The prosecution’s star witness, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura appeared on the witness stand the second day of the federal intercourse crime trial in opposition to Sean “Diddy” Combs Tuesday morning (Might 13).
The pop singer detailed the best way her and the Dangerous Boy Founder met in addition to the second they started a romantic relationship. Nonetheless, by way of tears and occasional caressing of her eight-month pregnant abdomen, she defined how issues took a flip for the worst simply when she received her ft planted within the music trade.
Set off Warning: The small print of Cassie’s testimony could also be disturbing to some readers…
The Starting of Cassie and Diddy
Ventura started her testimony telling the jury she was in a relationship with Combs “for just a little over ten years.” Ventura mentioned she signed a 10-album cope with Dangerous Boy Data in early 2006, having met Combs at simply 19 years previous.
“I simply knew that he was this larger-than-life entrepreneur, musician, was a fan of the music. I didn’t know an excessive amount of about him personally,” Ventura mentioned, including that she thought-about their relationship to be platonic on the time.
Nonetheless, issues escalated throughout her twenty first birthday celebration in Las Vegas. Ventura mentioned Combs kissed her within the lavatory of his resort suite. Ventura testified that afterwards, she cried and ran off.
To the query of if she wished to kiss Combs that day, she mentioned no. This party is cited in her lawsuit describing Combs as “forcibly” kissing her. The go well with notes she was too scared to inform anybody besides her greatest pal. Nonetheless, Ventura nonetheless mentioned she desired to be across the rapper for a similar causes as another individual.
“He was simply this thrilling, entertaining, enjoyable man that additionally occurred to have, , my profession in his fingers,” she mentioned on the stand through The New York Instances.
Enterprise to Intimacy
Following the Vegas incident, Ventura testified that Combs invited her to motels in New York to speak music. Throughout that point, Ventura mentioned she was launched to “the thought of oral intercourse.” She described herself as “sexually inexperienced” on the time.
“He simply sort of made me really feel loopy for not reciprocating,” she mentioned concerning him performing oral intercourse on her for the primary time, per WashPo.
Although, ultimately, she mentioned she had intercourse with Combs on a ship throughout a visit to Miami. Ventura mentioned she was then launched to ecstasy for the primary time. Ventura went on to say the 2 started what she believed to be a monogamous relationship. Nonetheless, Combs had “many girlfriends,” she said.
As the 2 dated, Ventura mentioned they stored a low profile given she was his artist. She described herself as being “enamored” by Combs till she started experiencing “a unique facet of him.”
Issues Take a Flip
Ventura famous that if she didn’t reply Combs’ cellphone calls, he would name her “incessantly” or ship an assistant and safety to trace her down. Combs additionally had dramatic temper swings, Ventura testified.
“Essentially the most sophisticated and the best examples are the abuse as a result of I additionally felt at sure occasions after I knew it wasn’t even about me and also you make the incorrect face and the following factor I knew, I used to be getting hit within the face,” Ventura mentioned, through CNN.
Ventura mentioned Combs stored 24-hour surveillance on her by the use of safety personnel. She mentioned Combs would additionally give her busy work on music that by no means debuted. Ventura mentioned she believed it was a type of psychological abuse to “management over what she was doing each minute of the day,” per her testimony.
She said that Combs paid her lease whereas she lived in New York and had keys to no matter house she lived in and used them “each time he wished.” Ventura described his pop-ups as a “stomach-in-knots second” as a result of she by no means knew what temper he can be in.
Out of affection, she mentioned she then adopted Combs to Los Angeles the place her condominium was proper down the road from his house. Nonetheless, Ventura mentioned after some time, she moved to her personal home additional out as a result of she “wished that freedom for herself.”
Following that, issues received a lot, a lot worse.
Breaking Down Cassie’s Allegations
The allegations in opposition to Combs of sexual abuse, bodily abuse, bribery and varied drug offenses had been first introduced forth by ex-girlfriend and Dangerous Boy Data signee Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in a lawsuit. Essentially the most notable claims had been about his so-called “freak off” intercourse events, the place prosecutors allege the singer was drugged and compelled to carry out sexual acts with male intercourse staff at Combs’ pleasure. Ventura’s go well with says she was ordered to rent the employees herself. He was additionally accused of utilizing video footage to blackmail the victims into compliance. The 2 settled the day after the go well with was filed.
Nonetheless, following that, a viral clip of 2016 footage from contained in the Intercontinental Lodge was leaked by CNN, displaying Combs angrily chasing down Ventura carrying nothing however a towel round his waist. Within the video, she’s being punched and kicked repeatedly by Combs earlier than being dragged down the hallway alongside together with her belongings. Ventura’s go well with says her accidents from the bodily abuse can be so intense, she’d be compelled to remain locked away in a resort room till they healed for the sake of the rapper’s picture. After the video aired, Combs took to Instagram to apologize for what the general public noticed and mentioned his conduct was “inexcusable.”
The resort incident was cited in her lawsuit in addition to many others together with claims that Combs lured her into drug-use and compelled onto an IV for days, dangled her pal over a seventeenth flooring balcony and allegedly tried to explode Child Cudi’s automotive out of rage-fueled jealousy.
Combs is dealing with a number of counts of racketeering conspiracy, intercourse trafficking and interesting in interstate transportation for prostitution. His indictment cites three nameless victims along with Ventura. He has pleaded not responsible, and was denied bail.
Keep tuned for Half 2 of Ventura’s testimony, describing her emotions in regards to the “freak-offs” and heinous particulars of the alleged bodily abuse she endured…