Cassie's explicit messages with Sean ‘Diddy' Combs read aloud to jury
Combs' lawyers began questioning the prosecution's star witness on the fourth day of the music mogul's sex trafficking trial in Manhattan, which is expected to last about two months.
Federal prosecutors accuse Combs of exploiting his status as a powerful music executive and entrepreneur to violently force Cassie and other women to take part in these encounters with sex workers, which he called 'freak-offs'.
Combs denies all the allegations and has pleaded not guilty.
His lawyers are seeking to portray Cassie as a willing participant in Combs' lifestyle, and say that while he could be violent, nothing he did amounted to a criminal enterprise.
Defence lawyer Anna Estevao read what Combs said in email and text exchanges, while Cassie recited what she wrote to him.
In one from August 2009, Combs asked her: 'When do you want to freak off? Lol.'
'I'm always ready to freak off,' she replied.
Two days later, Cassie sent an explicit message to Combs.
'I can't wait to watch you. I want you to get real hott,' he replied.
'Me Too, I just want it to be uncontrollable,' she said.
Cassie asked for a short break, which Judge Arun Subramanian granted, after yet more explicit messages were shown.
This came a day after she was made to see still images from videos of sexual encounters during prosecutors' questioning.
Prior to the start of the trial, Combs' lawyers made clear that they intended to label a lot of the sexual behaviour of their client as part of the swingers lifestyle.
Ms Estevao asked Cassie directly whether she thought 'freak-offs' were related to the swingers lifestyle.
'In a sexual way,' Cassie responded, before adding: 'They're very different.'
The cross-examination had begun with gentle questioning by Ms Estevao, as she had Cassie first read through warm and loving messages with Combs early in their relationship.
Cassie said that Combs was charismatic, with a larger-than-life personality.
At the time, she said, 'I had fallen in love with him and cared about him very much.'
Thursday's evidence was in contrast to the violence and shame Cassie said accompanied 'hundreds' of her encounters with male sex workers that Combs watched and controlled during their relationship – which stretched from 2007 to 2018 and started when she was 19 and he was in his 30s.
She said the drug-fuelled 'freak-offs' would last hours and even days, with her sometimes taking IV fluids to recover and eventually developing an opioid addiction because it made her 'feel numb' afterwards.
The 38-year-old, who is in the third trimester of pregnancy with her third child, has held up well in the witness box.
She alleged on Wednesday that Combs raped her when she broke up with him, and that he kept her locked in a life of physical abuse by threatening to release degrading sexual videos of her.
'I feared for my career. I feared for my family. It's just embarrassing. It's horrible and disgusting. No-one should do that to anyone,' said Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Cassie has.
Combs initially appeared relaxed as cross-examination got under way on Thursday, sitting back in his chair with his legs crossed and conferring with his lawyer Marc Agnifilo.
The courtroom was packed with family and friends of Combs, journalists and a row of spectator seats occupied by Cassie's supporters.
Cassie sued Combs in 2023, accusing him of years of physical and sexual abuse.
Within hours, the suit was settled for 20 million dollars (£15 million) – a figure Cassie disclosed for the first time on Wednesday – but dozens of similar legal claims followed from other women.
Ms Estevao asked Cassie if it was 'fair to say' that Combs' career was ruined after she sued him, making public for the first time the concept of 'freak-offs'.
Cassie responded: 'I could understand that.'
Combs, 55, has been jailed since September.
He faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC News
3 hours ago
- NBC News
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial live updates: Testimony continues after ex-assistant alleged Combs sexually assaulted her
What to know about the sex trafficking trial A woman who is only being referred to by a pseudonym, "Mia," testified on Thursday that she used to work as Combs' personal assistant for several years. She accused Combs of sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions during that time. Combs faces five criminal counts: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has denied the allegations against him. This live blog may include graphic descriptions of sexual violence. For resources on sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline. Sign up for the ' Diddy on Trial ' newsletter for key developments and analysis, and listen to Dateline's nightly podcast.
