Latest news with #Diddy–DirtyMoney
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
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Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial: Supporter Escorted Out for Outburst
Originally appeared on E! Online Order was briefly absent from the courtroom. As Sean 'Diddy' Combs sat alongside his defense team during his sex trafficking trial in New York June 3, a supporter was removed by law enforcement after a shocking disruption in the main courtroom, according to NBC News reporters in the room. "Everyone is laughing at Diddy," the woman—who has previously viewed the proceedings from the overflow room, according to the outlet—shouted. 'It's not right what they're doing to him!" She appeared to yell at the Combs, 'People are trying to do you wrong.' After the woman exited the courtroom, the former security supervisor at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles Eddy Garcia took the stand in connection with Combs' assault on ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura at the hotel in 2016. Garcia—who testified under an immunity order, per NBC News—accused the Bad Boy Records founder of paying the hotel security with a brown paper bag of $100,000 in exchange for the footage of the attack, which was subsequently released by CNN last May. More from E! Online Ellen Pompeo Detained for Hour by TSA and Bomb Squad Over Erewhon Sunflower Seeds Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Daughter Shiloh Debuts New Name Kylie Jenner Reveals Exact Details About Her Boob Job He said that after the incident—which Combs apologized for after the video was shared by the outlet—the rap mogul allegedly called him requesting the footage. 'He kept repeating that I sounded like a good guy and he said I could help with the video footage,' he testified. 'He said it would ruin his career. I apologized and told him I was only a security officer and didn't have access. I did not have the credentials to get to the server room where the original footage was.' Garcia alleged that after telling his then-boss that Combs had offered to pay for the footage, his employer went into the server room and handed him a USB drive. After Garcia allegedly dropped off the memory card to the Diddy – Dirty Money alum, he said he signed an NDA with a $1 million penalty. Afterward, Garcia said that Combs—who has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, as well as transportation to engage in prostitution—had given him $100,000 to split between himself and two other hotel employees. 'We walked to my vehicle and he asked me how I was going to spend the money,' he testified. 'I said I didn't know and he said, 'Don't make big purchases.' I thought it meant he didn't want to draw attention.' For more live updates from Combs' trial, keep reading. (E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.) Sean 'Diddy' Combs Supporter Escorted Out of Courtroom After OutburstFormer Security Alleges That Sean 'Diddy' Combs Paid Him $100,000 For Hotel Video of Cassie Ventura AssaultSean 'Diddy' Combs Used Aliases For Hotel Reservations, Witness SaysFormer Assistant Said She Was 'Brainwashed' By Sean 'Diddy' CombsWhy R. Kelly Was Mentioned During Cross-examination of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Former AssistantPresident Donald Trump Addresses the Possibility of Pardoning Sean 'Diddy' CombsFormer Personal Assistant Said Sean 'Diddy' Combs Threatened to Both Kill Her and Report Her to HRFormer Personal Assistant Saw Sean 'Diddy' Combs 'Crack' Cassie Ventura's 'Head Open,' She TestifiesFormer Personal Assistant Accuses Sean 'Diddy' Combs of Multiple Sexual AssaultsCelebrity Stylist Namedrops Michael B. Jordan During Testimony Against Sean 'Diddy' CombsJudge Denies Request for a MistrialFormer Assistant Alleges Sean 'Diddy' Combs Threatened Her and Cassie Ventura After Learning About Kid Cudi RomanceSean 'Diddy' Combs Allegedly Wanted to 'Kill' Kid Cudi Over Cassie Ventura RomanceFormer Assistant Said She Was Forced Into Taking Lie Detector Test by Sean 'Diddy' Combs After Jewelry Went MissingCapricorn Clark: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Beat Cassie Ventura After Finding Out About Kid Cudi RomanceCapricorn Clark Took Cassie Ventura to Get a Burner Phone to Talk to Kid CudiKid Cudi Describes Sean 'Diddy' Combs Behaving Like a 'Marvel Super Villain' During Conversation About Cassie VenturaKid Cudi Said Sean 'Diddy' Combs Asked If They Were 'Cool' After Their ConversationKid Cudi Recounts House Being Broken Into and Car Catching On Fire After Sean 'Diddy' Combs Learned About His Relationship With Cassie VenturaSean 'Diddy' Combs Speaks Out in CourtCassie Ventura's Mom Says She Paid Sean 'Diddy' Combs $20,000 After He Threatened to Release Sex TapesSean 'Diddy' Combs Carried Pills With Barack Obama's Face, According to Former AssistantSean 'Diddy' Combs Always Carried Pills to 'Increase Sperm Count,' Former Assistant TestifiesHotel Room Was Stocked with Baby Oil, Pink Ketamine and $9,000 Cash When Sean 'Diddy' Combs Was Arrested For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Takeaways from Sean ‘Diddy' Combs trial: Dawn Richard and witnesses bolster Cassie Ventura's testimony
Cassie Ventura is no longer on the stand, but she was the central character in testimony from three witnesses on Monday in the federal criminal case against Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Pop singer Dawn Richard, Ventura's former best friend and one of Combs' former assistants each testified about their interactions with Ventura as the prosecution sought to bolster Ventura's testimony last week that Combs physically abused her and controlled her life for over a decade. The prosecution alleges that Combs and some in his inner circle used threats, violence, drugs, bribery, arson, kidnapping and lies to coerce Ventura and another woman into participating in what he called 'Freak Offs' and to protect the music mogul's reputation. In contrast, the defense has contended that Combs was at times jealous, had substance abuse issues and described his relationship with Ventura as mutually violent, as opposed to the head of an organized criminal enterprise. They have also argued the women consented to the sexual arrangements. Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution and, if convicted of the most serious charges, could face up to life in prison. Here's what we learned from testimony Monday. Richard, a former member of the musical group Danity Kane, testified Monday she 'frequently' saw Combs assault Ventura, saying she'd seen him punch, choke, drag, slap and kick her. After one such assault in 2009, Ventura wore sunglasses to try to hide the injury, Richard said. Richard and a friend, singer Kaleena Harper, also wore sunglasses 'to have solidarity, to be a friend, to be a support system for someone who needed it,' she testified. The jury saw a photo of the three women wearing sunglasses after the assault. Some members of Combs' security staff witnessed the violence toward Ventura, Richard testified, but when they did, 'they wouldn't react, they wouldn't do anything.' Under cross-examination, Richard faced questions about her memory of the assaults and her personal motives. In the start of her testimony Friday afternoon, Richard testified she saw Combs assault Ventura in 2009 in the kitchen after she was cooking eggs. The next day, Combs told Richard and another witness to remain silent, saying 'where he comes from, people go missing if they talk,' she testified. Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland suggested Richard's account of the kitchen incident and its aftermath has changed over time. Richard said she's recounted it over time to the best of her recollection. Richard, 42, signed with Bad Boy Records and worked for Combs from 2004 to 2011 as part of two musical groups, Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money. She testified that she felt 'saddened' by Combs' decision to dismantle both of those groups and confirmed that the music she's released since hasn't reached the same level of success. Richard said she reached out to Combs as recently as 2020 to work together again. Richard filed a lawsuit last September accusing Combs of sexual battery, sexual harassment and false imprisonment, among other allegations. Combs has denied the allegations. Westmoreland asked Richard if she filed a lawsuit against Combs to 'get a lot of money.' Richard denied that but said she wants to be 'compensated for the work (she) put forth.' Combs, wearing a tan crew neck sweater, white-collared shirt and khaki pants, passed a few post-it notes to his attorney during the cross-examination. Kerry Morgan, the second witness Monday, testified that she was best friends with Ventura until shortly after she was assaulted by Combs in 2018. 'He came up behind me and choked me and then boomeranged a wooden hanger at my head,' Morgan testified. 'I had finger marks on my neck.' Morgan testified she was planning on filing a lawsuit after the assault but didn't do it. She met with Ventura about a month later, and Ventura told her she would be receiving $30,000 from Combs, she said. Ventura also told her she was 'overexaggerating,' Morgan said. Morgan said she signed an NDA, or non-disclosure agreement, that day and hasn't spoken with Ventura since. They had been best friends since 2001, she said. 'The reason I stopped speaking with her is because she was not supportive of me after that incident,' Morgan testified on cross-examination. Morgan said she's testifying because she was subpoenaed and didn't want to be in court. 'I have moved on with my life, away from all these people and the problems,' she testified. On cross-examination, Morgan testified that Ventura was jealous of Kim Porter, the late actress who shared three children with Combs, and of Combs' other girlfriend Gina. Morgan also said she vividly remembered two incidents in which Combs assaulted Ventura and said he was not intoxicated or under the influence on either occasion. During one of the assaults, Morgan asked one of Combs' security guards to intervene, but he responded that he wasn't going to do anything, she testified. The other assault occurred in Jamaica around 2013 when Combs dragged Ventura by the hair and pushed her to the ground, where she hit her head on the brick walkway, Morgan said. Combs had complained Ventura was taking too long in bathroom before dragging her down the hallway, Morgan testified. 'I heard Cassie screaming so I ran into the hallway where she was,' she said, describing the screams as 'guttural.' 'He dragged her down probably, like, a 50-yard hallway by her hair, and then took her out in the front driveway and pushed her down, where she hit her head on the brick,' she said. After he pushed her to the ground Ventura eventually got up and fled barefoot into a wooded area, and once Morgan found her, they hid crouched down in a ditch for what felt like hours, Morgan testified. Morgan also offered further details on the aftermath of the March 2016 assault at the InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles that has been the central visual evidence in the case. CNN first published video of the incident last year. Morgan said she had been staying at Ventura's apartment at the time and Ventura came home with a black eye. About 30 minutes later, Combs arrived, yelling and banging on the door with a hammer, Morgan testified. Morgan said she was 'freaking out' and called Combs' security guard and assistant, hoping they'd get him to stop. Ventura just sat on the couch, Morgan recalled, unmoved. 'I don't think she cared if he came in and killed her,' she testified. Eventually, Combs left and did not gain access to the apartment. The police arrived at some point, but Ventura wouldn't cooperate with the officers, Morgan said. Morgan said that she would tell Ventura to leave Combs, but she would say she couldn't. 'Because of her job, her car, her apartment – he controlled everything. She would've lost all of her livelihood,' Morgan said. David James, a former assistant to Combs, was the third witness of the day and similarly testified about a conversation he had with Ventura in Miami around 2007. 'Man this lifestyle is crazy,' Ventura said, according to James. He agreed and suggested she leave. 'I can't, I can't get out,' Ventura told him, James said. She went on to say that Combs controlled her music career, paid for her apartment and gave her an allowance, James testified. 'I just didn't think that she could easily leave,' James said. Finally, James described Kim Porter as Combs' 'main girlfriend' and then listed four other women, including Ventura, as his 'other girlfriends.' He testified that one time a business associate asked Combs about Porter and Ventura, and Combs responded that Porter was doing well and described her as his 'queen,' James said. Combs then described Ventura as 'moldable' and said, 'I got her right where I want her, she's young,' James testified.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Dawn Richard? Danity Kane singer testifying in Diddy trial about alleged abuse
With Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal criminal trial underway, Dawn Richard has taken the stand. Richard, discovered by Combs, was a prominent collaborator of the music mogul for a decade, formerly of the Bad Boy Records girl group Danity Kane and also part of the trio Diddy – Dirty Money. Her September 2024 lawsuit, then, came as a shock, as she claimed Combs subjected her to physical and sexual abuse throughout their professional relationship. Combs' lawyers at the time said Richard was trying to "rewrite history." Her lawsuit points to apparent behavior that did not escape fellow artists and the people he stood next to professionally. Richard accused Diddy of subjecting her to "inhumane" working conditions, including deprivation of food and rest, as well as assault, groping and false imprisonment. She also detailed multiple instances where she claimed to have seen the producer assault his ex-girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine, who last week finished four days of harrowing testimony in his trial. Richard's testimony on May 16 focused on her witnessing this abuse. Richard returned to the stand May 19 in Combs' trial. "I'm expecting justice," she said during her testimony. Diddy trial updates: Dawn Richard retakes the stand, alleged Combs beat Cassie Richard's accusations, which included alleged incidents during the production of Diddy – Dirty Money's highly-lauded album "Last Train to Paris," introduce a disturbing refrain into their collaborations, changing how some fans may now hear the music. Fellow Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day has also been critical of the rap mogul. Revisit Richard and Diddy's relationship, her testimony and why she's suing the rap mogul. Diddy on trial newsletter Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges In testimony on May 16, Richard described witnessing Combs attack Ventura Fine as she was making eggs in a kitchen in Combs' Los Angeles home. "He came downstairs screaming, belligerent," Richard said, noting Combs asked where his eggs were and yelled that Ventura Fine never gets anything right. Combs grabbed the skillet Ventura Fine was cooking in and tried to hit her with it, Richard testified. The skillet didn't seem to hit Ventura Fine "fully" because "she went into the fetal position," according to Richard. Combs grabbed Ventura Fine's hair and then dragged her upstairs, Richard said. Then, Richard heard glass breaking and yelling. Combs later told Richard what she saw was passion and Ventura Fine was OK, Richard testified. "Where he comes from, people go missing if they talk," Richard recalled Combs saying. Diddy's music competition series "Making the Band," which ran from 2000 to 2009 mainly on MTV, led to the formation of multiple music groups, including Da Band and Day26. In "Making the Band 3," the rapper held country-wide auditions to form a girl group, putting contestants through a series of intense competitions for five spots. Finalists Richard, O'Day, Aundrea Fimbres, Wanita "D. Woods" Woodgett and, later, Shannon Bex would go on to form Danity Kane, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2006, which produced the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 single "Show Stopper." Their second album, "Welcome to the Dollhouse," included their second top 10 single, pop-dance hit "Damaged," in 2008. 'Fall of Diddy' doc: Danity Kane members speak out Since its inception, the group has gone through multiple lineups, with D. Woods leaving the group in 2008 and Fimbres leaving in 2014, before the release of the group's third and final studio album, "DK3." The group has split up and reunited multiple times over the years, including as a duo for the 2020 extended play "Strawberry Milk," featuring just Richard and O'Day. Diddy – Dirty Money, with Richard and singer Kalenna Harper, was formed in 2009. The trio released "Last Train to Paris" in 2010, a cult-classic ensemble effort that has gained critical praise over the years, given its forward-thinking R&B-pop sound. The album included singles "Coming Home" with Skylar Grey, "Hello Good Morning" with T.I. and "Loving You No More" with Drake. The group disbanded in 2012 without a sophomore effort, but reunited for Diddy's 2023 album "The Love Album: Off the Grid." Sean 'Diddy' Combs accused of sexually assaulting 'The Love Album' producer in new lawsuit Richard's September lawsuit, obtained by USA TODAY, alleged abusive behavior during her time with both Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money. Richard sued Diddy on 21 counts of sexual assault and battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination and copyright infringement. She claimed the producer stole her work, withheld payment and subjected her to "inhumane" working conditions, which included assault, groping and false imprisonment, throughout their association together. Dawn Richard of Danity Kane accuses Diddy of sexual abuse in bombshell lawsuit Richard accused the rapper of promising to advance her career in exchange for favors on the set of "Making the Band" in 2005. According to Richard, Diddy belittled and harassed the female contestants during filming. Once the group was assembled, Richard said the label founder regularly deprived them of sleep and meals, referred to them derogatorily and "denigrated their physical appearances," telling Richard in particular she was "too skinny and needed to 'do something about (her face).'" The singer also recalled an incident during rehearsals in New York for Diddy – Dirty Money's "Saturday Night Live" performance in 2010, in which she claimed she and Harper were denied food and rest. Enraged and screaming at the pair for being late, Richard alleged Diddy nearly hit her before she was escorted away by a bodyguard. When Harper ran after her, both were locked inside a car without door handles, she claimed. Richard used Harper's phone to call her father, but Harper was later removed, leaving Richard locked alone in the car for two hours. It was only after her father arrived from Baltimore that she got out. Richard also claimed to have witnessed Diddy's party behavior, including bringing in underage girls to attend dayslong "drug-fueled" parties at his homes in New York and Miami, where he and his guests "performed sexual acts on them." Inside the White Party: Diddy's star-studded parties were cultural extravaganzas The singer also recalled run-ins with Diddy's exes, Kim Porter and singer Ventura Fine, that made her fear for her safety. The singer claimed to have seen Porter's face battered while she cried, leaving a music studio in 2005. Combs had an on-again, off-again relationship with Porter from 1994 to 2007. She died in August 2018 from pneumonia at 47. Richard also details in the lawsuit multiple instances where she claimed to have seen Diddy assault Ventura