Latest news with #Victim1
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Cassie Ventura welcomes third child: reports
Cassie Ventura, seen here at an event on March 31, 2025 in New York City, has welcomed her third child. (via CNN Newsource) Singer Cassie Ventura, who recently testified as a central witness in the federal criminal trial of her ex-boyfriend Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has given birth to her third child, multiple outlets have reported. Ventura and her husband, Alex Fine, welcomed a son. They are also the parents of two young daughters, Frankie and Sunny. CNN has reached out to representatives for the couple for comment. In February, they announced a new addition was joining the family. Earlier this month, Ventura gave nearly 20 hours of often graphic testimony during Combs' trial, speaking about the violence she said she endured at Combs' hands and detailing drug-fueled sexual encounters, known as 'Freak Offs.' Ventura was the third witness to be called and referred to by both the defense and prosecution as an important witness in the case. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted on the most serious counts, he could face up to life in prison. Combs and Ventura's longterm relationship is part of the ongoing criminal case against him. She was identified as 'Victim 1' in the federal indictment against Combs. Ventura first detailed years of disturbing abuse allegations in a civil lawsuit filed against Combs, who she dated on and off between 2007 and 2018, in November 2023. The two settled her claim for $20 million one day after it was filed, according to Ventura's testimony at the trial. On the stand, Ventura said she was treated for mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, after the relationship ended. Combs has faced dozens of other civil lawsuits in recent months, accusing him of sexual assault. He has denied all the allegations. On the opening day of Combs's trial, the jury was shown graphic video of him physically assaulting Ventura in a California hotel in 2016. During pretrial hearings, the defense unsuccessfully attempted to keep the jury from being able to see the video of the incident during the trial. Prior to Ventura's testimony at trial, Combs' defense team made their best effort to have Ventura seated at the witness stand before the jury entered the courtroom. 'I'm going to ask that victim number one, when she testifies, be already in the jury box when the jury comes in. Only as to her. Only because of her physical condition,' Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said in court ahead of Ventura's testimony, according to a court-provided transcript of the exchange. 'There is – there is a quality to her walking in front of the jury that I think is easily avoidable.' Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the case, ultimately denied the request. Outside the court on May 13, Ventura's attorney Douglas Wigdor said: 'The jury is going to judge her based on her testimony – not based on her appearance, hopefully.' After she completed her time on the stand, Ventura issued a statement through her attorney that said in part, '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.'
CNN
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Cassie Ventura welcomes third child: Reports
Singer Cassie Ventura, who recently testified as a central witness in the federal criminal trial of her ex-boyfriend Sean 'Diddy' Combs, has given birth to her third child, multiple outlets have reported. Ventura and her husband, Alex Fine, welcomed a son. They are also the parents of two young daughters, Frankie and Sunny. CNN has reached out to representatives for the couple for comment. In February, they announced a new addition was joining the family. Earlier this month, Ventura gave nearly 20 hours of often graphic testimony during Combs' trial, speaking about the violence she said she endured at Combs' hands and detailing drug-fueled sexual encounters, known as 'Freak Offs.' Ventura was the third witness to be called and referred to by both the defense and prosecution as an important witness in the case. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted on the most serious counts, he could face up to life in prison. Combs and Ventura's longterm relationship is part of the ongoing criminal case against him. She was identified as 'Victim 1' in the federal indictment against Combs. Ventura first detailed years of disturbing abuse allegations in a civil lawsuit filed against Combs, who she dated on and off between 2007 and 2018, in November 2023. The two settled her claim for $20 million one day after it was filed, according to Ventura's testimony at the trial. On the stand, Ventura said she was treated for mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, after the relationship ended. Combs has faced dozens of other civil lawsuits in recent months, accusing him of sexual assault. He has denied all the allegations. On the opening day of Combs's trial, the jury was shown graphic video of him physically assaulting Ventura in a California hotel in 2016. During pretrial hearings, the defense unsuccessfully attempted to keep the jury from being able to see the video of the incident during the trial. Prior to Ventura's testimony at trial, Combs' defense team made their best effort to have Ventura seated at the witness stand before the jury entered the courtroom. 'I'm going to ask that victim number one, when she testifies, be already in the jury box when the jury comes in. Only as to her. Only because of her physical condition,' Combs' attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said in court ahead of Ventura's testimony, according to a court-provided transcript of the exchange. 'There is – there is a quality to her walking in front of the jury that I think is easily avoidable.' Judge Arun Subramanian, who is overseeing the case, ultimately denied the request. Outside the court on May 13, Ventura's attorney Douglas Wigdor said: 'The jury is going to judge her based on her testimony – not based on her appearance, hopefully.' After she completed her time on the stand, Ventura issued a statement through her attorney that said in part, '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.' CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report.
