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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Cassie Ventura Is Moving Forward After Sean "Diddy" Combs Abuse
Originally appeared on E! Online Another new chapter has begun for Cassie Ventura. Two weeks away from giving birth to her third child with husband Alex Fine, the pregnant singer took the stand May 13 and proceeded to testify for four straight days in the trial of her ex-boyfriend Sean "Diddy" Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. Watching his wife on the stand, Fine said in a May 16 statement, "I have felt tremendous pride and overwhelming love for Cass. I have felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in front of a person who tried to break her." The trial is expected to last for at least another five or six weeks, and Combs, who's been jailed without bail since his arrest last September, is facing a possible life sentence if convicted of racketeering conspiracy. But Cassie is now free to focus on her infant son, who was born in New York. More from E! Online Brad Pitt Breaks Silence on Finalizing Angelina Jolie Divorce Savannah Chrisley Reveals Next Steps for Todd Chrisley and Julie Chrisley's Return After Prison Cassie Ventura Gives Birth, Welcomes Baby No. 3 With Husband Alex Fine Before heading to New York to testify against Combs, the 38-year-old had been busy "Mastering Peace," as she put it in an Instagram caption when she shared a few glowing bathroom mirror selfies last month. And maintaining her personal equilibrium became more important than ever as the trial approached. The lawsuit she filed against her ex in November 2023 accusing him of sexual assault and other abuses over the course of their decade-long relationship was the first legal domino to fall in what quickly turned into a flood of civil litigation and eventual criminal charges targeting the Bad Boy Entertainment mogul. The details in her complaint—many of which she recounted in her testimony—aligned with what Combs was accused of doing to the person identified as "Victim-1" in a September 2024 federal criminal indictment. While a then-unspecified settlement was announced in Cassie's lawsuit on Nov. 17, 2023, the day after it was filed—"I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control," she told NBC News—her harrowing allegations of rape, beatings and being forced to engage in sex acts with male escorts was followed by dozens of civil complaints from other Combs accusers. In response to questions about the timing of her legal move, coming years after she cut ties with Combs personally and professionally, Cassie told the New York Times, "With the expiration of New York's Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life." Combs has categorically denied wrongdoing in both his criminal and civil cases, as well as maintained that all of the sexual activity he engaged in was consensual. His attorney Ben Brafman said in 2023 that Cassie's lawsuit was "riddled with baseless and outrageous lies." But Combs admitted to "inexcusable" behavior in May 2024 after CNN published a disturbing clip of hotel security footage from 2016 that appeared to show him shoving and kicking Cassie in a hallway. Her lawsuit detailed an alleged incident that appeared to come to life in this video. 'I take full responsibility for my actions in that video," Combs said in a subsequent video statement. "I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now." In her first comment after the release of the hotel video, Cassie thanked the family, friends and complete strangers who had been supporting her. "The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning," she said in a statement posted to Instagram May 23, 2024. "Domestic violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past." The tape was at the center of one of the most contentious pretrial battles leading up to the start of jury selection May 5, with the defense unsuccessfully trying to get it excluded from evidence. Combs' lawyers had alleged in a November 2024 motion that CNN "altered, manipulated, sped-up, and edited" the tape, and therefore it did not depict "an accurate version" of events. CNN denied manipulating the video in any way. The footage has been viewed multiple times in court since prosecutors began presenting their case, Judge Arun Subramanian having ruled April 25 it was a "fair and accurate" depiction of what occurred between the defendant and Cassie. Meanwhile, Cassie remains on her healing journey. The tape was at the center of one of the most contentious pretrial battles leading up to the start of jury selection May 5, with the defense unsuccessfully trying to get it excluded from evidence. Combs' lawyers had alleged in a November 2024 motion that CNN "altered, manipulated, sped-up, and edited" the tape, and therefore it did not depict "an accurate version" of events. CNN denied manipulating the video in any way. The footage has been viewed multiple times in court since prosecutors began presenting their case, Judge Arun Subramanian having ruled April 25 it was a "fair and accurate" depiction of what occurred between the defendant and Cassie. Meanwhile, Cassie remains on her healing journey. After