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
TV legend renews Coronation Street contract to stay on into next year
Coronation Street troublemaker Cassie Plummer is set to be on our screens for a while longer, as actress Claire Sweeney has renewed her contract with the ITV soap. The former Brookside star first arrived on the cobbles in 2023 as Evelyn Plummer's (Maureen Lipman) estranged daughter. In recent months, Cassie caused quite a stir when she was caught drugging Ken Barlow (William Roache) with antihistamines. She had been hired as his carer when his health deteriorated, and in order to assure that he still needed her so she could keep her job, she took desperate measures to ensure he still felt unwell. Eventually, Ken caught on to what she was doing and fired her, with the rest of the Coronation Street residents shunning her in solidarity with the pensioner. However, it appears she won't be letting her neighbours drive her out completely, with Cassie set to appear on Coronation Street until at least 2026. Metro understands that Claire Sweeney has signed a new contract with the show. 'Claire loves being on Corrie – it's a dream job, so she was delighted to sign a new deal,' a source told The Sun. More Trending 'With the big Emmerdale crossover coming in 2026, there's also a hope that she'll be in that too. It's a great opportunity to be part of soap history so who wouldn't want to be involved?' It was recently announced that Coronation Street and Emmerdale will be teaming up in the new year for a special crossover episode, as changes to their schedules come into affect. Characters from the Dales and Weatherfield will interact on screen for the first time ever in the exciting episode, which will affect subsequent storylines. View More » Will Cassie be involved in this soap first episode? MORE: EastEnders star Kara Tointon, 41, undergoes double mastectomy MORE: Hollyoaks star Paul Danan's death at 46 ruled misadventure MORE: Coronation Street fans convinced major star is returning
Sky News
16 hours ago
- Sky News
Former Sean 'Diddy' Combs assistant breaks down as she tells trial of alleged sexual assaults: 'I thought I was going to die with this'
A former employee of Sean "Diddy" Combs broke down in tears as she described being sexually assaulted by the hip-hop star on several occasions - telling the court the alleged abuse was "the most traumatising, worst thing that's ever happened to me". Three weeks into the trial, Mia* is the second alleged victim to testify against Combs, following his former partner Cassie's evidence alleging years of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. While Cassie waived her right to anonymity, Mia did not want to be identified and is appearing in court in Manhattan, New York, under a pseudonym. She started by telling the court about witnessing Combs, 55, being violent towards Cassie, before moving on to talk about her own experiences. Diddy trial day twelve - as it happened Mia told the court she once woke to find Combs on top of her and that he forced her to have sex against her will. Another time, he forced her to perform oral sex, she alleged. He also once threw a bucket of ice on her head and slammed her arm into a door on another occasion, she said. The court heard Mia had never told anyone about the alleged sexual assaults by Combs until she spoke to government investigators for this case. "I was going to die with this," she said, becoming tearful on the stand. "I didn't want anyone to know ever." Telling the court she could not say "no" to her former boss, she said: "I knew his power. And his control. I didn't want to lose everything that I worked so hard for." She also said she feared being attacked and was "always" worried about being physically hurt by Combs. "I didn't want to die or get hurt." Mia said she felt "desperate", "terrified and trapped" and described the alleged sexual assaults as "the most shameful thing of my life", and "the most traumatising, worst thing that's ever happened to me". Asked why she is speaking out now, she told the court: "Because I have to tell the truth." 'Chaotic and toxic' Mia, faltering at times, said working for Combs came with extreme highs and lows. Sometimes he would offer advice and act like her "protector", she said. Other times, he would "humiliate" her and berate her for small mistakes, and work her so hard she had little sleep, she said. "It was chaotic. It was toxic," she told the court. Combs's employees were always on edge because his mood could "change in a split second", causing everything to go from "happy to chaotic", she said. Mia told how she was barely at home once she started working for Combs. Like other employees, she often slept at his properties in LA, Miami and New York. She told the court she was not allowed to leave without his permission and was not allowed lock her door, even though it seemed as if other members of the predominantly male security staff were able to do so. "This is my house. No one locks the doors," Combs allegedly said to her. On one occasion, Mia said she worked without sleeping for five days, with prescription drugs getting her through it. It was only when she had a physical breakdown that Combs allowed her to sleep, jurors were told. Mia's testimony echoed that of prior prosecution witnesses, including several of Combs's other former employees, as well as Cassie. Cassie, an R'n'B singer and model whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, spoke for four days during the first week of the trial. She told jurors her ex-partner subjected her to hundreds of "freak offs" - drug-fuelled marathons in which she said she engaged in sex acts with male sex workers while he watched and filmed them. Heavily pregnant at the time, it was confirmed in court yesterday that she gave birth to her third child earlier this week. Mia is the second of three women testifying about alleged sexual abuse by Combs. The third woman, using the pseudonym "Jane", is also expected to testify about participating in freak offs. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution. During their opening statement, his lawyers conceded he could be violent at times, but said that did not make him a sex trafficker or racketeering leader. Combs denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit or cover up abuse. What did Mia say about Cassie? In the first part of her testimony, Mia told the court she saw Combs beating Cassie on several occasions and that she sustained injuries, including black eyes, other bruises, and fat lips. The two became friends, she said, and are still friends today. Mia described a party at Prince's house that she and Cassie "snuck out" to, saying Prince's security had to intervene when Combs turned up and started to attack her. She also described a trip to a private island in Turks and Caicos, in the Caribbean, saying she remembers Cassie being "terrified" as Combs banged on her door "screaming". On another occasion during that trip, they used paddle boards to go out to sea to get away from him, she said - but the weather changed and the sky turned dark. "I was trying to weigh if it was scarier to face Mother Nature or go back to Puff," Mia said, using the name she knew him by. "We eventually went back to Puff." Combs was also abusive to Cassie at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012, the court was told. Mia alleged she saw him digging his nails into her as they watched a film.
