On Tuesday, May 13, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura testified in court regarding her past relationship with music mogul Sean Combs, known professionally as Diddy. Combs, who was arrested last year and charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, has denied all allegations.
Cassie, who had a romantic relationship with Combs spanning from 2007 to 2018, provided detailed testimony describing what she characterized as a pattern of emotional, psychological, and sexual abuse during their time together.
Cassie has been testifying in court on Tuesday (Gotham/Getty Images)
She alleged that Combs would frequently enact punitive measures by confiscating her personal belongings, including her vehicle, residence, jewelry, phone, and laptop. These items, she said, were taken by his security staff if she was not present. “It depended on how long I was being punished for,” she testified, explaining that the severity and duration of these punishments were determined by his mood.
When asked if anything else had been taken from her, Cassie replied, “My self-confidence.”
In addition to the material and emotional abuse, Cassie also spoke about what she referred to as “freak-offs,” which she described as voyeuristic encounters orchestrated by Combs. She testified that he would arrange for her to engage in sexual acts with other men while he observed and directed the events. Recalling her first experience, she said she felt a deep sense of fear and confusion, stating, “I remember my stomach falling to my butt… I had just turned 22.”
Cassie and Diddy pictured together in 2018 (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
According to her testimony, these encounters involved hired escorts and became increasingly routine. “The freak offs became a job,” she said. “There was no time to do anything else but do them then try to recover. The longest was four days.”
Cassie also described Combs’ emotional volatility and the toll it took on her. She testified that his moods shifted rapidly and unpredictably. When asked how these mood swings impacted her, she said, “Greatly. The next thing I knew I was getting hit in the face.” She added that there was ongoing psychological abuse, with Combs telling her to “watch [her] mouth” and “change [her] face.”
These allegations form part of the broader trial, which commenced on May 12, and are being considered as part of the prosecution’s case against Combs.
Source: BBC
