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‘Horrible and disgusting’: Cassie’s graphic testimony of abuse leaves Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ fate hanging in balance

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In early March 2016, the R&B artist Cassie Ventura was just a few days from the premiere of her movie, and that’s when her boyfriend at the time, Sean “Diddy” Combs, sent her a text message asking about her plans.

She testified before a New York federal jury this week, describing her long-standing sense of entrapment due to repeated physical and sexual abuse by him. Over the course of 11 years, she detailed incidents of beatings, coerced sexual acts, and a rape.

She asserted that Combs had warned he would expose videos of their various sexual liaisons with multiple male escorts, under the influence of drugs and shimmering with baby oil, while overseeing and organizing these encounters, which were referred to as “freak-offs.

If I impress him with some extraordinary performance, then my debut will go smoothly, she stated, as reported from within the Manhattan courtroom by the Associated Press.

What happened next could end up being the beginning of the end of Combs’ public life.

World & Nation

In a surprising turn of events, R&B artist Cassie was compelled to publicly read her private, explicit communications with ex-boyfriend Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, as part of his ongoing sex trafficking trial.

Footage from March 2016 reveals Diddy physically assaulting Ventura outside an L.A. hotel elevator bank. He can be seen punching, kicking, and dragging her down the hallway by her hoodie, heading towards their room. Additional footage shows him hurling a vase at her. Ventura sustained injuries including a swollen eye, a fat lip, and a visible bruise that lasted until the movie premiere two days later. To conceal her injuries, she wore sunglasses and heavy makeup on the red carpet.

As a passionate movie-goer, I find myself right smack dab in the middle of a sensational federal court case. The spotlight is on Ventura’s testimony, which is shaking up the proceedings against Combs, who stands accused of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transporting women for prostitution.

Sweeping allegations

The federal charges claim that Combs and his companions enticed their female victims, frequently under false promises of a romantic connection. Later, it is alleged that Combs employed force, threats of violence, manipulation, and drugs to persuade women into having sexual encounters with male escorts, occasionally overseeing these events at gatherings he called “freak-offs.” Combs reportedly supplied the women with ketamine, ecstasy, and GHB to maintain their submissiveness and compliance during these shows.

The indictment claims that Combs repeatedly organized, supervised, and participated in explicit sexual shows, which sometimes continued for days. These performances, allegedly, involved him masturbating and recording them. Prosecutors claim these events happened frequently from at least 2009 until 2023, with the hotel rooms where they took place often experiencing considerable damage as a result.

According to prosecutors, it’s claimed that Combs ran a criminal organization involved in various illegal activities such as exploitation, abuse, and trafficking of women, forced labor, interstate prostitution, coercion, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, obstruction of justice, among others. In presenting RICO charges, prosecutors stated that Combs was aided by his employees, security personnel, and assistants who were said to have organized the crimes, participated in “freak-offs”, and later concealed these incidents. So far, only Combs has been charged with criminal offenses related to this investigation.

Combs’ attorney this week said her client was far from perfect but that the charges were overblown.

Sean Combs, in essence, is a complex individual. However, this particular case isn’t intricate; it revolves around themes such as love, jealousy, infidelity, and financial matters, as stated by his lawyer Teny Geragos before the jury. Over the past year, there has been a lot of buzz surrounding this case. It’s now time to put an end to that noise.

How Ventura and Combs met

As a movie buff recounting my past experiences, I was just 19 when I crossed paths with the iconic Diddy, who was then 37, in 2005. This encounter led to a 10-year contract with his prestigious Bad Boy Records label. Fast forward two years, and Britney Spears graced my 21st birthday party. The moment Diddy and I shared a kiss at that gathering marked the beginning of our relationship, as I testified. The heated altercations, or “freak-offs” as they were known, became an integral part of our lives. So much so, that during one of these incidents, I even chose to step away from my own birthday party.

She informed the jury that the task of combing involved allowing a male escort to urinate into her mouth. This individual, along with others, were compensated with large sums of money for engaging in sexual activities continuously over a period of 36 to 48 hours, as she testified.

At the trial, Ventura recognized 13 men who worked as prostitutes, based on photos shown by the prosecution that Combs allegedly asked her to find for his encounters. The testimony stated that their relationship terminated on a particular day in 2018 when they had dinner together, and he sexually assaulted her on her living room floor.

In court, Ventura pointed out 13 men who were male escorts, using photos provided by the prosecutors that Combs was said to have asked her to arrange for their encounters. She testified that their relationship came to an end one day in 2018 when they had dinner together, and he raped her on her living room floor.

Violence

Over the course of four days, Ventura – who was nearly nine months pregnant at the time – detailed instances where she was sexually assaulted and viciously attacked at least six times, with the most brutal attack happening in the year 2009.

In the 2009 incident, she stated under oath that Combs was violently kicking her face when he found out she was dating rapper Kid Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi). Not long after, Kid Cudi’s car was set on fire. Court documents suggest that Combs commanded this act.

Legal analysis

According to legal professionals, the testimony being presented aims to strengthen the federal case against Combs, although it may not seem connected at first glance with the specific accusations he’s dealing with.

The former federal prosecutor, Neama Rahmani, questioned why the government was discussing rape and assault when the charges were RICO and sex trafficking. However, he clarified that what distinguishes sex trafficking from consensual adult relationships – as argued by the defense – is the presence of force, deceit, or manipulation.