marking Father's Day last year on Instagram (where she goes by Casandra Fine), the mom of daughters Frankie, 5, Sunny, 3, took a long break from social media before revealing in February that she was pregnant, purposely punctuating the post with a blue heart. For Alex's 32nd birthday in March, she posted about her model-actor spouse of five years, "There aren't words to describe how grateful I am that I get to do this life with you! The laughter and pure joy that I get to experience with you is beyond any of my dreams and manifestations. You've taken care of me and my heart like no other, you're hands down the best girl dad and I'm SO excited to see you now become a father to OUR SON!" Before the trial began, Cassie had been slowly easing back into the public eye, accompanying Alex to the respective March 27 and March 31 premieres of MobLand in London and New York. It was no secret that she and Combs, who signed her to his Bad Boy Records label in 2006, had a tumultuous relationship, and after they broke up for good in 2018 Cassie referenced how stifling their partnership had been professionally and creatively. "More than anything, I would say that my creative process has changed since working with a new team," she told L'Officiel in 2019. "I feel supported so I make decisions based on what's best for me. I used to spend the most time overthinking the smallest things and always worrying about how people felt that I neglected how I really felt and what would make me happy. I wasn't creating from the heart. I'm still making sure that things are well thought out, but I'm doing what makes sense for my life. I'm just a woman coming into my own learning to trust myself. It's empowering." Pregnant with her first child at the time, Cassie said she was hoping to be the type of mom who showed her daughter "that she can be whomever she wants to be" and knew she had "all of the love and support in the world." She added, "I hope to make her understand the bigger picture in life and that you don't have to solely be one thing in this world. I want her to know that she can choose. My music is just part of a legacy that I wish to leave behind, for her and other women to be inspired by." She has yet to release another album since her 2006 self-titled debut, but has recorded her own songs—including 2019's "Excuses" and "Don't Let Go"—and collaborated on other artists' tunes, such as Solange's "Way to the Show" and Black Coffee's "Time." She has also continued to act and model, including for SKIMS in 2022. "I was honestly just so excited to be asked to be a part of [it], it barely crossed my mind," Cassie told Page Six of saying yes to the skin-baring campaign. "I've also come to a place of loving my body for all that it's done for me and my family and embracing it for what it is.' As for the prospect of returning to the studio, "I'm currently working on finding what's next for me," she told DScene Magazine toward the end of 2022. "Spending time with music I've never heard before and finding voices and sounds that move me." Career-wise, she explained, "My plans are to continue to create and to not think and just go. Music, acting, beauty and skin care to come. I am obsessed with music and what it does to and for people. I am so blessed that I get to meet new people daily that were moved by my music. I want to deliver things to the world that make people happy. But she acknowledged that becoming a mom had "changed everything in the greatest way." "It humbled me, it made me selfless, it made me take care of myself even better," Cassie said. "I was always so worried that I didn't heal enough before they came into the world, but they are the healing. I'm grateful for my journey, but nothing compares to being Frankie and Sunny's Mama." See more of Cassie and Alex Fine's sweet family world behind the scenes: Birthday BabesSafe TravelsSweetheartsA Day at the RacesProud PapaDaddy-Daughter SelfiesMake a wish!Say cheese!Surf BabiesFamily Vacation(Originally published May 12, 2025, at 2 a.m. PT) For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Who is Cassie Ventura in the Sean "Diddy" Combs trial? What to know about key names in the case
Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial continued Wednesday in New York City. His ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura was back on the stand for a second day. The hip-hop mogul is accused of running a criminal enterprise since at least 2004 that manipulated women into participating in commercial sex acts with him, and sometimes male sex workers, during what prosecutors described as drug-fueled parties called "freak offs." Combs has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn since his arrest last September. He faces five counts from four different women, including Ventura. So far, jurors heard from a former security manager at the Los Angeles hotel where Combs was seen on a now infamous video attacking Ventura in 2016, along with a man who says he was hired to have sex with Ventura while Combs watched, and Ventura herself. Here's what to know about the charges and key names in the case. Who is Cassie Ventura? Hotel video a key piece of evidence Ventura, who performs under the name