Cassie Ventura testified in federal court on Wednesday against her former partner Sean "Diddy" Combs, recounting years of alleged physical abuse, coercion, and rape, saying she could no longer live with the shame and guilt of her silence. Her emotional statement came during her second day on the stand in a trial where Combs is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and related offenses.
"I can't carry this anymore," Ventura told the jury, breaking into tears at the end of her testimony. "I can't carry the shame, the guilt, the way he treated people like they were disposable. What's right is right, what's wrong is wrong. I came here to do the right thing."
The 38-year-old singer described years of alleged abuse and manipulation, dating back to her early 20s when she began a relationship with Combs, who was 17 years older. She alleged that Combs raped her in Los Angeles in 2018, after she tried to end their relationship. "I just remember crying and saying no, but it was very fast," she testified. Ventura added that she later had a consensual sexual encounter with Combs, stating, "We'd been together for over 10 years. You just don't turn feelings off."
Jurors were shown photos and surveillance footage to corroborate parts of her testimony, including images from a 2016 incident in a Los Angeles hotel where Combs allegedly beat Ventura in the hallway. Ventura said she suffered visible injuries including a swollen lip and a black eye and that Combs' staff took her to a plastic surgeon rather than a hospital. Ventura said a friend who saw her injuries was visibly upset, having previously seen her with "black eyes and busted lips."
Ventura also described how she entered trauma therapy and rehab in early 2023, citing suicidal thoughts and recurring flashbacks. It is ”impossible to know" how many group sex sessions-referred to as "freak offs"-she was forced to attend during the relationship, she said, estimating that there were hundreds. She testified that these events caused severe emotional and physical harm, including urinary tract infections and chronic stomach issues, leaving her feeling "really empty" and "gross."
During her testimony, Ventura detailed how Combs allegedly used blackmail to control her. She described a 2013 flight where he played a video of a "freak off" on his laptop in front of others, threatening to release the footage. "He told me he was going to embarrass me and release them," she said.
She further alleged that Combs threatened violence when he discovered she had briefly dated rapper Kid Cudi in 2011. According to Ventura, Combs threatened to "blow up" Cudi's car, and she was later told the vehicle did in fact explode. She also recounted an incident where Combs allegedly beat her inside an Escalade after she accused him of flirting with another woman, sending her to a hotel with facial injuries. Ventura said she wanted to go home but Combs refused.
Prosecutors accuse Combs of using his fame and influence to coerce Ventura and other women into abusive sexual encounters with escorts. The defense concedes Combs could be violent but maintains all encounters were consensual and denies the sex trafficking charges.
Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, settling within 24 hours for a reported $20 million. On the stand, she said she has no other pending legal action against him.
Courtroom proceedings were briefly paused when explicit images from the alleged "freak offs" were presented to jurors but shielded from the public gallery. Combs, seated beside his attorney Marc Agnifilo, examined a binder of the images before handing it back.
The trial resumes Thursday with the defense beginning cross-examination of Ventura.
