Cassie took the stand this week in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial, delivering emotional and graphic testimony about years of alleged abuse, control, and humiliation at the hands of the music mogul.
In the federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan, the R&B singer, real name Casandra Ventura, shared harrowing details about so-called “freak offs,” drug-fueled sexual encounters involving male escorts that she says Diddy forced her to arrange and take part in.
Wearing a modest brown dress that highlighted her pregnant belly, Cassie, now 38, remained composed for much of the testimony but broke down when asked what she enjoyed about being with Diddy. She described moments of closeness after the “freak-outs,” stating through tears, “When you care about somebody and love them, you don’t want to disappoint them.” Her voice stayed mostly soft and even, but her words packed a gut punch.
Cassie said these encounters began when she was 22, around 2008, and continued throughout their on-and-off relationship until their final split in 2018. She explained she “didn’t have much of a choice” and eventually took on the responsibility of arranging the freak-offs, sometimes finding escorts through Craigslist and paying them between $1,500 and $6,000.
She met Diddy in 2005 when she was just 19 and signed a 10-album deal with his Bad Boy Records. Her debut album, Cassie, dropped in 2006, but despite recording hundreds of songs, most of her work was shelved, and her career stalled. Instead, she claimed, organizing these disturbing events “became a job.”
The trial is centered around five criminal counts, including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. Prosecutors allege that Diddy used violence and manipulation to force women into coerced sex acts. Cassie’s testimony, based heavily on her explosive 2023 lawsuit that was settled privately just one day after it was filed, forms a critical part of the government’s case.
During her hours on the witness stand, she painted a picture of a man who could switch from charming to terrifying in an instant. “His eyes would go black,” she said, describing how she no longer recognized the person she once loved. “If I looked a certain way that he didn’t like, he would let me know to fix my face,” she recalled. “Make the wrong face, and the next thing I knew, I would get hit in the face.”
Her testimony echoed many of the same disturbing claims made in her lawsuit, including physical assault, rape, and coercion through threats of blackmail. She stated that if she resisted his demands, Diddy would threaten to release recorded sex acts. “I didn’t know if he would be upset enough to be violent or not want to be with me at all,” she said. “Over time, if I didn’t do it, materials would be hung over my head, or it would become public.”
Cassie also discussed a key piece of evidence in the case: surveillance footage from a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 showing Diddy physically assaulting her. That video, released by CNN in 2023, was played for jurors. “I chose to leave,” she said about the moment in the video. “I got out, and Sean followed me into the hallway, grabbed me, shoved me to the ground, kicked me, dragged me back to the room, and took my stuff.”
The moment in court marked the first time in six years that Cassie and Diddy had seen each other in person. As she walked into the courtroom, Combs turned to her, but she didn’t look at him. He reportedly leaned back in his seat, listening quietly throughout her testimony.
Her husband, Alex Fine, was allowed to stay in the courtroom with one condition, he’d have to leave if the alleged 2018 rape was discussed. That accusation is one of the most serious in the case and was a central focus of her lawsuit.
Diddy has denied all the allegations and settled Cassie’s civil suit without admitting wrongdoing. His defense team says while domestic violence did occur, everything was consensual. One of his attorneys previously claimed Cassie filed her lawsuit to force a settlement “under the threat of writing a damaging book.”
Cassie’s testimony is expected to continue through the week as prosecutors build their case. She’s just one of at least three accusers set to testify.
If you or someone you know is facing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit www.thehotline.org for confidential support.