Fine. Who is Cassie? The singer at the center of Diddy's sex-crimes trial In one, she said a "high on drugs" Diddy slammed Ventura Fine against a wall, choked her and dragged her up the stairs in his home in Los Angeles during the recording of "Last Train to Paris" in 2009. The following day, she and Harper were locked in a room for over 20 minutes as Diddy threatened them and told them not to speak of the incident. Richard "wanted to intervene," she claimed in the lawsuit, but Harper refused to get involved and led her out of the house. On other occasions when Richard or Harper did intervene by encouraging Ventura Fine to leave, she claimed Diddy threatened them with statements like, "You want to die today," and "I end people." Richard, O'Day and D. Woods voiced their support for Ventura Fine when she filed her November 2023 lawsuit. At the time, Richard tweeted she was praying for "peace and healing" for Ventura Fine. Ventura Fine accused Diddy of trafficking, raping and viciously beating her over the course of their relationship. The "Me & U" singer's lawsuit, settled just a day later, triggered the chain reaction of lawsuits and an investigation that ultimately led to his federal criminal charges. In her own filing, Richard said that Ventura Fine's "bravery" in suing Diddy empowered her to come forward, saying years of Combs' alleged abuse "had become normalized for her." In June, O'Day said she did not feel "vindication" amid her former record label boss' legal trouble. "Anyone being exposed, or any truths being told, don't change the reality of what you experienced," O'Day told People. In a December 2022 episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, O'Day also alleged Combs fired her because she wouldn't do things he requested "in other areas" besides music. D. Woods spoke out in the Investigation Discovery docuseries "The Fall of Diddy" in January, recalling sexually charged remarks aimed at O'Day, verbal abuse of the five women during her brief time with Danity Kane. "I see myself standing in those dark, scary, predatory spaces and hearing somebody say some of the most degrading things to me and ... having to figure out how to navigate and not let that person break me down." Harper distanced herself from Richard's claims shortly after her lawsuit was filed. In an Instagram stories post, according to People, she said, "Many of the allegations and incidents described in this suit are not representative of my experiences." She added she was not "involved in" nor "aware of, any behavior that could be considered abusive or unlawful." Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY staff This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dawn Richard, Diddy trial and Danity Kane: Singer testifying in court
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy trial recap: Cassie sobs on the stand as her testimony concludes after 4 days
Editor's note: This page reflects the news from Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial on Friday, May 16. For the latest updates from Diddy's trial, read USA TODAY's live coverage for Monday, May 19. This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. After the first week of testimony Sean "Diddy" Combs' trial, Cassie's time on the stand has come to an end following harrowing testimony on the hip-hop mogul's alleged abuse. Cross-examination in Combs' sweeping federal sex-crimes trial resumed in Manhattan court on May 16, with attorneys for the prosecution and the defense returning to clarify points of Casandra "Cassie" Ventura Fine's testimony. Combs' legal team grilled Ventura Fine on the timeline of the alleged rape she says Combs committed in 2018. Ventura Fine's testimony ended in sobs as the singer recounted the "agency and autonomy" she would have had in her life if she never participated in a "freak off," dayslong sexual performances that federal prosecutors have accused Combs of orchestrating. Combs dated Ventura Fine in the mid-2000s, and their relationship spanned a decade. The two became involved professionally and sexually when Ventura Fine was 19 and Combs was 36. Despite Ventura Fine's allegations that Combs coerced her into participating in drug-fueled "freak-off" parties, Combs' attorneys on May 15 attempted to paint a picture that Cassie was in control of her situation. The defense showed emails and text messages from early in Combs and Ventura Fine's relationship, where they professed love for each other and she sought more attention from him. Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom as music mogul faces sex-crimes charges. Ventura Fine delivered a statement read by her lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, outside the federal courthouse following the end of her emotional week of testimony. "This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me," Ventura Fine's statement said. "I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors, and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from the abuse and fear." Ventura Fine continued: "For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget. I want to thank my family and my advocates for their unwavering support, and I'm grateful for all the kindness and encouragement that I have received." Ventura Fine, who is visibly pregnant with her third child, concluded the statement with, "I'm glad to put this chapter of my life to rest. As I turn to focus on the conclusion of my pregnancy, I ask for privacy for me and for my growing family." Danity Kane alum and Combs' former Diddy – Dirty Money collaborator Dawn Richard described witnessing Combs attack Ventura Fine as she was making eggs in a kitchen in Combs' Los Angeles home. "He came downstairs screaming, belligerent," Richard said, noting Combs asked where his eggs were and yelled that Ventura Fine never gets anything right. Combs grabbed the skillet Ventura Fine was cooking in and tried to hit her with it, Richard said. The skillet didn't seem to hit Ventura Fine "fully" because "she went into the fetal position," according to Richard. Ventura Fine was "literally" trying to hide her face and her head. Combs grabbed Ventura Fine's hair and then dragged her upstairs, Richard said. Then, Richard heard glass breaking and yelling. Combs later told Richard what she saw was passion and Ventura Fine was OK, Richard testified. "Where he comes from people go missing if they talk," Richard recalled Combs saying. Richard was last to take the stand. She told the court she was a singer and dancer and a member of Danity Kane. She was asked by the prosecution what she called Combs. "I called him Puff," Richard said. Federal prosecutor Mitzi Steiner said, "I will