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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cassie Ventura finishes emotional testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs's trial
NEW YORK — Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura wrapped up her fourth and final day of testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs's federal sex trafficking trial on Friday, as the defense concluded cross-examination of the government's star witness and prosecutors introduced two more: singer Dawn Richard and Homeland Security agent Yasin Binda. The packed day of testimony revisited accounts of Combs's alleged abuse and revealed new details about the scene of his arrest in September. The music mogul is charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to engage in prostitution — offenses that could carry a life sentence if convicted on all counts. He has pleaded not guilty. Ventura, 38, who appeared tired on the stand, spent most of the day under exhaustive questioning from Combs's lawyers, who continued to suggest that she was more sexually mature and enthusiastic about Combs's sex parties than she expressed in her testimony. They also tried to cast doubt about her recollections of her years-long relationship with Combs, 55. In her final moments on the stand, Ventura also revealed that she had reached a $10 million settlement with the InterContinental Hotels Group — whose Los Angeles location was the site of Ventura's beating by Combs in 2016. In an email to The Washington Post, IHG declined to comment. Anna Estevao, one of Combs's defense attorneys, resumed her cross-examination of Ventura on Friday with the 2016 incident at the InterContinental hotel. In text messages between the former couple shortly after the assault, Combs appeared to feel sorry about the incident and proposed having sex with Ventura. 'We need a different vibe,' she wrote back. The couple signed off by texting each other, 'Love you.' When asked what she recalled after the incident, Ventura said she had done press for her 2016 film, 'The Perfect Match,' whose premiere was two days later. 'After that, I don't really remember too much,' she said. Ventura said she also attended a 'spa' in Sedona, Arizona, for a week to detox from heavy drug usage after the beating. The defense questioned Ventura on the events of Sept. 27, 2018, when she and Combs had consensual sex weeks after he allegedly raped her. In previous testimony, Ventura said: 'We'd been together 10 years; you just don't turn feelings off that way.' On that night, Ventura missed a video call from her then-boyfriend and current husband, Alex Fine. Ventura has testified that Fine punched a wall upon learning she had sex with Combs that night. Ventura said that Combs had reached out to her multiple times since she saw him last in 2018. He texted her to congratulate her on a pregnancy and to tell her he missed her, was 'sending her love and light' and had a dream about her. A big moment of Friday's cross-examination was an audio recording in which Ventura threatened to kill a DJ who said he had seen a lurid video of her having sex with Combs. In the audio, Ventura is heard asking politely to see the video before she starts shouting. 'It's my f---ing life, and I will kill you. I will kill you. I will cut you up, and I will hide you,' she is heard saying. 'I have never killed anyone in my life, but I will kill you. … And it's not going to be my hands. There's not going to be blood on my hands. It's going to be someone else.' The defense also questioned Ventura about a 2013 birthday party for her brother, where she allegedly got into a physical altercation with a woman and told Combs she 'tried to kill the b----.' Binda, the Homeland Security agent, testified that she participated in a raid on Combs's hotel room at the Park Hyatt in Manhattan in September. He was arrested in the lobby of the hotel. In the room, agents found large zip-top bags filled with baby oil and lubricant, plus additional bottles stored in a bathtub and on a nightstand. They also found a Louis Vuitton bag with a bottle of medication prescribed to 'Frank Black' and, in separate pill bottles, ketamine and MDMA. Agents also recovered an external hard drive. Binda described finding a black fanny pack with $9,000 in cash. Still at the witness stand, she cut open an evidence bag of cash and fanned the bills so the jury could see. Part of the reason Combs was in New York at that time was to meet with federal agents about his surrender. Late in the day, the prosecution called witness Richard, who performed in two bands managed by Combs. The Danity Kane singer testified that in 2009, she was at Combs's Los Angeles home to record music when Combs attacked Ventura in the kitchen — an incident she recounted in a lawsuit she filed against Combs last year. (Combs denied the 'series of false claims' in Richard's complaint). 'He came downstairs angry and was saying, where the f--- was his eggs and he was telling Cassie she never gets anything right and where the f--- was his food,' Richard told the jury. 'And he came over to the skillet with the eggs in it and tried to hit her over the head and she fell to the ground.' Combs continued to beat Ventura as she was on the floor, Richard testified, then dragged her upstairs. Richard said that the following day, Combs invited her and her bandmate Kalenna Harper, who also saw the alleged attack, to record music in his studio. Richard testified that Combs told the two women that the violence they had witnessed was 'passion.' And she said he threatened that 'where he comes from, people who say something can end up missing.' Richard will return on Monday but it is unclear how much of her testimony from Friday will be admissible. But prosecutors have argued that Combs's alleged abuse created a culture of violence and fear that allowed him to carry out more-serious crimes. Kingsberry reported from Washington.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Cassie Ventura Net Worth: How much does the American singer/dancer earn, who testified in Diddy's trial?
Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, a former girlfriend of Sean 'Diddy' Combs and a key witness in the federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial of the music mogul, concluded her testimony on Friday. The American singer and dancer, who dated Diddy on and off from 2007 to 2018, ended her dramatic and often emotional testimony, and is now gone from the court after further examination by Combs's legal team. During her testimony, Cassie provided detailed accounts of the abuse and coercion she allegedly endured during their relationship. Her statements were pivotal in the prosecution's case, highlighting a pattern of control and manipulation. Cassie also testified that her relationship with Diddy ultimately stunted her music career, with only one album of a 10-album deal she signed with his label being released, in part because her participation in his 'Freak Offs' became 'a whole other job.' Let's take a look at Cassie's net worth amidst the highly publicized trial. Net worth of Cassie Ventura : As of 2025, Cassie Ventura's net worth is estimated to be between $10 million and $14 million, reflecting her diverse career in music, modeling, acting, and business ventures. Career highlights: Music: Cassie gained fame with her 2006 hit single "Me & U" and released her self-titled debut album. Despite being signed to a 10-album deal with Bad Boy Records, only her debut album and a few singles were released, limiting her music-related earnings. She testified that her music career was sidelined by her relationship with Diddy, who exerted extensive control over her personal and professional life. Modeling: Cassie has been signed with Wilhelmina Models and One Management, appearing in campaigns for brands like Calvin Klein, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Clean & Clear. Acting: She has appeared in films such as Step Up 2: The Streets and The Perfect Match, and gained additional visibility through her appearance on The Masked Singer. Business ventures: Cassie has diversified her income through entrepreneurial initiatives, including her vegan wine brand, fitness platform, and investments in companies like Glow Beverages and Billie Skincare. Legal settlement impact: In late 2023, Cassie filed a lawsuit against Diddy, alleging assault and rape during their ten-year relationship. The case was settled, reportedly improving her financial standing. Prior to the settlement, her net worth was estimated between $4 million and $8 million; post-settlement, it allegedly increased to over $10 million. Life with Alex Fine : Cassie married Alex Fine in 2019, and the couple is parents to two children now, with another on the way. Alex Fine is a personal trainer and professional bull rider who has gained recognition for his work with high-profile clients and his own fitness brand. While specific figures regarding his net worth are not publicly disclosed, the combined net worth of the couple is estimated to be between $18 million and $22 million.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Diddy Trial Day 4: Cassie Returns To Stand For Cross-Examination
Cassie Ventura will return to the witness stand Thursday for cross-examination by Sean 'Diddy' Combs' lawyers, her third straight day of testimony after previously telling the court Combs had coerced her into 'hundreds' of 'freak off' sexual encounters, which he took videos of and blackmailed her with (Combs has pleaded not guilty to all five federal charges). Ventura, whom Combs dated off-and-on between 2007 and 2018, testified all day in court on Tuesday and Wednesday, and her testimony is expected to last the rest of the week as the prosecution's key witness in Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Combs' defense lawyers will cross-examine Ventura Thursday, and it's not yet clear how they will question her, but in their opening statements, the defense portrayed Combs as a violent man—but not a sex trafficker—who had a 'swinger' lifestyle and that Ventura was a consenting adult in their sex life. The defense attorneys may seek to question her financial motives, credibility and whether the drugs Ventura was on during the 'freak-offs' affected her memory, NBC News reported. On Wednesday, Ventura described how Combs coerced her to perform in as many as 'hundreds' of 'freak offs'—his term for sexual encounters, which could be days long, in which Ventura would have sex with a male escort while Combs watched and choreographed the entire encounter. Ventura said Combs threatened to blackmail her with videos he recorded of Ventura performing during freak-offs if she upset him: "I would have to answer to my mother," she said, according to the BBC, stating the videos "make me look like a slut.' Combs' legal issues began with a lawsuit filed by Ventura in November 2023, in which she alleged he raped her and subjected her to years of physical abuse; she testified Wednesday that she settled that suit for $20 million, the Associated Press reported. On the witness stand Tuesday, Ventura testified she and Combs would have 'violent arguments' throughout their decade-long relationship, in which he would 'too frequently' subject her to physical abuse: 'He would smash me in my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head if I was down,' CNN reported. The court was once again shown footage of Combs attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, and Ventura testified she attended a movie premiere for 'The Perfect Match,' a rom-com she starred in, with sunglasses to hide bruises Combs had given her. Ventura detailed another altercation in which Combs 'knocked me around' in a car in 2007 or 2008, and Ventura said Combs had instructed her to stay in a hotel for a week so her wounds could heal, the New York Times reported. Ventura also detailed the physical and emotional toll of 'freak-offs,' stating she would suffer urinary tract infections after performing in back-to-back freak-offs to the point that CIPRO, a common UTI antibiotic, no longer worked for her, NBC News reported. Combs subjected her to freak offs 'weekly for a consistent amount of years,' the Washington Post reported. 