Singer Cassie Ventura, the former longtime girlfriend of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, is expected to return to the witness stand on Friday for further cross-examination in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering case against Combs.
Ventura, who is eight and a half months pregnant, has been testifying since Tuesday, providing harrowing accounts of alleged physical and sexual abuse she endured during her decade-long relationship with Combs. Her testimony is central to the prosecution’s case, which accuses Combs of running a criminal enterprise that included coercing women into sex and trafficking them across state lines.
On Thursday, Ventura faced a gruelling six-hour cross-examination by Combs’s defence team, which sought to cast doubt on her credibility. Lawyers presented a trove of explicit messages between Ventura and Combs, including texts in which she appeared to consent to the “freak-offs” -drug-fueled sex sessions with male escorts- she now claims were non-consensual and coerced.
In one message, Ventura told Combs, “I’m always ready to freak off.” In another, she wrote: “I love our (Freak Offs) when we both want it.” When questioned about the messages, Ventura responded: “They were just words at that point.”
Asked by Combs’s lawyer if she had told Combs she wanted to participate in the sex sessions to make him happy, Ventura replied firmly: “No, there’s a lot more to that.”
The defence also delved into the couple’s drug use. Ventura testified that both she and Combs had battled opiate addiction and regularly used drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, and GHB.
Cassie describes the relationship
Ventura also described a toxic and volatile relationship, marked by infidelity, jealousy, and control. She testified that Combs was enraged over her brief relationship with rapper Kid Cudi during a breakup in 2011 and that she had long felt like a “side piece” compared to Combs’s longtime partner, the late Kim Porter.
Throughout her testimony on Thursday, Combs, dressed in a beige sweater, was visibly engaged, whispering to his lawyers, fidgeting, and staring intently at Ventura. His mother, sons, and publicist were in attendance, as was Ventura’s husband.
Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, is facing counts including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation for prostitution. If convicted, the 55-year-old music mogul could face life in prison.
Prosecutors announced that singer Dawn Richard, a former member of Danity Kane, is expected to testify next and could take the stand as early as Friday.
