Latest news with #Don'tPlayItSafe
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pregnant Cassie Ventura reveals in bombshell testimony the degrading demand Sean ‘Diddy' Combs often made
Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura recounted the horrific details of the alleged abuse she experienced at the hands of her ex-boyfriend Sean 'Diddy' Combs during an emotional testimony at his sex-trafficking trial. 'He would bash me on my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me on the head if I was down,' the 'Me & U' singer, who is expecting her third child with husband Alex Fine, testified from the witness stand inside Manhattan federal court Tuesday. She claimed Combs, 55, would often fight with her over minuscule disagreements, telling her to 'fix [her] face or watch [her] mouth' followed by him allegedly 'hitting' her in the face. 'I also felt at certain times … I knew it wasn't even about me … [I would] make the wrong face and the next thing I knew I was getting hit in the face,' she further testified. Ventura, 38, who appeared in the courtroom wearing a tight brown dress with her baby bump on display, also recalled how the physical assault would be so severe that she would 'get knots' in her forehead. Later in her testimony, the 'Don't Play It Safe' singer broke down in tears further describing how 'violent' Combs would allegedly get and how he would 'just become a different person.' 'His look would just change over,' she recalled. 'The best way to describe it is his eyes just go black. The version that I was in love with is no longer there.' Ventura also claimed she experienced psychological abuse 'every day' because she was always not 'knowing who he was going to be when we woke up.' The singer claimed her famous ex — who is 17 years her senior — introduced her to 'Freak-Offs' around the age of 22. She claimed Combs viewed the acts as 'voyeurism,' when a person gets turned on by seeing others engage in intimate or sexual behaviors. She claimed he would 'direct' her and her sexual partner, which was often an escort or dancer off of Craigslist, on what they should be doing, adding, 'I was in love and I just wanted to make him happy.' 'It basically entails the hiring of an escort and setting up this experience so that I could perform for Sean,' she further explained. Ventura testified that she was very 'sexually inexperienced' when she first met Combs and that he would at times make her 'feel crazy for not reciprocating' oral sex. 'I was also still in a relationship with someone else,' she added of the early days of their romance. The songstress said that if she would not want to participate in sexual acts throughout their relationship, he would become angry, which made her feel 'humiliated' and as if that was all [she] was good for.' Ventura testified that the longest 'Freak-Off' lasted four days — 'maybe even more – on and off with the breaks' — and that, in some ways, it became a 'job' for her. She would often be under the influence of drugs like ecstasy, marijuana, ketamine, GHB — also known as the 'date rape drug' — or mushrooms during these acts, per her testimony. 'I couldn't imagine myself doing any of that without having some sort of buffer or a way to not feel the way it really was, which was emotionless and sex with a stranger who I didn't want to have sex with,' she said. The 'Just One Nite' singer also mentioned the infamous baby oil Combs liked to use, alleging that he once had a inflatable pool of lube and oil inside of a hotel room. 'We poured it all over our bodies and we were glistening,' she further recalled. Ventura also recounted during her testimony a time when an escort and her then-boyfriend urinated in her mouth, which caused her to 'choke.' 'It's just as humiliating [as] if anyone was there to see it. It was disgusting, it was too much,' she said on the stand. The 'Love a Loser' singer noted that Combs once asked her what she calls her grandfather and, from then on, she referred to him as 'pop pop.' The singer said she thought the request 'was weird at the time' and now sees it as 'just disrespectful.' Ventura said she would need time to recuperate from the 'Freak-Offs,' which she participated in even while on her period, particularly because of the dehydration and drug use. She claimed the escorts were usually 'paid in the thousands' in cash. Aside from the sex, Combs allegedly 'controlled' all aspects of Ventura's life, including pressuring her to get breast implants and deterring her from certain hairstyles which he claimed made her look 'too Mexican.' He also encouraged her to get her private parts, including her clitoris and nipples, pierced. Ventura claimed he made her feel unable to leave the relationship — despite her wanting to do so. 'He's a bit of an incessant caller or he would have staff, security continue to call until you answered or called you,' she added of his alleged obsessive habits and need to assert his control. However, Ventura did note during her testimony that there was 'still love' in the relationship at times. Ventura claimed Combs would 'blackmail' her, threatening to put her videos and photos of her sexual encounters 'on the internet.' The 'Long Way 2 Go' singer — whom prosecutors dubbed 'Victim 1' — is a key witness in this case. Ahead of her court appearance, Reuters reported last week that Combs' defense team planned to accuse Ventura of domestic violence once she took the stand in attempt to take a stab at the singer's credibility. In November 2023, Ventura filed a bombshell civil lawsuit, accusing Combs of rape and abuse throughout their decade-long relationship, which took place from 2007 to 2018. Her attorneys claimed in the complaint that the 'Bad Boy for Life' rapper 'was prone to uncontrollable rage, and frequently beat Ms. Ventura savagely.' Combs quickly settled the suit for an undisclosed amount of money within 24 hours, but claimed at the time that the agreement was not an admission of wrongdoing. However, six months later, CNN released shocking surveillance video taken in 2016 of the Bad Boy Records founder dragging Ventura, his then-girlfriend, across a hotel hallway and physically beating her. The damning footage corroborated at least the abuse portion of the 'King of Hearts' singer's claims, and forced Combs to issue a public apology. Ventura's lawsuit opened the floodgates for dozens of alleged victims to come forward to accuse the 'All About the Benjamins' rapper of sexual assault and other crimes. The mom of three's claims have also proven useful for the feds' ongoing case. In September 2023, the authorities charged Combs with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. Investigators conducted a months-long probe — which included raids on the disgraced music mogul's homes in Los Angeles and Miami — and allegedly found evidence of nefarious 'Freak-Off' parties, in which illegal sexual activity allegedly occurred. Combs has pleaded not guilty and has been waiting for his trial to begin while behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NY. Per eyewitnesses, the jail time has rapidly aged him. Meanwhile, Ventura has slowly been stepping back into the spotlight again. In March, she and Fine attended a red carpet event in London — their first since Combs' legal battle commenced.