'I felt pretty horrible about myself. I felt disgusting. I felt humiliated,' Ventura said of the freak offs, adding she 'couldn't talk to anyone about it.' Combs also controlled Ventura's singing career, she testified, stating he called 'all of the shots' after he signed her to his Bad Boy Records when she was 19 years old, NBC News reported, and he controlled her image and physical appearance. Ventura testified while nearly nine months pregnant with her third child with her husband Alex Fine. Fine was present in the courtroom after a judge partially rejected the defense's request to bar him from watching Ventura's testimony (Fine must leave when Ventura testifies about her alleged 2018 rape by Combs, the judge ruled). Throughout her testimony, Ventura occasionally dabbed her eyes and nose with a tissue, and became emotional and choked back tears while talking about the freak-offs, the Washington Post reported. She spoke softly while testifying, and her voice at times became hoarse, the Post reported. Combs arrived at the courthouse Wednesday morning wearing a cream sweater and gray pants, and he watched Ventura as she arrived while she stared straight ahead, the New York Times reported. The Post reported Combs appeared nervous before Ventura's testimony began, adjusting his clothes and refraining from smiling at his supporters in the courtroom, as he has done previously. Israel Florez, then a security guard at the Los Angeles hotel where Combs attacked ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 in an incident captured on surveillance cameras, testified first at the trial. He said Venture appeared 'scared' after the altercation, NBC News reported, and testified that Combs was sitting in a towel with a 'devilish stare.' Florez said Combs approached him with a stack of money, telling him: 'Don't tell nobody,' but Florez rejected the apparent bribe, AP reported. Also on day one, Daniel Phillip, a male escort, was the second to take the stand, testifying he was paid by Ventura to have sex with her at a hotel in 2012 while Combs watched in the corner and masturbated, the New York Times reported, and then repeated the service multiple times with the couple at various hotels. Geragos denied Combs' violent behavior constitutes acts of sex trafficking or other federal crimes. 'He is physical, he is a drug user, you may know of his love of baby oil. Is that a federal crime? No,' Geragos told the jury, NBC News reported. Geragos addressed the hotel surveillance footage of Combs attacking Ventura, calling his actions 'indefensible,' 'dehumanizing' and 'virtually every bad word you can think of,' but said it is 'not evidence of sex trafficking,' CNN reported. Geragos argued Ventura was a 'willing participant in their sex life' while with Combs and claimed Ventura left Combs on her own terms when she realized she would 'never be his wife, never be his love of his life,' CNN reported. Geragos said Ventura was 'jealous' of the relationship between Combs and his late ex-girlfriend, Kim Porter, with whom Combs had three children. Geragos also portrayed Combs' other sexual partners as consenting adults and denied they were victims of trafficking. Attorney Emily A. Johnson delivered the opening statement for the prosecution, accusing Combs of running 'a criminal enterprise.' Johnson described one night in which Combs allegedly learned Ventura was seeing another man while they were together, so he enlisted an employee to break into the man's house, the New York Times reported, though the employee did not find the man. Instead, Combs allegedly beat Ventura 'brutally.' Johnson described Combs' 'freak-off' parties, which she says were also referred to as 'wild king nights' or 'hotel nights,' alleging Combs' company would pay for parties and hotel rooms in which Combs would allegedly force women to take drugs and have sex with male escorts in encounters Combs sometimes recorded, the AP reported. Johnson described multiple alleged incidents of Combs committing acts of violence, including an incident in 2009 in which he allegedly stomped on Ventura's face, and another in which Combs grabbed an unnamed woman in a chokehold and kicked her to the ground before drugging her and coercing her into participating in a freak-off, the Times reported. The 12 jurors are composed of eight men and four women, the New York Times reported, with six alternates composed of four men and two women. Defense attorneys representing Combs protested some of the struck jurors to the judge, alleging the prosecutors struck seven prospective Black jurors, amounting to a pattern, the AP reported. Subramanian rejected the defense's claim, stating the prosecution gave 'race neutral reasons' for why each juror was struck and that the defense did not give evidence of discrimination. The jurors range in age from their 30s to their 70s, span jobs including a scientist, massage therapist, deli clerk and investment analyst, and they hail from Manhattan, the Bronx and Westchester County, the Times reported. Some of the jurors said they have seen a video of Combs attacking ex-girlfriend Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel, which is expected to be shown at trial. The defense previously struck a juror who said the video made Combs look like an 'angry, hostile person,' the Times reported. Combs arrived at the courthouse sporting gray hair, which is no longer black as he does not have access to hair dye in jail. He is wearing a light gray sweater and a white collared shirt with khaki pants, the Washington Post reported, and he blew kisses to his family, who are seated in the second row behind him, while walking into the courthouse. Throughout the jury selection process, Combs has donned black-framed glasses and has been actively flipping through a blue notebook and whispering with his defense attorneys, the Post reported. Combs faces five federal charges: two counts of sex trafficking, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and one count of racketeering conspiracy. The fourth and fifth charges, one additional count each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, were added by prosecutors in April in a superseding indictment concerning an alleged unnamed victim, referred to as 'Victim-2.' Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges and rejected a plea deal earlier this month. Federal agents raided Combs' homes in March 2024, and he was arrested by authorities in September 2024 after being indicted by a grand jury. While awaiting trial, Combs has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a jail known for poor conditions that has also housed disgraced crypto executive Sam Bankman-Fried and currently houses Luigi Mangione, accused of the killing of UnitedHealth CEO Brian Thompson. Sean 'Diddy' Combs Trial Underway: Here's What To Know About His Federal Charges (Forbes) Sean Combs Sued For Human Trafficking By Man Who Says He Was Sexually Assaulted In 2015: Here Are All The Major Accusations Against Diddy (Forbes)
Associated Press
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Live updates: Cassie returns to the witness stand for a third day in Diddy trial
The R&B singer Cassie testified Wednesday that Sean 'Diddy' Combs raped her when she ended their decade-long relationship, after he locked her in a life of physical abuse by threatening to release degrading sexual videos of her. Combs' lawyers were expected to begin cross-examining Cassie on Thursday, when they will get the chance to challenge her credibility or poke holes in her account of what happened. Update: Date: 2025-05-15 12:04:00 Title: Cassie says she had a breakdown in 2023 Content: Cassie testified that her life reached a climatic moment in early 2023 when she had 'horrible flashbacks' as she was shooting a music video. She said she went home after the video shoot and her two kids were asleep but her husband was there. Cassie said she remembered 'telling him you can do this without me. You don't need me here anymore.' With that, Cassie said she couldn't take the pain anymore and 'tried to walk out the front door into traffic and my husband would not let me.' Weeks later, she was undergoing rehab and trauma therapy. Asked why she's testifying at Combs' criminal trial, she said: 'I can't carry this anymore. I can't carry the shame, the guilt.' Update: Date: 2025-05-15 11:55:13 Title: Combs accused of a history of violence Content: Cassie testified about several other violent episodes. Early in their relationship in 2007, she said he repeatedly hit her and knocked her to the floor of a vehicle with a blow to her head. In 2011, when he learned she started dating rapper Kid Cudi, she said Combs lunged at her with a corkscrew and kicked her in the back. After the 2011 attack, she said she lied to her mother at Christmas that it was the first time Combs hit her. Cassie also testified that she saw Combs pull one of her friends back over the railing of a balcony in Los Angeles. She said she saw him hit a different friend of hers in the head with a hammer. Cassie said she was experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder before ending her relationship with Combs in 2018, and was blacking out and sleepwalking. Update: Date: 2025-05-15 11:54:35 Title: Cassie exposes the dark side of a celebrity relationship Content: Cassie's testimony is exposing the dark underside of a relationship that, for years, played out publicly in pictures of the couple smiling on red carpets and celebrity events. She said she met Combs in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37. Combs signed her to a 10-year contract with his Bad Boy Records label. Within a few years, they started dating, Cassie said. They were photographed in 2016 attending the premiere of the film 'The Perfect Match,' only two days after Combs beat and kicked Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel — an attack captured on security camera footage. After the footage was leaked last year, Combs apologized. Jurors were shown that footage as well as photos of the couple at the premier. Cassie, now 38, calm and poised after an emotional first day of testimony, said she used makeup to cover bruises and wore sunglasses to hide a black eye for the premiere. She said she sneaked into a popcorn closet at the movie theater to switch dresses for an after-party so bruises on her legs wouldn't be visible. Update: Date: 2025-05-15 11:52:32 Title: Cassie testifies that Sean 'Diddy' Combs raped her and threatened to release sex videos Content: Addressing the Manhattan courtroom for a second day, Cassie said Combs forced his way into her Los Angeles apartment and raped her on the living room floor after she said she was breaking up with him. Cassie also said she didn't feel she could refuse Combs' demands for her to have 'hundreds' of encounters with male sex workers — which he watched and controlled for hours and even days — because he would make her 'look like a slut' if he made the videos public. Prosecutors accuse Combs of exploiting his status as a powerful music executive to violently force Cassie and other women to take part in sexual encounters. He is charged with crimes including racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. Several other accusers are set to testify. Combs denies all of the allegations. His attorneys acknowledge he could be violent, but say the sex he and others engaged in was consensual and that nothing he did amounted to a criminal enterprise. ▶ Read more about Cassie's testimony from Tuesday
