefront of news across the country as ex-lovers and business associates testify in court.
In a letter, which was read by her attorney, Douglas Wigdor, she described the ordeal as emotionally exhausting, but allowed her to regain her voice and hoped that her words would encourage others who have been abused to speak. In her words:
"This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me. I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors, and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from abuse and fear."
Alex Fine praises Cassie's strength and speaks out following her testimony
Alex Fine, Cassie Ventura's husband, released a heartfelt and personal statement after she testified publicly, taking a moment to reflect on how her testimony had affected the world and the personal strength she'd displayed. Instead of standing in the spotlight, Fine made it clear that it was all about Cassie's path of healing and survival.
He took note of the guesswork on the internet regarding how it was to sit through his wife sharing her history of abuse but clarified that what he felt the most was pride, rage, and profound love. He said,
"In the past five days, the world has gotten to witness the strength and bravery of my wife freeing herself from her past. There has been speculation online surrounding how it must feel for me to sit there and listen to my wife's testimony. I have felt so many things sitting there. I have felt tremendous pride and overwhelming love for Cass. I have felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in front of a person who tried to break her."
He dismissed the notion that he "saved" her, assuring everyone that it was Cassie who rescued herself by breaking years of abuse, manipulation, and intimidation. Fine outlined her own transformation as the product of her own strength, not his help.
He also addressed their life today, talking of a home now full of love, laughter, and family, and requested privacy as they greet their son. In the same report, he directly spoke to Sean "Diddy" Combs, saying that even with everything she endured, her spirit remains unbroken, her smile unmarred, and her position as a mother and wife stronger than ever.
The experience of Cassie and Sean "Diddy" Combs has shone a light again on matters of abuse, power, and responsibility in the entertainment world. When Cassie comes forward and is met with public support, it represents a pivotal juncture in wider discussion around survivors coming forward and taking back their stories.
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