Friday, Could sixteenth, day 5 of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ intercourse trafficking trial started with prosecutors claiming that the protection was making an attempt to drive Ventura to proceed testifying on Monday in order that “Combs might evaluation transcripts over the weekend and assist them put together extra questions for her,” the Related Press reported.
Additionally they argued that delay might run the danger of a mistrial if Ventura had been ordered to return to the stand on Monday and go into labor along with her third baby over the weekend. Additionally they famous that Combs’ authorized workforce had a number of hours to query Ventura, and that point was misplaced when she was requested to learn prolonged, sexually specific textual content messages out loud to the court docket.
After presenting their arguments to Decide Arun Subramanian, Cassie Ventura, singer and former girlfriend of Combs, was referred to as again to the witness stand. Anna Estevao, one among Combs’ protection attorneys, continued her cross-examination associated to the March 2016 recording of Combs brutally attacking Ventura on the elevator financial institution of a Los Angeles resort. Within the surveillance footage, Combs is seen tossing Ventura to the bottom, kicking her, and dragging her into the resort hallway.
Within the message, Ventura wrote to Combs: “I’m not a rag doll. I’m anyone’s baby.” Estevao additionally identified that Combs and Ventura expressed their love to one another once more, days after the assault on the Los Angeles resort. “We’d like a unique vibe from Friday,” she instructed Combs in textual content.
Even once they weren’t relationship one another, Ventura claims the Combs nonetheless managed her life by taking her cellphone a number of instances. On one event, he took her cellphone when she was relationship a soccer participant, and one other time, when she was accused of dancing with Chris Brown. Ventura didn’t determine the soccer participant and stated she by no means danced with Brown.
Because the day went on, the jury heard a recording from 2013 of a frantic Ventura screaming at a pal who claimed he had a video of her having intercourse. Within the recording, Ventura is heard begging to see the video after which threatening to kill him if the video is shared with the general public. “I’ve by no means killed anybody in my life, however I’ll kill you,” Ventura stated to the person. In her testimony, Ventura acknowledged that Combs used his affect to maintain the video from seeing the sunshine of day.
As her testimony continued after a lunch break, Ventura revealed that in August 2018, she lastly broke up with Combs for good. The final straw was when she noticed a photograph of him with one other girl named Gina, whom he’d been relationship whereas in a decade-long relationship along with her. “I simply don’t belief anymore. That final shot put the nail within the coffin,” Ventura shared with Combs in a textual content.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t be with you anymore for those who did that to me once more,” her textual content learn. “You lied to me,” and “she by no means went away,” she stated. Following the breakup, Ventura started relationship her now husband, Alex Nice.
Regardless of all she went via, Estevao requested Ventura if she nonetheless had emotions for Combs after he allegedly raped her in August 2018. “You didn’t hate him then. And also you don’t nonetheless hate him now,” Estevao stated. “I don’t hate him,” Ventura replied.
“You continue to have love for him?” Estevao requested. “I’ve love for the previous, what it was,” Ventura stated.
Ventura went on to verify that they had consensual intercourse as Estevao had her learn the texts she and Combs exchanged within the aftermath of their breakup. She penned in a textual content: “I do love you. I might simply choose not being one among your girlfriends anymore.”
Just a few weeks after the alleged rape, Ventura ended the connection out of “respect her personal sanity.” Combs replied, “I respect your sanity. It’s greatest we maintain it shifting. I’m not a stalker.”
Estevao continued to try to discredit the allegations that Combs raped Ventura. She accused Comb raped in 2018 in her Los Angeles house after discussing the ending their decade-long relationship. “I didn’t see him once more after that,” she testified.
Shortly thereafter, the protection introduced they’d finish the cross-examination sooner than anticipated.
Even after their breakup and her marriage to Nice in 2019, Ventura and Combs exchanged heat textual content messages. He described her as his “trip or die at all times,” and one of many “biggest girls on this planet.” Ventura instructed Combs that the messages “blew my thoughts a bit,” and she or he stated, “I don’t hate you. I by no means have.”
