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| Cassie Ventura testifies again in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex-trafficking trial | Cassie Ventura testifies again in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex-trafficking trial |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Singer talks about in-patient treatment center she went to in 2023 after prosecutors agreed to re-question her | Singer talks about in-patient treatment center she went to in 2023 after prosecutors agreed to re-question her |
| Singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, has returned to the stand on Friday for further examination by Combs’s legal team. | Singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, has returned to the stand on Friday for further examination by Combs’s legal team. |
| Judge Arun Subramanian said on Friday morning that prosecutors agreed to re-question Ventura for 30 minutes, meaning the defense needs to conclude their questioning before or by 4.30pm EST. | Judge Arun Subramanian said on Friday morning that prosecutors agreed to re-question Ventura for 30 minutes, meaning the defense needs to conclude their questioning before or by 4.30pm EST. |
| Combs’s defense team resumed their cross-examination of Ventura on Friday morning, with questions focusing on the time around the 2016 video footage of Combs attacking Ventura at the elevator lobby of a hotel in Los Angeles, and Combs’s state of mind around that time. | |
| Defense attorneys asked if Ventura previously told investigators that Combs was “blackout” during that incident, to which Ventura responded: “I believe he was intoxicated.” | |
| Combs’s lawyers also showed the court text messages Ventura sent from after the incident in which Ventura told Combs: “I’m not a rag doll. I’m somebody’s child.” | |
| Throughout cross-examination on Thursday morning, Combs’s lawyers seemed to be trying to establish that around the time of the 2016 assault in the hotel, Combs had been experiencing withdrawals from opiates, which influenced his behavior. | |
| Ventura, who is eight and a half months pregnant, continued her testimony on Friday and said that she attended a 45-day in-patient treatment center in 2023 at the Willow House, an Arizona-based rehab program for women that “focuses on healing from intimacy and relationship issues, love and sex addiction, emotional trauma, and dual diagnosis”. | |
| She said she took part in “neurofeedback” once a week while she was there to “help me with my trauma”. | She said she took part in “neurofeedback” once a week while she was there to “help me with my trauma”. |
| “They hook your brain up to a machine and you watch something and it just kind of regulates your brain waves,” Ventura said, adding that she also did something called EMDR which “helps you recount memories”. | “They hook your brain up to a machine and you watch something and it just kind of regulates your brain waves,” Ventura said, adding that she also did something called EMDR which “helps you recount memories”. |
| Ventura’s testimony is expected to continue into Friday afternoon. | |
| Venturahas been on the stand since Tuesday afternoon, and has detailed years of sexual and physical abuse she alleges she endured during their decade-long relationship. | |
| On Thursday, she faced six hours of cross-examination, during which defense attorneys sought to undermine her credibility and depict her as a willing – and at times enthusiastic – participant in the drug-fueled sex sessions with male escorts known as “freak-offs” that she had said Combs coerced her into. | On Thursday, she faced six hours of cross-examination, during which defense attorneys sought to undermine her credibility and depict her as a willing – and at times enthusiastic – participant in the drug-fueled sex sessions with male escorts known as “freak-offs” that she had said Combs coerced her into. |
| The defense presented dozens of texts and emails between Combs and Ventura during their relationship, some of them explicit. | The defense presented dozens of texts and emails between Combs and Ventura during their relationship, some of them explicit. |
| One message showed Ventura telling Combs “I’m always ready to freak off” and in another message she said: “I love our [’freak-offs’] when we both want it.” | One message showed Ventura telling Combs “I’m always ready to freak off” and in another message she said: “I love our [’freak-offs’] when we both want it.” |
| Ventura told the court they were “just words at that point”. | Ventura told the court they were “just words at that point”. |
| During one exchange in court on Thursday, Combs’s lawyer asked: “To make him happy, you told him that you wanted to do ‘freak-offs’, right?” | During one exchange in court on Thursday, Combs’s lawyer asked: “To make him happy, you told him that you wanted to do ‘freak-offs’, right?” |
| Ventura answered: “No, there’s a lot more to that.” | Ventura answered: “No, there’s a lot more to that.” |
| The defense also spent time talking about the former couple’s drug use. | The defense also spent time talking about the former couple’s drug use. |
| Ventura testified that both she and Combs had, at points in their relationship, been addicted to opiates, and frequently used drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and GHB, and that they both would experience side effects. | Ventura testified that both she and Combs had, at points in their relationship, been addicted to opiates, and frequently used drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine and GHB, and that they both would experience side effects. |
| The defense also used cross-examination to ask about jealousy in their relationship, presenting messages in which Ventura expressed frustration with their relationship and voiced concern that she was the “side piece”. | The defense also used cross-examination to ask about jealousy in their relationship, presenting messages in which Ventura expressed frustration with their relationship and voiced concern that she was the “side piece”. |
| Ventura testified about Combs’s infidelity, and said she had felt jealous of Combs’s longtime partner Kim Porter. | Ventura testified about Combs’s infidelity, and said she had felt jealous of Combs’s longtime partner Kim Porter. |
| She also described Combs’s anger over her brief relationship with rapper Kid Cudi in 2011 – which she said occurred during a break in her and Combs’s relationship – and said Combs was often suspicious of her having affairs. | She also described Combs’s anger over her brief relationship with rapper Kid Cudi in 2011 – which she said occurred during a break in her and Combs’s relationship – and said Combs was often suspicious of her having affairs. |
| In court on Thursday, Combs, wearing a beige sweater, frequently stared at Ventura while she answered questions, whispered to his lawyers, passed notes to them and appeared fidgety. | In court on Thursday, Combs, wearing a beige sweater, frequently stared at Ventura while she answered questions, whispered to his lawyers, passed notes to them and appeared fidgety. |
| His sons, mother and publicist were present, as was Ventura’s husband. | His sons, mother and publicist were present, as was Ventura’s husband. |
| Combs is facing charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and denies all allegations. | Combs is facing charges including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and denies all allegations. |
| Combs, who has been held in jail since his arrest last year, could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted. | Combs, who has been held in jail since his arrest last year, could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted. |
| Before court adjourned on Thursday, prosecutors said Dawn Richard, a former member of the girl group Danity Kane, would be one of their next witnesses, and could testify as soon as Friday. | Before court adjourned on Thursday, prosecutors said Dawn Richard, a former member of the girl group Danity Kane, would be one of their next witnesses, and could testify as soon as Friday. |
| In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. | In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. |
| In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. | In the US, the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). In the UK, call the national domestic abuse helpline on 0808 2000 247, or visit Women’s Aid. In Australia, the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. Other international helplines may be found via www.befrienders.org. |