Cassie, rose to fame with the single "Me & U" on her self-titled debut album. The song landed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart in 2006. In her testimony, she said she signed with Bad Boy Records when she was 19, and Combs first kissed her on her 21st birthday. She and Combs dated off-and-on for more than 10 years, from about 2007 to 2018. She said she recorded hundreds of songs as part of a 10-album deal, but most were never released. She testified Combs became controlling and violent, and the "freak offs" became her job. Ventura spoke about years of alleged psychological and physical abuse. She also said Wednesday that he raped her after they had broken up in 2018. The security video of Combs attacking Ventura in the hallway of the InterContinental hotel is a key piece of evidence in his trial. The video, obtained and published by CNN last year, shows Combs throw her onto the floor before kicking and dragging her. Prosecutors allege the hotel assault happened during a "freak off," but Combs' lawyers, who sought to have the video excluded from trial, argue it was a "glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship." Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Combs in 2023, accusing him of rape and physical abuse. The suit also said Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage. "After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships," Ventura said in a statement to CBS News at the time. "With the expiration of New York's Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life." Combs later apologized for the behavior seen on the video, but denied the allegations in the lawsuit. In a social media post that has since been removed, he said he was "f---ed up" and "hit rock bottom." "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video," he said. "I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I'm so sorry. But I'm committed to be a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm truly sorry." One day after the suit was filed, a settlement was announced. While the details were not disclosed, Ventura said in a statement, "I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control." Combs' defense attorneys said in their opening statements that he and Ventura hadn't seen each other since his ex, Kim Porter's, funeral in 2018. Ventura is now married and pregnant with her third child. Her husband and brother have both been seen in court for support. Who are Diddy's other accusers? Since 2023, dozens of women and men have filed lawsuits against Combs alleging sexual and physical abuse. Many of the accusers said they were drugged and then abused while incapacitated, and some claimed other celebrities were present or participated in the abuse. However, the majority of those allegations are not part of the criminal case. Prosecutors have chosen to focus on allegations where there is physical evidence or witness corroboration. The other three women involved in the trial have not been publicly named and they are expected to testify using pseudonyms. The indictment refers to them as Victim-1, Victim-2 and Victim-3. Combs has denied all of the allegations through his lawyers, who described the women as "former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships." Other high-profile names in the Sean Combs case Prospective jurors were asked if they were familiar with a list of some 190 celebrities, including Michael B. Jordan, Kanye West and Mike Myers, though it wasn't clear how those people are related to the trial, if at all. The judge overseeing the case is U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, a Columbia Law School graduate and former clerk for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. President Joe Biden appointed Subramanian as a federal judge in 2022. The prosecution team is made up of eight assistant U.S. attorneys, seven of them women. They include Maurene Ryan Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. She was one of the prosecutors in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of conspiring Jeffrey Epstein to recruit and sexually abuse teenage girls. Combs' defense team is led by New York lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who along with his wife Karen Friedman Agnifilo is also defending Luigi Mangione in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Also on the seven-person defense team is Atlanta attorney Brian Steel, who represented Young Thug in a trial that lasted nearly two years before the rapper pleaded guilty to gang, drug and gun charges. Can you watch the Diddy trial live? Per federal court rules, photos and videos from inside court are not allowed. Courtroom sketches, however, are permitted. The highly anticipated trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks. For the first week, court will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. CBS News New York's Alice Gainer will be at the courthouse for the duration of trial and provide real-time updates. Renee Anderson Renee Anderson is a digital producer at CBS New York, where she covers breaking news and other local stories. Before joining the team in 2016, Renee worked at WMUR-TV. contributed to this report.