call him Puff for clarity." Judge Arun Subramanian cut in, shaking his head as he said, "Ms. Steiner, let's call him Sean Combs for clarity." After Ventura Fine, the prosecution brought Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Yasin Binda to the stand. Binda, who specializes in human-trafficking cases, was on the scene for Combs' Sept. 16 arrest at the Park Hyatt New York, where she photographed evidence in his room. Among the items discovered were: A plastic bag filled with Johnson & Johnson baby oil Five bottles of baby oil and lubricant standing together on the floor of the bathtub (This was not all of the baby oil and lubricant they'd found, Binda confirmed.) A Louis Vuitton bag with a bottle of clonazepam – a benzodiazepine that is used for anxiety and seizures – which was prescribed to Combs' alias, Frank Black Two bottles of lubricant in the right nightstand drawer A bottle of medication in the left nightstand with two clear plastic bags filled with a pink substance. One of the bags tested positive for ketamine, and the other had a mixture of MDMA and ketamine A fanny pack hanging off the bed with $9,000 in cash Cell phones belonging to Combs and Kristina "KK" Khorram, who has been described as Combs' "right hand" Under questioning by Combs' lawyer Anna Estevao, Ventura Fine said she'd made a legal demand of the company that owned the since-shuttered InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles' Century City neighborhood. She hasn't received any money yet, but she testified that she expects roughly "$10 million, maybe" after reaching the end of negotiations over the past month. IHG Hotels & Resorts declined to comment. On redirect, the prosecution returned to the defense's earlier topic of Ventura Fine's financial situation in 2023. Suing Combs in November 2023 had her feeling "overwhelmed," and she couldn't go forward with her planned tour, she said, explaining the lawsuit was her addressing the past the way she chose to, and it was a way to reclaim that part of her life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson asked whether Ventura Fine would give back the $20 million settlement she received from Combs if it meant erasing her past "freak offs." Ventura Fine started tearing up and agreed, "I would give that money back if I never had to have 'freak offs.'" As she started to sob, she continued, "I would have had agency and autonomy. I wouldn't have to work so hard to get it back." Johnson then drove home the suffering Ventura Fine allegedly experienced at Combs' hands, asking how it felt to have Combs beat her during "freak offs" or to have an escort urinate in her mouth. Through her tears, Ventura Fine assured, "You can continue. You can go on." After Johnson repeated her question, the singer replied: "Worthless. Just like dirt, like I didn't matter to him," she said. "That I was nothing, absolutely nothing." Subramanian struck a portion of Ventura Fine's testimony when questioned by federal prosecutors about her and Combs' "freak offs." Ventura Fine testified that Combs "took quite a bit of work calls during 'freak offs.'" When asked how often and how many times by prosecutors, Ventura Fine said "every time." Combs also canceled work meetings for "freak offs," but Ventura Fine did not unless she was told to. After federal prosecutor Johnson asked why she couldn't cancel her meetings for "freak offs," Ventura Fine said it was because she had a whole other job. When Johnson asked what her whole other job was, Ventura Fine testified: "Basically a sex worker." When Combs' lawyer Estevao objected, the judge sustained the objection and struck the testimony, which means the jury cannot consider it. When asked by Johnson if Ventura Fine believed Combs when he claimed he didn't remember hurting her, Ventura Fine said, "No, not every time." Johnson questioned why, and Ventura Fine responded: "Because I know him." "There were times when he was pretty aware what he was doing," Ventura said. "It's just who he was." She added: "I had seen him be violent with other people." Ventura Fine said she knew the difference because she had been around it. Ventura Fine and her husband Alex Fine's main income source was his job as a physical trainer during the summer and fall of 2023. The pair moved back in with her family in Connecticut after experiencing financial problems, though Ventura Fine clarified the move was not due to their financials. In November 2023, she filed a civil lawsuit against Combs. Ventura Fine was preparing for a tour set to start later that year in Australia and New Zealand, but the defense noted she'd canceled the tour after settling the $20 million civil suit. "You didn't need it anymore. Is that right?" Combs' lawyer Estevao asked. Ventura Fine replied, "That wasn't the reason why." Estevao pulled up a social media post from May 2024, after the InterContinental Hotel video showing Combs hitting, kicking and dragging her was released. On Instagram, Ventura Fine thanked her followers for the outpouring of support, and she ended the caption writing, "Domestic violence is the issue." Asked whether she still feels domestic violence is the issue, Ventura Fine replied "yeah," she does. During cross-examination, Combs' legal team continued to zero in on Ventura Fine and the embattled ex-mogul's communications after their relationship ended. The defense shared texts Combs sent to Ventura Fine over the course of 2019, beginning that May. "Sending you love and light, hope you're well," Combs wrote in one message. In another: "Congratulations, Cass. You're gonna make a beautiful mother. God bless." Another Combs text said: "What a difference a year makes. Sending love." Combs also wrote, "Congratulations. I know you're so happy. God bless, you deserve it." On March 7, 2020, Combs wrote, "I'm so happy for you." In a text exchange, Combs and Cassie sent well wishes and mutual love to both of their families. Combs sent another text that said: "You were there for me through everything." Combs called her "the greatest woman in the world" and his best friend as well as "my ride or die always." Combs wrote he had been reflecting. Ventura Fine had texted in response: "I wouldn't have been at this beautiful point in my life without having been with you." She added, "The things you said blew my mind a little bit." On the stand, Ventura Fine said Combs had said all the things she had wanted to hear from him for a long time. In their text message conversation, Ventura Fine expressed hope that they could sit down and get some closure. "I'll always love you," Combs had texted. "We're honestly lucky to be alive. We went hard." He continued to write that God watched