Cassie concludes 4 days of testimony in Sean Combs intercourse trafficking trial : NPR

After spending most of 4 days on the witness stand, Cassie Ventura concluded her testimony within the legal trial of Sean Combs on Friday afternoon. Ventura, who dated Combs on and off for over a decade, was one in all a number of witnesses to take the stand throughout the trial’s first week. However the extent and element of her testimony confirmed how central she is to the federal government’s case towards Combs.

Ventura filed the primary distinguished civil lawsuit towards Combs in 2023, alleging that the rapper and file govt had bodily assaulted, trafficked and raped her. That go well with was settled rapidly, however Combs was indicted in September 2024 on costs of intercourse trafficking, transporting to have interaction in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. He pleaded not responsible to all costs.

Beginning on Tuesday afternoon, a visibly pregnant Ventura testified that her relationship with Combs was marked with violence, drug use and energy imbalances. The singer was 19 years outdated when she signed a 10-album cope with Combs’ label, Unhealthy Boy Data, in 2006. Combs, who’s 17 years older than Ventura, pursued her romantically not lengthy after they started working collectively. Ventura instructed prosecutors that throughout the first yr of their relationship, Combs started bodily abusing her. She testified that he coerced her into drug-fueled, highly-orchestrated sexual performances with male escorts that turned “like a job” and put her profession on the backburner (Ventura solely ever launched one of many 10 albums from her cope with his label). Ventura stated she beloved Combs, however he was typically “scary” — and she or he didn’t all the time really feel like she may safely depart the connection.

One in every of Combs’ protection attorneys, Anna Estevao, spent two days cross-examining Ventura. Time and again, she offered texts and emails exchanged between Combs and Ventura over that confirmed Ventura agreeing to sexual encounters with male intercourse employees and serving to plan the logistics for these conferences. She additionally requested about Ventura’s profession and the alternatives she gained from being related to Combs. When she requested if Ventura was simply in a position to depart her contract with Unhealthy Boy upon breaking apart with Combs in 2018, Ventura responded: “I needed to battle my manner out.”

Estevao’s cross-examination targeted on portray Ventura and Combs as mutually invested within the relationship, and Ventura as a keen participant in unconventional sexual encounters. She requested Ventura to explain their use of medicine the best way they might each develop jealous over alleged infidelities and the lengths they went to to maintain the sexual performances with escorts a secret.

Throughout her direct questioning from prosecutors, Ventura testified that Combs filmed these encounters and blackmailed Ventura with them when she tried to maneuver on from their relationship. She stated that in 2014, somebody she was working with at an occasion in Atlantic Metropolis hinted he had information of a sexually express video of Ventura. She testified that she assumed it was a video of the “freak-offs” — a time period she and Combs used to explain their encounters with escorts — and she or he anxiously texted Combs, who responded, “That is loopy. Don’t let him out of your sight.” Ventura stated she ended up taking Combs’ safety along with her to “intimidate” the person.

In cross examination on Friday, Estevao referenced that testimony and performed an audio recording of Ventura at that assembly, wherein she could be heard repeatedly threatening to kill the person if he does not cooperate. “I’ve by no means killed anyone in my life, however I am going to kill you,” she says within the recording. “It is not going to be blood on my palms. Another person is gonna do it.”

Estevao questioned Ventura on whether or not Combs additionally apprehensive the movies could be leaked and whether or not they would harm his popularity as nicely, not simply hers. Ventura agreed.

When the prosecution resumed questioning her, Ventura stated she was performing underneath Combs’ directions on the time of that audio recording. She additionally testified that after they’d had an argument in Cannes and Ventura was making an attempt to create distance between herself and Combs, he insisted on sitting subsequent to her on the flight from France to New York. She stated he spent everything of the journey displaying Ventura express movies of her with an escort — after which pressured her to take part in a efficiency hours after touchdown.

In direction of the top of the protection’s cross examination, Estevao requested Ventura concerning the settlement she obtained from her civil lawsuit towards Combs. Ventura confirmed that the quantity of the settlement was $20 million. When requested whether or not the settlement got here at a time of monetary hardship for her household, Ventura denied this was the case. Later, prosecutors additionally requested Ventura concerning the settlement. “I might give that cash again if I by no means needed to have freak-offs,” Ventura stated by way of tears. “If I by no means needed to have freak-offs, I’d have company and autonomy. I would not have needed to work so arduous to achieve it again.”

After Ventura’s testimony concluded on Friday afternoon, two extra witnesses had been referred to as to the stand. The primary was particular agent Yasin Binda with Homeland Safety Investigations. Binda, who stated she works with the human trafficking group at HSI, testified that she helped plan the logistics for Combs’ arrest in September 2024 and carried out the search warrant on his room on the Park Hyatt Resort in New York Metropolis. Binda testified that her position was to take images of the objects discovered through the search. These objects included a number of bottles of child oil and lubricant, unlawful substances, a lighting system that might be used for “temper lighting” and $9,000 in money — all objects that matched Ventura’s testimony of the provides she and Combs used for “freak-offs.”

After Binda completed testifying, the singer Daybreak Richard took the stand. Richard was a member of the group Danity Kane, which Combs helped to place collectively within the mid-2000s as a part of the truth TV competitors Making The Band. Danity Kane was signed to Combs’ Unhealthy Boy Data for a number of years; Richard was additionally a member of the electrosoul trio Diddy Soiled Cash alongside Combs and vocalist Kalenna Harper. Final yr, Richard filed a civil lawsuit towards Combs alleging a poisonous and abusive working atmosphere all through her skilled relationship with him — the lawsuit additionally acknowledged that she witnessed Combs violently assaulting Ventura on multiple event.

Richard testified briefly; she is going to stay on the stand subsequent week. When she started her testimony on Friday, Richard described being current at an altercation in Combs’ residence wherein he turned “belligerent” as Ventura tried to make him eggs; Richard testified that Combs grabbed the skillet Ventura was utilizing and tried to hit her over the top with it. She alleged Ventura dropped to the bottom into fetal place whereas Combs punched and kicked her, finally placing his arm round her neck and dragging her upstairs by her hair. “I used to be scared for her,” Richard instructed the courtroom. “I had by no means seen something like that earlier than.”