CBS News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Who are the witnesses in Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial? What to know about Cassie and other accusers expected to testify.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial is underway with testimony in New York City. The hip-hop mogul is accused of running a criminal enterprise since at least 2004 that manipulated women into participating in commercial sex acts with him, and sometimes male sex workers, during what prosecutors described as drug-fueled parties called "freak offs." Combs has been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn since his arrest last September. He faces five counts from four different women, including singer and ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. The first week of trial is expected to include testimony from an FBI analyst who could break down the now-infamous 2016 video of Combs and Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel, along with a male escort and Ventura, according to CBS News' Jericka Duncan. Here's what to know about the charges and key names in the case. Who is Cassie Ventura? Hotel video a key piece of evidence Ventura, who performs under the name Cassie, rose to fame with the single "Me & U" on her self-titled debut album. The song landed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop chart in 2006. She and Combs dated off-and-on from about 2007 to 2018. Security video of Combs attacking Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 is expected to be a key piece of evidence in his trial. The video, obtained and published by CNN last year, shows Combs throw Ventura onto the floor before kicking and dragging her. Prosecutors allege the hotel assault happened during a "freak off," but Combs' lawyers, who sought to have the video excluded from trial, argue it was a "glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship." Ventura filed a federal lawsuit against Combs in 2023, accusing him of rape and physical abuse. The suit also said Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage. "After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships," Ventura said in a statement to CBS News at the time. "With the expiration of New York's Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life." Combs later apologized for the behavior seen on the video, but denied the allegations in the lawsuit. In a social media post that has since been removed, he said he was "f---ed up" and "hit rock bottom." "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video," he said. "I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I'm so sorry. But I'm committed to be a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm truly sorry." One day after the suit was filed, a settlement was announced. While the details were not disclosed, Ventura said in a statement, "I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control." Who are Diddy's other accusers? Since 2023, dozens of women and men have filed lawsuits against Combs alleging sexual and physical abuse. Many of the accusers said they were drugged and then abused while incapacitated, and some claimed other celebrities were present or participated in the abuse. However, the majority of those allegations are not part of the criminal case. Prosecutors have chosen to focus on allegations where there is physical evidence or witness corroboration. The other three women involved in the trial have not been publicly named and they are expected to testify using pseudonyms. The indictment refers to them as Victim-1, Victim-2 and Victim-3. Combs denied all of the allegations through his lawyers, who have said the women are "former long-term girlfriends, who were involved in consensual relationships." Other high-profile names in the Sean Combs case Prospective jurors were asked if they were familiar with a list of some 190 celebrities, including Michael B. Jordan, Kanye West and Mike Myers, though it wasn't clear how those people are related to the trial, if at all. The judge overseeing the case is U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, a Columbia Law School graduate and former clerk for the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. President Joe Biden appointed Subramanian as a federal judge in 2022. The prosecution team is made up of eight assistant U.S. attorneys, seven of them women. They include Maurene Ryan Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. She was one of the prosecutors in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of conspiring Jeffrey Epstein to recruit and sexually abuse teenage girls. Combs' defense team is led by New York lawyer Marc Agnifilo, who along with his wife Karen Friedman Agnifilo is also defending Luigi Mangione in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Also on the seven-person defense team is Atlanta attorney Brian Steel, who represented Young Thug in a trial that lasted nearly two years before the rapper pleaded guilty to gang, drug and gun charges. Can you watch the Diddy trial live? Per federal court rules, photos and videos from inside court are not allowed. Courtroom sketches, however, are permitted. The highly anticipated trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks. For the first week, court will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. CBS News New York's Alice Gainer will be at the courthouse for the duration of trial and provide real-time updates. contributed to this report.