over them and that he's glad Cassie found her husband. "I send this message with all respect to your marriage," Combs had written. As cross-examination came to a close, the jury was shown 2012 texts from Ventura Fine that indicated she did not want to continue "freak offs." "Wanna freak off one last time tonight?" Combs had written, to which she responded, "What?" He'd replied, "You don't know how to read?" "I don't want to freak off for our last time. I want it to be the first time for the rest of our lives," she'd texted. As the redirect began, prosecutors pulled up the same text conversation and highlighted another point in the same string where Ventura Fine discussed having a UTI. "I don't wanna do one last time. I don't want to at all," she'd written. The prosecution asked what she was referring to, and she said: "Freak offs." Ventura Fine revealed that in 2024 she had gone to Willow House – an Arizona addiction treatment center – for rehab, where she had no phone as part of the facility's rules for her 45-day program. She also revealed she has been taking buprenorphine for opiate addiction since 2022. Ventura Fine said she wrote her book after treatment, and that while she began writing while at Willow House, "It wasn't really an idea." Ventura Fine confirmed that the center treats sex addiction, sexual compulsion and love addiction, but she was not treated for any of those during her stay. She said she received neurofeedback therapy, which involves putting an electrical device on her head. She said she "probably" did this five or six times, about once a week, while she was there, explaining she believed the therapy was meant "to help me with my trauma." She also did EMDR therapy during her stay and said it was part of the trauma treatment to help her recount memories and process them. Some of the treatment involved reimagining a traumatic experience, which she likened to imagining walking out of a room if previously you were being beaten up in that room and couldn't leave. In November 2018, when Diddy's ex Kim Porter, who is the mother of four of Combs' seven children, died unexpectedly from pneumonia, Ventura Fine flew to Georgia and attended her memorial service. While there, Combs texted her asking why Ventura Fine left the service without saying goodbye. Ventura Fine responded, insisting that she did. "I know how crazy and painful all this is," Ventura Fine texted, but "you posted that Kim was your soulmate. What was the 11 years all about?" The defense asked whether Ventura Fine found that "extremely hurtful" and she said "yes." Ventura Fine never saw Combs again after that. He tried to get in touch through mutual friends, but she rebuffed his advances. As questioning continued, the defense tried to poke holes in the timeline of the Diddy's alleged rape of Cassie, as she noted in her November 2023 lawsuit. On Aug. 21, 2018, Combs texted Cassie, "I know I look bad to you. I didn't turn you on yesterday. I fell off." "You saw Mr. Combs the day before this message?" Estevao asked Ventura. A few days after, she'd texted back, "I'm so heartbroken." Combs responded, "Me too. Have a good night." The implication was that they had a breakup conversation within those few days. However, defense attorneys said that in a November 2023 conversation with prosecutors, Ventura Fine has recalled this incident occurred after Combs got home from Burning Man in September 2018. In the interview, she described going to dinner with Combs before the alleged rape, saying that he was "acting strangely" and that he "seemed anxious." "You told the prosecutors you didn't think Mr. Combs was in his right mind" because he wouldn't stop when she told him to, Estevao said. According to the defense, Ventura Fine told prosecutors in April 2025 that the rape occurred in August 2018, seemingly differing from what she told them a year and a half prior. Asked about what she said in her civil suit about the rape, Ventura Fine testified that they had dinner at an Italian restaurant before the alleged rape. She said she didn't remember if she said he "forced" himself into her home in the lawsuit. She was then asked if she wondered whether Combs was in a bipolar episode during the rape, and she confirmed that she did. Combs' lawyer asked about her feelings for Combs in September 2018, with her saying, "There were still feelings there." As for her feelings for Combs now, she said, "I don't hate him," and "I have love for the past and what it was." In 2018, Ventura Fine broke up with Combs, the same year she started dating now-husband. During her cross-examination, she didn't confirm a specific date. She did confirm, though, that she had told Combs in the past that "it was over" despite eventually getting back together. Ventura Fine confirmed she and Combs still communicated somewhat after they broke up in 2018. "Can I not get a chance to get things right?" Combs texted. "It seems like you're blaming everything on me." Ventura Fine said she needed to talk to her family because she needed their support and that he took care of her financially, but not in other ways. "I just don't trust anymore," Ventura Fine texted, "You wanted me to be a machine and forgive you every time." In the break-up timeline discussion, Cassie said in a text referring to Combs' ex-girlfriend Gina Huynh, "That was the last shot, put the nail in the coffin" and that "she never went away" after seeing a photo of Huynh and Combs together, noting that Combs continued to get back with Huynh and cheat on Ventura Fine in past years. In an exchange from 2018, Ventura Fine texted Combs: "How's yoga treating you? I assume now it's safe to date? Let me know." The comment was in reference to a yoga instructor he was allegedly dating, she said. "I'm confused, what do you mean safe to date?" he texted back, claiming he was not seeing anyone and asking if she wanted to start dating again. "If you're in LA next week, maybe we can talk. I'm just trying to take care of myself," he wrote. Combs said he didn't want to have a conversation where she broke up with him again, texting that he needed her to love him and he needed to hold her again, and she texted back that she loved him but didn't want to be just one of his girlfriends anymore. "You don't say anything to the effect of 'you raped me.' You just say you want to keep peace," Estevao said, to which Ventura Fine replied: "Right." Ventura Fine later confirmed on the stand that she had met up with Combs and had sex later in September of 2018, after the alleged rape. While they were having sex, Fine – her now husband – called, and she did not pick up, she said. Asked what he knew, she responded: "I don't know what