The courtroom fell silent as Casandra “Cassie” Ventura stepped forward to testify against her former partner, Sean “Diddy” Combs, in a trial that has gripped the nation. Now 38 and visibly pregnant, Ventura’s testimony in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering case painted a chilling picture of a decade-long relationship marked by violence, coercion, and control. Her words, delivered under oath, offered a raw and emotional account of the abuse she alleges at the hands of the music mogul, whose empire is now under intense scrutiny.
Ventura’s testimony, which began on May 13, 2025, in a New York federal court, stems from her explosive 2023 lawsuit against Combs. That civil suit, settled just a day after its filing, accused him of rape, physical abuse, and sex trafficking, sparking a federal investigation that led to Combs’ five felony charges. As she took the stand, Ventura’s voice carried the weight of years of silence, detailing a relationship that began when she was just 19 and Combs, then 37, was a towering figure in hip-hop.
Ventura recounted meeting Combs in 2005, when she was an aspiring singer. By 2006, she signed a 10-album deal with his Bad Boy Records, a move that tied her professional and personal life to him.
“Sean called all the shots,”
She described how he controlled her music career, from concepts to releases. Only one album, her self-titled debut, was released in 2006, stifling her ambitions.
Their romantic relationship, which began around 2007, was kept under wraps. Ventura believed they were monogamous, but Combs was publicly linked to Kim Porter, the mother of his children.
“I was his artist,”
Ventura explained, noting the secrecy surrounding their romance. She described Combs’ lavish lifestyle, complete with assistants and constant travel, as well as his volatile moods that shifted “day to day.”
The heart of Ventura’s testimony focused on the violence she endured.
“Arguments would result in violence, dragging,”
She said, her voice steady but heavy.
“He’d stomp me in the head if I was down.”
Black eyes and bruises became a recurring consequence of his rage, she alleged, happening.
“too frequently.”
A pivotal piece of evidence was a 2016 surveillance video from the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, shown in court. The footage, which Ventura confirmed depicted her, captured Combs chasing her down a hallway, throwing her to the ground, and kicking her after a “freak-off” event. She described these events as orchestrated sex parties involving hired escorts, which Combs allegedly pressured her to participate in.
Ventura’s initial reaction to the “freak-offs” was confusion and nervousness.
“I wanted to make him happy,”
She said, admitting she agreed to the first one. But as they became more frequent, her reluctance grew. Saying “no” was not an option, she testified, as Combs allegedly held “blackmail materials” over her.
“I didn’t know what ‘no’ could turn into,”
She said fear was evident in her recollection.
Ventura also detailed Combs’ use of drugs to control her. She recounted a trip to Miami with friends Kerry Morgan and Dallas Austin, where Combs gave her “Blue Dolphin” ecstasy on a boat. Another time, she unknowingly consumed ecstasy mixed in Gatorade, describing the sensation as “rolling.” These incidents, she said, were part of a pattern where Combs introduced her to substances and sexual experiences she didn’t understand, including oral sex, which left her feeling nervous and out of her depth.
Combs’ control extended beyond physical acts. Ventura testified that he had access to her medical records and monitored her communications. She provided prosecutors with laptops containing communications and documents related to Combs, as well as photos that chronicled their relationship, including one from a 2007 or 2008 Halloween night at a New York strip club.
Ventura’s decision to testify under her own name, rather than as “Victim-1,” underscores her resolve to confront her past.
“After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story,”
She said in a statement tied to her 2023 lawsuit. Her testimony is a cornerstone of the prosecution’s case, which alleges Combs ran a criminal enterprise that manipulated women into commercial sex acts during drug-fueled “freak-offs.” The trial, overseen by U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, includes testimony from other witnesses, including a male escort and a hotel security guard, who have detailed similar allegations of violence and coercion.
Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, faces up to life in prison if convicted. His defense team argues that Ventura’s allegations reflect a consensual, albeit complex, relationship, and that the 2016 video shows domestic violence, not sex trafficking. Yet, Ventura’s testimony and video evidence have intensified public and legal scrutiny of Combs’ actions.
Courtesy: Meghann Cuniff, Inner City Press