Evening Standard
13-05-2025
- Evening Standard
Who is Cassie Ventura? Everything you need to know about Diddy's ex
Filed in the Federal District Court in Manhattan, the lawsuit comes under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law which allows people who say they were victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits after the statute of limitations has expired.
Sydney Morning Herald
09-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs is facing trial. Here's what you need to know
What is Diddy charged with? Combs was indicted by a federal grand jury on criminal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation for prostitution. He was arrested in September 2024 and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He has been held in jail without bail since his arrest. If convicted, he could face 15 years to life in prison. Combs is charged with operating his businesses like a racketeering enterprise, using employees and other associates to help facilitate multiple crimes, including kidnapping, arson, bribery and sex trafficking. Prosecutors say he used his fame and fortune as a powerbroker in the hip-hop world to force young women into sexually abusive situations, including 'freak-offs', drugged-fuelled orgies in which women were forced to have sex with male sex workers while Combs filmed them. Combs' lawyers contend prosecutors are trying to police consensual sexual activity. What about the civil lawsuits? Accounts vary, but there are at least 70 civil lawsuits, alleging various forms of misconduct, dating back to the 1990s. These are being dealt with separately to the criminal charges. Loading When did these accusations surface? In November 2023, Combs' former girlfriend Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit accusing him of a decade-long 'cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking'. Combs and Ventura had been in a relationship between 2007 and 2018. That suit was filed under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that allows lawsuits to be filed after the statute of limitations has expired. The case was settled a day after it was filed. The terms of the out-of-court settlement were not disclosed. In March 2024, the Department of Homeland Security raided several properties owned by Combs, and six months later the charges of sex trafficking and racketeering were laid. Video of Diddy assaulting Cassie Ventura On May 17, 2024, the US news channel CNN released surveillance footage of Combs assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. The incident occurred on March 5, 2016, and the surveillance footage, compiled from multiple camera angles, shows Combs grabbing Ventura by the hair and by her neck, throwing her to the floor, kicking her, shoving her and throwing an object at her. Combs had previously denied assaulting Ventura, but when the clip was circulated publicly, he took full responsibility for the behaviour in it. 'My behaviour on that video is inexcusable,' he wrote on social media when the video surfaced. 'I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I'm so sorry. But I'm committed to be a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm truly sorry.' Who is Cassie Ventura? Born in Connecticut in 1986, Casandra Ventura, is an American R&B singer, dancer, actress and model who moved to New York in 2004, where she became a rising star in the hip-hop scene. Her first single, Me & U, became her breakout hit. Combs' Bad Boy Records released her 2006 album, Cassie, through a partnership with the NextSelection record label. In 2007, Ventura began working predominantly with Bad Boy Records. That same year, Combs and Ventura began secretly dating. Their relationship ended in 2018. Ventura has accused Combs of rape over the course of their relationship and is expected to testify in court that he abused her and derailed her career. Ventura married personal trainer Alex Fine in September 2019 and they have two daughters. She is pregnant with a third child. Will Diddy wear prison clothing to court? Combs' legal team asked permission for him to be allowed to appear in court without a tan prison jumpsuit and the judge said yes. Combs is allowed to 'receive non-prison clothing' for his trial: up to five button-down shirts, up to five pairs of pants, up to five sweaters, up to five pairs of socks, and up to two pairs of shoes without laces. Where is Diddy now? Combs is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn. His lawyers have attempted several times to have him released on bail, and offered a number of concessions, including surrendering his passport, and selling his private jet. In October, the court denied Combs bail for a third time. Loading Did Diddy take a plea deal? Last week, Combs appeared in court and was offered an opportunity to take a plea deal from prosecutors, essentially bartering an admission of guilt in exchange for lesser charges, which would come with a potentially smaller sentence. He rejected the offer, which means the trial will proceed, with no deal in place to cap any potential sentence should he be found guilty.