he knew." She then confirmed Fine punched a wall when he learned Combs allegedly raped her. "I believe so," she testified. Dawn Richard, a former member of girl group Danity Kane, is expected to take the stand, according to NBC News. Richard worked with Combs beginning in the early 2000s, first on his MTV reality show "Making the Band," then with Danity Kane and later after the group disbanded with the musical trio Diddy – Dirty Money. In 2024, Richard sued Combs for sexual assault and battery, sex trafficking, gender discrimination and copyright infringement. In the lawsuit, the former Combs-run Bad Boy Records artist accused him of inhumane working conditions, including deprivation of food and rest, false imprisonment and groping. In the same lawsuit, Richard claimed she once witnessed Combs assault Ventura Fine. Aubrey O'Day could testify in Sean 'Diddy' Combs federal sex-crimes trial Richard's fellow Danity Kane alum Aubrey O'Day, once a rising star in Combs' orbit, has been subpoenaed to testify in his trial, according to a person familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak publicly to USA TODAY. Combs formed Danity Kane with Aundrea Fimbres, D. Woods, Shannon Bex, Richard and O'Day. The pop group disbanded and reunited several times since their formation, most notably with O'Day being removed from the group in 2008, although she later returned. Later, O'Day became a fierce critic of her former boss and has publicly praised his ex-girlfriend Ventura Fine amid her testimony during the trial. Jurors heard audio recorded by Ventura Fine at an unspecified date in which she threatens to have someone killed over videos they may have of a "freak off." Talking on the phone to someone she said had a video of her, she said: "The video of me touching myself is important to my life… You have it? Why won't you show me." "Where is it? You have it, or you don't have it?" she continued, asking the person who she was having sex with in the video and threatening to kill the person possessing the video. The argument continued to escalate, with Ventura Fine saying she will cut him up and put him in the dirt and claiming: "You don't understand. I will kill you because you're playing games with me. And it's not going to be blood on my hands. Someone else is going to do it." Asked by the defense whether Combs supported her in making sure that "freak off" videos wouldn't get released, she replied: "I would say for the most part, yeah." In another instance, Ventura Fine suspected that an escort named Jonathan Oddi was recording a "freak off." Ventura Fine said she told Combs about her suspicions, and Combs said, "I'll take care of it." "Had a sex video of you been released, that would have been embarrassing, right?" Combs' lawyer Estevao, asked. "For sure," Ventura Fine replied. In court, there were two instances discussed where Combs suspected Ventura Fine was cheating on him. "He found out you were dancing with another person in the entertainment industry? Do you remember the incident where he suspected you of dancing with Chris Brown?" Estevao asked of a 2013 instance. Ventura Fine said she did not remember the incident, but she "was not dancing" with the singer. Estevao showed an exhibit to help jog Ventura Fine's memory of a time when Combs allegedly took the "Me & U" singer's phone after he suspected her of dancing with Brown. After looking at the evidence, Ventura Fine said, "It says that in the message, but I don't really remember it." Ventura Fine is close friends with Karrueche Tran, the actress and model who won a five-year restraining order against ex-boyfriend Brown in 2017. Michael B. Jordan, Dawn Richard, Lauren London and Mike Myers named in Diddy trial. Here's why There was another instance in August 2016 where Combs took Ventura Fine's phone when he suspected that she was dating someone else. Ventura Fine said, "At this point, we were not in a great place. I was dating someone else." But one day, while she was in a car with Combs, he asked her to unlock her phone to call her mom. When she unlocked her phone, he grabbed it and fled the vehicle. "There wasn't a fight. He was just gone," Ventura Fine said. "He was trying to get in it and read what was in my phone." A couple hours later, Ventura's mom called police because her daughter returned home with no phone. Then, the phone was eventually returned later that day. Estevao asked whether Combs went through Ventura Fine's phone and called someone. "I believe so. I wasn't there," Ventura Fine replied. "And that was a professional NFL player, right?" Estevao asked. "He was at the time. I don't know if he is now," Ventura Fine responded. Ventura Fine explained that she didn't consider it cheating and that Combs got very jealous and possessive when she started dating other people. "I don't know that I would call it cheating. When you're not with someone, it's not cheating. But that's a technicality in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship," Ventura Fine said. As the defense team returned to the 2016 hotel assault, they appeared intent on portraying Combs as heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol. "You believe that Combs was blackout, right?" Comb's lawyer asked, reviewing text messages days after the incident in which the rapper wrote to Ventura Fine: "I'm so horny for you!!!" to which she responded, "You are? Why? What made you feel that way?" and "Not a good vibe." See the full Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Cassie hotel video On the stand, Ventura Fine said she found it "a little strange" that he would suggest having sex so shortly after the assault, adding sarcastically that her text about the vibe "makes sense." "We need a different vibe from Friday," she wrote in a text, to which Combs responded: "I don't even wanna do that again." She replied, "Lol, true." The court also saw photos Ventura Fine took of her face and enlarged lip after the incident. Estevao asked why Cassie took the photos, and Cassie responded that she didn't remember taking them. Sean 'Diddy' Combs overdosed in 2012 and was hospitalized, Cassie Ventura testifies In texts from December 2009 shown to the jury May 15, Ventura Fine told Combs that for her to "be more open with the things I do in bed," she needed to feel like "this is my husband and the only one who will see this side of me." She went on to write that the alleged "freak offs" were starting to make her "feel a little dirty," adding that she was going "back and forth in my mind" about whether she wanted to do them. Ventura Fine explained on the stand that the "freak offs" became "a very integral part" of their relationship early on, but