The protection workforce steered that Ventura was having monetary troubles, which led to file a lawsuit in opposition to Combs in November 2023. The following day, she and Combs reached a $20 million settlement. Estevao famous that Ventura, her husband, and youngsters moved in along with her mother and father in Connecticut earlier than the lawsuit was filed. Ventura stated they had been relocating to the East Coast and “that the transfer had nothing to do with cash.”
Earlier than her time on the stand got here to an finish, Estevao pointed to an Instagram submit by Ventura. “Home violence is the problem,” Ventura wrote within the submit. This was an try to underscore their argument that though Combs was abusive, his actions “didn’t warrant intercourse trafficking and racketeering expenses.”
Throughout their redirect, the prosecutor requested Ventura about Combs beating her throughout “freak-offs.” She sobbed and stated she felt “nugatory, similar to dust… like I used to be nothing.” The “freak-offs” had been her method of pleasing Combs, however after years of sexual encounters, she grew bored with the abuse however was afraid for her life.
“I frightened for my security. I frightened for my profession,” Ventura testified. She additionally famous that she was involved that Combs wouldn’t love her anymore.
As her testimony got here to an finish, Ventura stated she expects to obtain a $10 million settlement from the Intercontinental Resort in Los Angeles, the place the assault by Combs happened.
Subramanian famous that Ventura’s 4 days of testimony had been greater than sufficient earlier than she offers start to her third baby. “Why don’t you go forward. You’ve been right here a very long time,” he stated.
In conclusion, Ventura’s lawyer said on her behalf, “This week has been extraordinarily difficult, but additionally remarkably empowering and therapeutic for me. I hope that my testimony has given power and a voice to different survivors and can assist others who’ve suffered to talk up and likewise heal from the abuse and worry,” the assertion learn.
“For me, the extra I heal, the extra I can keep in mind. And the extra I can keep in mind, the extra I’ll always remember,” the assertion went on. “I wish to thank my household and my advocates for his or her unwavering assist, and I’m grateful for all of the kindness and encouragement that I’ve acquired.”
“I’m glad to place this chapter of my life to relaxation. As I flip to concentrate on the conclusion of my being pregnant, I ask for privateness for me and for my rising household.” Nice additionally launched an announcement via his lawyer, “Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats,” he stated. “She did the work of preventing the demons that solely a demon himself might have completed to her.”
Following Ventura, the prosecution referred to as two extra witnesses.
Yasin Binda, a Homeland Safety Investigations particular agent who works within the human trafficking division on the division, was referred to as to the stand. Binda dealt with the logistics for Combs’ arrest on September 16, 2024, and searched the room on the Park Hyatt the place Combs was staying. The jury noticed photographs of two Ziploc luggage, every full of Johnson’s child oil and Astroglide, recovered from luggage in an entryway closet. Extra bottles of child oil and lubricant had been discovered within the rest room, on the nightstand, and elsewhere within the room, in accordance with the photographs and Binda’s testimony.
A bottle of remedy was discovered on a nightstand, the identify on the bottle was “Frank Black,” and the label recognized the remedy as clonazepam, Binda stated. Two luggage of pink powder, which examined optimistic for ketamine and MDMA, had been additionally recovered, she stated.
Daybreak Richards, previously of Danity Kane, took the stand for the primary time and testified that she witnessed Combs bodily assault Ventura a number of instances. Richards recalled one incident in 2009 at Combs’ house when “he got here downstairs screaming” and “proceeded to hit her on the top and beat her on the bottom in entrance of us.”
She additionally testified that Combs as soon as tried to assault Ventura Cassie within the head with a black skillet to her head at his house. “He began to punch and kick her … physique and her head,” Richard stated. She stated Combs then “put his arm round her neck and his hand on her head and dragged her up the steps.”
“I used to be scared for her and scared to do something,” Richard stated. She famous she didn’t attempt to intervene or name the authorities as a result of she “had by no means seen something like that earlier than.” The following day, Richard stated Combs requested her and one other girl to come back to his home, the place he instructed them what they witnessed was “ardour” and what lovers do and instructed them it was of their “greatest curiosity if we didn’t say something.”
Richard is anticipated to renew her testimony on Monday.