Cassie testifies against Sean Combs : NPR

This report comprises descriptions of bodily and sexual violence.

Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, the ex-girlfriend of Sean Combs, took the stand on Tuesday morning (Might 13) because the star witness within the first full day of testimony within the federal trial towards the hip-hop mogul higher generally known as Diddy or Puff Daddy.

Ventura, who’s now 38 years outdated and visibly pregnant as she testified, described a tortured, decade-long off-and-on relationship that started shortly after Combs signed her to a 10-album cope with his Unhealthy Boy Data label when she was a 19-year-old ingénue.

Throughout her testimony, Ventura accused him of bodily and emotionally abusing her for years, and exerting management over just about each side of her life. She stated that she recorded tons of of songs that had been by no means launched and busied herself at his command within the recording studio, she stated, however she solely launched a single mixtape in 2013. Most of her time, she stated, was dominated by Combs’ “freak-offs” or “FOs” – drug-fueled, multi-day marathons of intercourse with prostitutes that he orchestrated and directed. “The FOs grew to become a job the place there was no house to do the rest however to get better and attempt to really feel regular once more,” she stated.

In the course of the episodes by which she describes Combs allegedly bodily assaulted her, she stated, “He would knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp my head if I used to be down.” She additionally claimed that he domineered her: “the best way I regarded, what I used to be engaged on that day, who I spoke to.” She stated he would additionally name her incessantly, or have one among his workers name her repeatedly, till she responded. At different factors, she alleged, Combs would ship out one among his workers to find her bodily.

Yesterday (Might 12), the jury heard opening arguments and testimony from the primary two authorities witnesses within the trial. Prosecutors are accusing Combs of racketeering and intercourse trafficking — and of utilizing his huge music, media and way of life empire as a legal enterprise to hurt girls and fulfill his sexual needs. Combs has pleaded not responsible to all the fees, and his protection crew has introduced him as a violent, troubled man whose actions didn’t match the federal government’s allegations.

In her opening argument, prosecutor Elizabeth Johnson sought to go off the doable protection that Combs was having consensual relationships with the ladies. “This case shouldn’t be a couple of celeb’s personal sexual preferences. It is about coercive crimes,” she stated. She pointed particularly to allegations that Combs trafficked his ex-girlfriend, the singer and mannequin “Cassie” Ventura, who’s testifying underneath her nickname, and in addition to accusations involving one other former girlfriend, who will testify underneath the pseudonym Jane.

Johnson described the “freak-offs” or “FOs” and stated that Combs referred to as himself “the king.” She additionally detailed a number of alleged cases of violence, together with an alleged rape of Ventura and a 2009 episode by which Combs allegedly threw Ventura to the ground of an SUV and stomped repeatedly on her face, then hid her in a resort for days to permit time for her accidents to heal, whereas she was monitored by his workers. She additionally accused Combs of blackmailing Ventura with graphic movies of her in sexual conditions with “dozens and dozens” of prostitutes.

In accordance with Johnson, Jane met Combs in 2020, and he quickly launched her to his “freak-offs.” Jane allegedly started coordinating freak-offs in hopes that Combs would develop their relationship and that he would take her on journeys; Combs allegedly held monetary management over her, even paying her hire. Throughout a combat in 2023, Johnson alleged, Combs kicked down a number of doorways at Jane’s home, and compelled her right into a freak-off the identical evening. Johnson additionally referenced one other episode by which Combs allegedly sexually assaulted one among his workers.

In her opening assertion, Combs’ protection legal professional Teny Geragos stated that Combs was “a jerk” and “imply, that he “has “a foul mood” and points with drug use. She additionally acknowledged that there had been episodes of home violence and assault in “poisonous” relationships — however, she argued, none of these had been what the federal government had indicted Combs for, and that each one of his relationships had been consensual. Geragos referred to as the handfuls of civil lawsuits filed towards Combs “cash grabs.”

Within the afternoon, the jury heard from the primary two witnesses within the case, starting with Israel Florez. Florez, who’s now an officer with the Los Angeles Police Division, was working as a safety guard at a Los Angeles resort the place Combs attacked Ventura in 2016. Florez testified that he was referred to as to handle the couple. He stated that Ventura had “a purple eye,” that he noticed Ventura attempting to go away the resort and that Combs initially wouldn’t enable her to depart. Florez stated that he requested if she wanted help, however that she refused to name police or reply any questions. In accordance with Florez, Combs held up a big wad of money, which he interpreted as a bribe; Florez stated he declined to take the cash.

Final 12 months, CNN obtained and aired surveillance video of that assault, by which Combs kicked, dragged and shoved Ventura. After CNN aired the footage, Combs delivered a video apology on Instagram, which has since been faraway from the social media platform. Throughout Florez’s testimony, the jury noticed footage from a number of angles of that very same resort incident.

The second witness referred to as by prosecutors was a person named Daniel Phillip, who alleged that Ventura gave him giant sums of cash on quite a few events between 2012 and 2014 to have intercourse together with her whereas Combs watched. He additionally testified that he noticed Combs violently assault Ventura on a number of events, however that he didn’t intervene as a result of he feared for his personal security.