Cassie Ventura concluded 4 days of typically 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 in the beginning of the much-anticipated Combs legal 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 wishes by arranging days-long intercourse events known 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 attorneys, by means of two days of cross-examination, tried to reframe Ventura as a keen intercourse associate who loved a swinger’s life-style and contributed to an admittedly poisonous relationship. His attorneys 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 so as to show their level that the ugliness that marked their relationship went each methods.
Lawyer Anna Estevao cross examines Casandra “Cassie” Ventura as Decide Arun Subramanian presides throughout Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, Might 16, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Ventura largely maintained her composure throughout two days of protection questioning, at the same time as 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 courtroom and appeared to thank her for the extraordinary questioning.
When questioned by prosecutors one remaining 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, similar to grime, that I did not matter to him, like I used to be nothing.” Ventura advised 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.
Sean “Diddy” Combs listens as lawyer Anna Estevao cross examines Casandra “Cassie” Ventura throughout Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, Might 16, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
“I would give that cash again if I by no means needed to do freak offs. I might have company and autonomy,” she stated by means of tears. “I would not have needed to work so exhausting to get it again.”
Protection attorneys try and 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’ attorneys tried to make use of these episodes to forged doubt on Ventura’s credibility.
Requested in regards to the 2016 lodge assault, Ventura stated she believed Combs was intoxicated through the encounter. On Thursday, throughout Ventura’s third day of testimony, protection attorneys tried to recommend the medication he was taking on the time contributed to his violence.
“While you get f—— up the fallacious approach you at all times wish 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 stated they deliberate as their relationship was coming to an in depth.
Casandra “Cassie” Ventura is cross examined by Lawyer Anna Estevao throughout Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, Might 16, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
“You do not say something to the impact of, ‘the final time we noticed one another you raped me,'” Estevao stated of Ventura’s messages with Combs on the time.
Earlier, the protection confirmed Ventura transcripts of her interviews with legislation enforcement brokers, mentioning that she advised them the evening of the alleged rape Combs was performing “good however surprisingly.” 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 stated he’s not bipolar however has temper swings.
Protection attorneys give attention to 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’ attorneys advised the jury the case towards their consumer 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 telephone from her to study in regards to 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 might name it dishonest.”
Estevao stated, “You understood he thought it dishonest?”
Ventura responded, “That is a technicality. We weren’t married.”
Protection attorneys try to point out totally different aspect of Ventura
Jurors heard a dramatic audio recording of a March 2014 dialog in Atlantic Metropolis between Ventura and a person known as Sugit, who had advised her he had seen her in a sexually express 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 advised me anyone else was in there f——- me.”
A second later, her voice is heard rising. “You may have 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 stated. “It is my f****** life and I am going to kill you. I am going to kill you in case you do not present me. Pull it up. When 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 couple of fixed concern that Combs would possibly launch the intercourse tapes from freak-offs that will destroy her profession and her fame. 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 strain from Sean,” Ventura advised jurors, including that Combs directed her to talk with Sugit.
On the conclusion of her testimony, Ventura, by means of a press release learn by her lawyer Douglas Wigdor outdoors courtroom, thanked her supporters for his or her kindness and vowed to always remember what she stated Combs did to her.
“I hope that my testimony has given energy and a voice to different survivors and may also help others who’ve suffered to talk up and in addition heal from abuse and concern. 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 stated in a press release.
Prosecutors name federal agent, Daybreak Richard of Danity Kane to witness stand
Federal prosecutors known as two further witnesses on Friday after the conclusion of Ventura’s testimony.
Particular Agent Yasin Binda of Homeland Safety Investigations advised jurors a couple of search of Combs’ lodge room on the time of his arrest in 2024, when his attorneys stated 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 have been the type of gadgets Combs would use throughout freak offs. Jurors have been in a position to contact and study among the supplies seized from Combs’ room.
Sean “Diddy” Combs and his protection staff go notes through the cross examination of Casandra “Cassie” Ventura throughout Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial in New York Metropolis, Might 16, 2025 on this courtroom sketch.
Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
For his or her fifth witness, prosecutors known 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 woman 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 stated, ‘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 attempting to cover her face or her head.”
After a collection of objections, the choose adjourned courtroom till Monday whereas he considers doubtlessly putting parts of Richard’s testimony.