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ attorney, Teny Geragos, acknowledged that Combs’ aggressive behavior could potentially justify domestic violence allegations; however, he argued that the charges of sex trafficking and racketeering are unfounded.

In simpler terms, “Testimony from Ventura stating that she was made to take drugs until she vomited, and was compelled to engage in sexual acts while menstruating or experiencing a urinary tract infection, is considered proof of forced or manipulated situations,” he explained.

Rahmani asserted that Ventura’s depiction of Combs as a powerful tycoon wielding firearms, who physically abused her repeatedly, followed her movements, and dispatched a security detail to locate her, serves as proof of coercive behavior.

Afterward, there were reported warnings. She narrated an incident on a commercial flight in 2013 where Combs played a disturbing recording from his laptop while they were seated together. She claimed that Combs warned her he would humiliate her by releasing the recordings.

In my own words, I was filled with apprehension for both my professional life and my loved ones. It’s a situation that brings immense shame. It’s truly repugnant and abhorrent. Such actions should never be inflicted upon any individual. This is how I expressed my feelings.

According to Rahmani, for Combs to be found guilty of racketeering, it’s essential that the prosecution demonstrates there was an ongoing illegal business operation in place.

As a movie-lover, I often find myself contemplating the concept of organized crime depicted in films, which typically revolves around mobs, street gangs, or drug cartels. However, what I’ve come to understand from my legal background is that any grouping of two or more individuals can potentially fit this description, similar to Diddy’s entourage, as a former federal prosecutor put it. The key here is the demonstration of two or more criminal acts over a period of 10 years.

He pointed out that the proof related to acts such as bribery, kidnapping, obstructing justice, threatening witnesses, and prostitution carries significant weight,” he explained.

LAPD officer testimony

In 2016, Israel Florez, then a hotel security guard and currently a police officer in Los Angeles, testified that Sean Combs allegedly showed him a stack of money – an act Florez interpreted as an attempt at bribery. However, according to Florez, he declined the offer.

Combs’ defense strategy aims to portray Ventura as being involved in the activities, which include soliciting and compensating sexual partners, obtaining illegal substances, and communicating to arrange encounters that were characteristic of a swingers’ lifestyle. Out of four claimed victims in this case, it is anticipated that at least three will testify before the jury.

World & Nation

In a heavy sigh, Cassie, speaking before the New York jury, recounted how she was urged by Combs to engage in prolonged sexual events referred to as ‘freak offs.’ At times, she had to pause to gather her thoughts.

On Thursday, I, as a movie buff following this case closely, witnessed defense attorney Anne Estevao making Ventura recite a string of affectionate messages sent to Combs. Ventura also testified that she had observed Combs engaging in intimate moments with another woman on several occasions. To bolster the argument that they were part of a swingers’ lifestyle, the lawyer presented a text from 2009 penned by the singer, which read, “I’m always up for some wild fun.

In the chilling autumn of 2023, I found myself standing at the precipice of an avalanche of accusations against none other than Sean Combs. The allegations ranged from prolonged physical and sexual abuse, which sent shockwaves through Hollywood. Subsequently, a wave of similar claims by other individuals emerged, claiming to be victims of Combs’ alleged misconduct.

This chain reaction culminated in a dramatic raid by Homeland Security on both his Los Angeles and Miami residences, leading to his arrest. However, in an unexpected turn of events, Ventura admitted on Wednesday that she had received a staggering $20-million settlement just days after filing her lawsuit.

Combs attorney pushes back

In a Manhattan federal courtroom, Geragos, one of Combs’ lawyers, made it clear to the jury during opening statements that while they would hear evidence about violent incidents, the allegations against Combs were not related to domestic violence but rather to charges of sex trafficking.

She declared that the video showing Ventura’s attack inside the hotel was undeniably unacceptable; however, she also pointed out that the artist voluntarily chose to remain with Combs for an eleven-year period.

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She asserted that the footage of Ventura being assaulted at the hotel was inexcusable, but she emphasized that the singer opted to stay with Combs for a duration of 11 years on her own accord.

Following the incident, a friend phoned the police about Ventura’s residence, and she later testified to this. However, when law enforcement officials got there, she didn’t point out Combs as the perpetrator.

In that instance, I chose not to speak because I didn’t want to cause him pain at the time. I simply wasn’t prepared yet, she explained.

On Thursday, during Ventura’s cross-examination by the defense, they aimed to alter the storyline by presenting numerous text messages between Combs and Ventura. In a conversation dated July 2013, Combs’ lawyer pointed out that Cassie had suggested having a “wild party,” messaging Combs: “I wish we could have had our fun before you left.

World & Nation

In the ongoing sex trafficking trial, R&B artist Cassie once again takes the witness seat as a defendant, this time being linked with Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

Through their text conversations, the defense attorney emphasized that Ventura himself had acknowledged feelings of envy towards the affection he showed to other women.

In a text from 2013, I expressed to Combs, “It seems like I’m just an accessory, and I never intended for that to be the case.

Estevao attempted to reframe the hotel altercation by suggesting that he and the other person had consumed a “problematic dose” of the party drug MDMA during a heated argument, prior to the hotel fight.

This week, during her testimony, Ventura claimed that in 2012, while partying at the Playboy Mansion, Combs is said to have overdosed on opioids. She wasn’t present herself, but he shared this information with her afterward.

Ventura’s testimony ended on Friday.

The Associated Press contributed court testimony for this analysis.

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2025-05-17 02:01

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