Former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, Casandra Ventura, professionally known as Cassie is expected to face intense cross-examination from the music mogul’s defense team on Thursday in his ongoing sex trafficking trial.
Ventura, now 38, spent two days on the witness stand detailing claims that Combs raped, beat, and forced her into drug-fueled sex parties during their long-term relationship.
Her emotional testimony, delivered with composure and at times through tears, forms the core of the prosecution’s case against Combs.
Combs’ legal team has signaled its intent to challenge Ventura’s credibility by arguing that she took drugs voluntarily and at times acted violently herself.
In opening statements, defense attorney Teny Geragos told jurors: “Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking.”
Combs, 55, once one of the most powerful figures in the music industry, is currently in custody facing serious charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, kidnapping, arson, and bribery.
Prosecutors allege he led an organized sex ring and used threats, violence, and coercion to control women over several years.
Ventura’s testimony included vivid descriptions of so-called “freak-offs” — orchestrated sex parties involving male escorts, sometimes lasting days and allegedly directed by Combs. She testified that she participated in hundreds of such events, often under the influence of drugs, which she described as a “buffer” to endure the “humiliating” and often filmed encounters.
Jurors were also shown hotel surveillance footage from March 2016 that appeared to show Combs violently beating and dragging Ventura down a hallway. When asked why she did not resist, Ventura told the court that lying on the floor “felt like the safest place to be.”
She further testified that just days after the alleged assault, she was forced to attend the premiere of her film The Perfect Match alongside Combs. Photographs presented in court showed Ventura wearing sunglasses to conceal a black eye.
Ventura said her relationship with Combs led to lasting psychological damage, including post-traumatic stress disorder, drug addiction, and suicidal thoughts. She also recounted an alleged incident in 2018, during the final stages of their relationship, in which she claimed Combs raped her in her living room.
While acknowledging that aspects of the relationship were deeply troubling, Combs’ defense maintains the conduct does not constitute the criminal charges he faces. He has denied all allegations.
Ventura’s testimony is expected to continue through the week, with trial proceedings projected to extend well into the summer.