Metro
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Inside Diddy's relationship with Cassie as he issues astonishing trial request
Cassie Ventura is preparing to testify in ex Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial, taking to the stand to shed light on horrific abuse allegations about her former partner. The disgraced rapper is currently on trial in New York, on five charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution – he has denied all allegations against him, but could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted. Much of the trial so far has focused on the 55-year-old's romance with ex-girlfriend Ventura, with a shocking video of Combs appearing to physically assault the singer in a hotel in 2016 playing out on the first day in court. The 38-year-old, who is currently eight-and-a-half months pregnant with her third child, is expected to take the stand later today, with his legal team issuing a bizarre request over her appearance in front of the jury. According to reports, they have asked Judge Arun Subramanian if Ventura could be sat before the jury come in, 'only because of her physical condition' – a request that the prosecution objected. As the relationship gets put under the microscope once more, here's everything you need to know about the former couple, and the mom-to-be's claims about her ex. Casandra Ventura was born in Connecticut in August 1986, and began her music career in 2004 under producer Ryan Leslie, who she dated between 2004 and 2007. After releasing her lead single Me & U in 2006, which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, she caught the attention of Combs who signed her onto his Bad Boy Records label. She went onto release her self-titled debut album in August 2006, which became her first and last album. Over the years, she dropped several singles including, The Boys with Nicki Minaj and 2017's Don't Play It Safe. Ventura officially left Comb's label and struck out as an independent artist in January 2019, under her own label Ventura Music. Speaking about the decision to leave Bad Boy Records, she said in 2021: 'It's so different. And I mean, even now I'm just in a different place in my life. 'It's the place to be, just to own your stuff and just… You could do whatever you want. 'You could wake up tomorrow and be like, 'Okay, I want to record four records. And then put them out and it's mine. And what you going to say?'' In 2008, Ventura made her acting debut in as Sophie in Step Up 2: The Streets, before claiming roles in The Perfect Match in 2016, and as Haven Quinn in hit series Empire, in 2018. Alongside music and acting, she commanded a successful modelling career, working with Calvin Klein, ASOS and Abercrombie and Fitch. Ventura dated Combs, on-and-off, for over 10 years between 2007 and 2018. Their romance started shortly after she signed onto his label in 2007, when she was 21 and he was 39. At the time Combs had recently split with his partner Kim Porter with whom he shares four children. They publicly confirmed their relationship years later, in 2012, when they appeared at Paris Fashion Week together. Between 2012 and 2016 there were regular reports that the couple were engaged, which Combs always denied. In 2016, the same year of the hotel incident, there were claims that they had gone their separate ways after a heated argument – something they later insisted wasn't true. They eventually called time on their romance two years later, with Ventura's rep confirming in October 2018: 'They are indeed no longer together and haven't been for months.' In November 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of raping and physically abusing her during their relationship. The lawsuit came with a rare trigger warning due to the extreme nature of the content, which included allegations that he 'beat her, plied her with drugs and forced her to have sex with male prostitutes as filmed'. It was claimed that Ventura 'endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands', and was raped 'in her own home' in 2018 after 'she tried to leave him'. She also accused him of controlling her career and personal life, including her medical records. Combs vehemently denied the allegations, and they both settled the case the day after the documents were filed, with the terms being kept under wraps. Ventura later told the public: 'I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.' Months after news of their settlement emerged, brutal surveillance footage was obtained and published by CNN in 2024, appearing to show Combs assaulting Ventura and dragging her across the floor of the InterContinental Hotel in LA. She could be seen walking towards the elevators of their hotel at the beginning of the clip, and he was filmed following her, before grabbing her and throwing her to the floor and kicking her multiple times. In the wake of the footage, Combs offered an apology in which he said: 'I was f**ked up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses. 'My behavior in that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. 'I'm disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I'm disgusted now. 'I went and I sought professional help, started going to therapy, I've been going to rehab. I had to ask God for His mercy and grace. 'I'm so sorry. But, I've committed to being a better man, each and every day. 'I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm truly sorry.' Shortly after ending her relationship with Combs, Ventura met wellness consultant Alex Fine at the gym. They made their relationship official in December 2018. In June 2019 Ventura announced she was expecting a baby girl with Fine. They went onto get married in September of that year. In an interview with Vogue about their wedding, Ventura said: 'As soon as I saw Alex, any nerves that I did have went away, and I just couldn't stop smiling.' More Trending They welcomed their first child, Frankie Stone, in December of that year. In March 2021 they had their second child, Sunny. Taking to Instagram earlier this year, she announced that she is expecting her third child with the MobLands actor. Alongside black-and-white photos unveiling her baby bump for the first time, as daughters Sunny and Frankie embraced her, she simply wrote: '🤰🏽💙 #3.' In March, she shared the news that they are set to welcome a baby boy to their brood. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Man who paid $12,000 to be Gene Simmons's roadie says he's 'going to die happy' MORE: Killers of the Flower Moon star Samuel French dies aged 45 MORE: Rapper Tory Lanez rushed to hospital after being stabbed 14 times in prison attack
