The pop and R&B singer Casandra Elizabeth “Cassie” Ventura is taking the stand today in the federal trial of her former boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs. During her testimony, as reported by The New York Times, Cassie has described the alleged physical and sexual abuse she endured during her relationship with Diddy. She also discussed the “freak-offs” at the center of the federal government’s case against the hip-hop musician and mogul. She could be on the stand for four days, according to The Times.
Responding to questions from the prosecution, Cassie said that her relationship with Diddy involved “violent arguments that would usually result in some sort of physical abuse.” She also said that the musician “controlled a lot of [her] life.” Cassie also recalled the beginnings of her relationship with Diddy. “I just knew that he was this larger-than-life entrepreneur, musician. Was a fan of the music. I didn’t know too much about him personally,” she said. “I wanted to be around Sean for the same reasons as everyone else at the time,” she added. “He was just this exciting, entertaining, fun guy that also happened to have, you know, my career in his hands.”
The prosecution also asked Cassie to describe what a “freak-off” was, and she said, “It basically entails the hiring of an escort and setting up this experience so that I could perform for Sean.” She added that they could last from roughly 36 hours to four days, and said, “The freak-offs became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again.”
Cassie sued Diddy, in November 2023, and accused him of physical and sexual assault. She settled her lawsuit nearly immediately after filing it, but her willingness to reveal her experiences with Diddy led to a cascade of allegations and lawsuits against him. Her lawsuit also likely helped spur the government into action, as officials began to build its racketeering and sex trafficking case against Diddy.
Diddy’s trial began on Monday, May 12, and it is expected to last eight weeks. During opening statements, one of the federal government’s prosecutors, Emily A. Johnson, said that Diddy “had an inner circle of bodyguards and high-ranking employees who helped him commit crimes and helped him cover them up.” The musician’s legal team, in contrast, said that Diddy’s abuse does not constitute sex trafficking. Later, on the first day of the trial, a man named Daniel Phillip testified that Diddy paid him to have sexual encounters with Cassie. Phillip also said that he witnessed Diddy’s violence against Cassie.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault or domestic abuse, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
https://rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
https://thehotline.org
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
