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Who Is Cassie Ventura? What to Know About the Woman Testifying Against Sean ‘Diddy' Combs

Johnny Nunez Who is Cassie, the mononymous singer at the center of the Diddy trial? Nearly two years after filing her own lawsuit against Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Cassie Ventura took the stand at the rapper's highly publicized sex trafficking trial. On May 13, a pregnant Ventura testified against her ex-boyfriend, describing alleged abuse at the hands of the rapper throughout their 11-year relationship, which spanned from 2007 to 2018. 'Sean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was career, the way I dressed, everything, everything,' Ventura told jurors, per the Associated Press, further claiming Combs would threaten to release images and video from his infamous 'freak-offs' if she ever defied him. She also took the stand on May 14 and 15, when she was cross-examined by the defense. But how did Cassie and Diddy meet, and what's going on with her career? Here's what we know. Cassandra Ventura, who grew up in Connecticut, began modeling at age 14, booking commercial jobs for brands like Delia's and local department stores. She met producer Ryan Leslie in 2004 after moving to New York City to continue modeling. The pair also began a relationship. According to her testimony, Cassie, now 38, was a 19-year-old aspiring R&B singer when she met Diddy through Leslie. She ultimately signed a ten-album deal with Combs's Bad Boy Records label. Her 2006 debut album Cassie is the only album she's ever released. 'I wanted to be around Sean for the same reasons as everyone else at the time,' Ventura told the court during her testimony, per The Times. 'Just this exciting, entertaining, fun guy that also happened to have my career in his hands.' Cassie's 2006 single 'Me & U,' off Cassie, reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and remained on the charts for almost seven months. He second single, 'Long Way 2 Go,' peaked at 97 on the Billboard Hot 100. Cassie continued put out more singles in 2008 and 2009, however they did not chart. She later said during her testimony that she recorded 'hundreds of tracks' with Diddy during the course of their relationship. Per NPR, she now refers to those recordings as busywork. Most of her time was spent orchestrating and participating in Diddy's freak off parties, she said. Cassie has also dabbled in acting, appearing in 2008's Step Up 2: The Streets and the 2016 rom-com The Perfect Match. Cassie testified while pregnant with her third child with husband Alex Fine. She married the fitness trainer and actor in 2019. They also share two daughters: Frankie Stone Fine (born in December 2019) and Sunny Cinco Fine (born in March 2021). Ventura first came forward about the physical and sexual abuse through a lawsuit in November 2023, eventually inspiring others to come forward with sexual assault allegations against Combs. Though Diddy denied the allegations at the time, Ventura revealed that the lawsuit was settled for $20 million. 'I wanted to be compensated for the time, the pain,' she said during her recent testimony. Last year, CNN published graphic surveillance-video footage showing Diddy assaulting Cassie in March 2016. Following the release of the footage, Diddy posted a video to his own Instagram, claiming he takes 'full responsibility' for his 'inexcusable' behavior and sought professional help. The Video of Diddy Assaulting Cassie Is Horrific. This Is Why You Shouldn't Look Away 'The fact it took a video kept hidden for eight years to prove to the world the kind of man Combs is, is a travesty.' At the time, Cassie thanked the public for their 'love and support' in a multi-paragraph Instagram statement, emphasizing, 'My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believe victims the first time.' Combs was unable to be charged for assaulting Ventura due to statute of limitations. Four months later, however he was arrested and charged with sex trafficking and racketeering. Celebrity News The Diddy Trial and Arrest: What We Know About the 'Freak Offs,' Baby Oil, and More The rapper's trial started on May 5. Originally Appeared on Glamour