she wanted to develop the relationship more. Combs' attorneys argued this showed that she put deep thought into the "freak offs" and felt comfortable expressing her concerns to her then-partner. "At that time," she clarified. On May 15, Diddy's lawyers read texts between the former couple in the early years of their relationship, including extremely explicit messages, in court. In messages from August 2009, the couple discussed plans for a "freak off." Combs wrote, "When do you want to freak off?" with Ventura Fine responding, "I'm always ready to freak off. Lolol." He wrote, "You tell me the day, you choose." In more texts from 2009, the court saw sexually explicit messages between them. In one message, Ventura Fine expressed eagerness to have sex, with Combs responding, "I can't wait to watch you. I want you to get real hot." On another occasion, she texted Combs how she anticipated being positioned during sex. The defense repeatedly sought to paint Ventura Fine as a jealous ex-partner on May 15. "This is about nature of relationships," attorney Marc Agnifilo said before she took the stand. "This is about jealousies." The defense said Combs needed someone to take care of him, and Ventura Fine was one of the only people who saw the "real" him. "You knew how special you were to him," the defense said, to which Ventura Fine responded, "Sometimes." Combs' lawyers noted that he lied to and cheated on Ventura Fine and let her down, but she "kept coming back to him for 11 years." She paused before responding, "I wouldn't use 'coming back.'" Ventura Fine said she was in love with Combs, a "charismatic, big personality that everybody really loved," and described him as "sweet" and "caring" at times. Cassie's harrowing testimony, the myth of 'mutual abuse' and what domestic violence really looks like Also on May 15, Combs' attorneys asked Ventura Fine about Kim Porter, Combs' on-and-off partner from the 1990s into the 2000s. "Were you jealous of Ms. Porter?" Combs' lawyer Anna Estevao asked. Cassie replied on the stand, "I had some jealousy, yes." Porter is the late model who died in 2018 of pneumonia, as well as the mother of four of Combs' seven children. Jurors saw a series of texts from Cassie from 2013 in which she said she was concerned she was looking like a "side piece" and not Combs' partner. She was upset in the messages sent around the holidays, spurred by seeing Porter and Combs with their children and not being invited to family vacations and get-togethers. Ventura Fine touched on a connection to actor Michael B. Jordan as Combs' attorneys scrutinized Cassie's other relationships, on May 15. Ventura Fine said Combs suspected that she was in a relationship with the Emmy-nominated actor after the pair broke up in 2015, per Fox News. At the time of their split, the singer-actress was filming a movie in South Africa (Cassie starred in the musical drama "Honey 3: Dare to Dance," which was set in South Africa and reportedly concluded filming in December 2015.) Combs is facing federal sex-crimes and trafficking charges in a sprawling suit that has eroded his status as a power player and kingmaker in the entertainment industry. He was arrested in September 2024 and has been charged with racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all five counts. Jurors were told in a questionnaire reviewed by USA TODAY, "The trial is expected to last about eight weeks." The trial will not be televised, as cameras are typically not allowed in federal criminal trial proceedings. USA TODAY will be reporting live from the courtroom. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental and/or substance use disorders, you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's free and confidential treatment referral and information service at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). It's available 24/7 in English and Spanish (TTY: 1-800-487-4889). If you are a survivor of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline at (4673) and and en Español Contributing: USA TODAY staff This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy trial: Cassie testimony ends, Dawn Richard takes stand
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Prosecutors release photos showing injuries to Diddy's ex-girlfriend
Prosecutors release photos showing injuries to Diddy's ex-girlfriend This story contains graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing. Multiple witnesses in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sweeping federal sex-crimes trial testified Monday on years of alleged physical, sexual and emotional abuse as prosecutors try to build their case against the embattled hip-hop mogul. Dawn Richard, a former member of Combs' platinum-selling girl group Danity Kane, told the court on May 19 that she saw Combs beat his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura Fine in 2009 in his Los Angeles home, grabbing her hair and dragging her up a flight of stairs. Prosecutors release photos in Diddy trial During the Monday's trial, prosecutors released photographs of baby oil and drugs found in the hotel room where Combs was staying before he was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024, and other photos of injuries to Ventura Fine. Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. Kerry Morgan, a model and former friend of Ventura Fine, testified that Combs once attacked her in Cassie's California home, choking her and hitting her in the head with a wooden hanger. She also told the court she saw Combs assault Ventura Fine several times, and she pleaded with her friend to leave the rapper. Combs, 55, was arrested in September 2024 on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Day 10 Diddy trial recap: Kerry Morgan, Cassie's former friend, alleges Combs hit her with hanger Dawn Richard describes violent assault on Cassie Danity Kane alum and Combs' former Diddy – Dirty Money collaborator Richard described witnessing Combs attack Ventura Fine as she was making eggs in a kitchen in Combs' Los Angeles home. Combs grabbed the skillet Ventura Fine was cooking in and tried to hit her with it, Richard said. The skillet didn't seem to hit Ventura Fine "fully" because "she went into the fetal position," according to Richard. Ventura Fine was "literally" trying to hide her face and her head. Richard testified that the rapper then grabbed Ventura Fine's hair and dragged her upstairs. She said she subsequently heard glass breaking and yelling. Click here to read the rest of the testimony during Day 10 Contributing: Patrick Ryan, Aysha Bagchi, Edward Segarra, Anna Kaufman, KiMi Robinson, Brendan Morrow, Taijuan Mourman and Reuters
