Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs are questioning his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, on the witness stand Thursday (May 15). Prosecutors questioned Ventura for two days at Combs' trial, as she described years of alleged abuse by the hip-hop mogul.

Manhattan

Cassie Ventura has given detailed testimony in court regarding her relationship with Sean "Diddy" Combs. Ventura described a decade-long period during which she alleged repeated abuse and intimidation by Combs. She told the court she lacked resources to leave the relationship and expressed fears for her safety and career, referencing multiple drug-fueled events she said Combs called "freak-offs".

During her testimony, Ventura alleged that Combs threatened to release explicit videos when he was angry. The jury was presented with still images that prosecutors stated were from such videos. Ventura also described an incident following a 2016 assault in a Los Angeles hotel, noting that a friend called police after observing her injuries. She said she declined to identify the cause of her injuries to authorities and later appeared in public with Combs, using makeup to hide bruises.

Ventura testified that in 2018, after their relationship had ended and she was involved with her current husband, Combs raped her in her Malibu home. She became emotional while describing her experiences in rehab and trauma therapy in 2023. Prosecutors have characterized Ventura as a victim in a criminal enterprise allegedly operated by Combs, involving activities such as sex trafficking, forced labor, and obstruction of justice. Combs has denied all allegations.

Legal experts suggest the defense may use photos and videos depicting happier moments in the relationship to challenge Ventura's claims. Ventura’s attorney compared her experience in court to preparing for a race, emphasizing her focus on moving forward. Cross-examination by Combs’ legal team is set to proceed.



Lawyers question Cassie Ventura after emotional testimony

Cassie Ventura doubled down Wednesday about the abuse and intimidation that she says filled her more than decade-long relationship with Sean Diddy Combs. Ventura, who met Combs at 19, told the court she didn't have the resources to leave Combs, adding she was scared for her life and career after performing hundreds of drug-fueled sex sessions Combs referred to as freak-offs. The 38-year-old, who was expecting her third child, testified that during her relationship with Combs, he threatened to release explicit videos of her when he was angry. The jury was shown several still images that prosecutors say were taken from videos of the sexual encounters. Jurors also heard about the aftermath of the 2016 assault captured on surveillance cameras in a Los Angeles hotel. Ventura said a friend called the police when she saw Ventura's injuries, but the singer refused to tell authorities who caused them and ended up going to Combs' home that night. Two days later, she and Combs were all smiles on a red carpet to promote her new movie. Ventura said she hid bruising from the assault with makeup. According to Ventura, in 2018, when the relationship was officially coming to a close and she had just started dating her now-husband, she testified that Combs raped her in the living room of her Malibu home. She broke down in tears as she recounted later going to rehab and trauma therapy in 2023. The prosecution alleges that Ventura was a victim in a criminal enterprise that Combs ran, engaging in, among other things, sex trafficking, forced labor, and obstruction of justice. Combs denies those allegations. From the defense, their job is going to be to distract and attack. Attorney Judy Saunders specializes in sexual abuse cases. They'll likely use photos and videos to show different times over the course of the relationship where they may have appeared to be happy and, you know, put real question and doubt in the mind of the jury that this was a person that was being held against their will. Cross-examination begins today. And, you know, I asked Doug Wigdor, Cassie Ventura's attorney, how she was doing yesterday. And he said, quote, he gave me the analogy of getting ready to run a race and said, before the shotgun goes off, you're nervous and you're anxious. But once you get going, you're now looking at the finish line. And he said that is what she is focused on, the finish line.

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