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Takeaways from Cassie Ventura's testimony in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' racketeering trial
By Lauren del Valle , Nicki Brown , Eric Levenson , Kara Scannell , CNN Ventura began crying while discussing the "Freak Offs" in court on Tuesday. Photo: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters via CNN Newsource "The government calls Cassandra Ventura." With those five words, the prosecution dove into the heart of the racketeering and sex trafficking case against Sean "Diddy" Combs - the testimony of his former longtime girlfriend. Known as "Victim 1" in the indictment and "Cassie" in the music world, Ventura - who is pregnant and in her third trimester - took the stand Tuesday in what is likely to be several days of intense testimony. She was on the stand for about 4.5 hours Tuesday and is set to return Wednesday for further questioning. Prosecutors have said Combs and his inner circle used threats, violence, drugs, bribery, arson, kidnapping and lies to coerce Ventura and another woman into extended sexual performances known as "Freak Offs" and to protect the music mogul's reputation. The defense acknowledged Combs has been violent with romantic partners and has a "different" sex life. However, they argued the women consented to these sexual arrangements and evidence of domestic violence does not mean he committed racketeering or sex trafficking. Combs has pleaded not guilty to five counts including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted, he could face a sentence of up to life in prison. Sean "Diddy" Combs' former girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura took the stand Tuesday at his racketeering and sex trafficking trial. Photo: Jane Rosenberg/Reuters via CNN Newsource Tuesday's highly anticipated testimony represented the first in-person meeting between Ventura and Combs in over six years. The pair first began dating around 2007 and went public with their relationship in 2012. They split in 2018. Ventura and Combs last saw each other in November 2018 at the funeral of Kim Porter, the actress who had three children with Combs, defense attorney Teny Geragos said in opening statements Monday. When Ventura entered the courtroom, she walked down the centre aisle with her eyes facing forward. Wearing a brown dress, Ventura passed by the jury box to the witness stand. Combs turned around in his chair and watched her walk to her seat. She did not appear to make eye contact with him. Ventura, now 38, detailed how she and the now 55-year-old Combs - who she called "Sean" - began dating nearly two decades ago. Ventura first met Combs when she was about 19 years old. She signed a contract with his company, Bad Boy Records, in early 2006, and they struck up a platonic relationship. After a boat party in Miami, their relationship became more intimate and sexual. "I wanted to be around Sean for the same reasons as everyone else at the time - just this exciting, entertaining, fun guy that also happened to have my career in his hands," Ventura said. "It felt special because not a lot of people got that time with him." She said she soon fell in love with him and "traveled with him everywhere…like (his) little shadow." Over time, Ventura said she began to see Combs' more controlling and abusive qualities. "Control was everything, from the way that I looked, to what I was working on that day, who I was speaking to," she said. He had mood swings that led to physical abuse, she said. "You make the wrong face and the next thing I knew, I was getting hit in the face," she said. "If I was a brat or something, he would let me know I needed to 'fix my face' or 'watch my mouth.'" If he disapproved of something she did, he directed his staff to take her belongings away, she said. He'd also kick her out of the house or her apartment that he was paying for, she testified. Cassie (L) and Sean 'Diddy' Combs attend the "Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Art Of The In-Between" Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2017 in New York City. Photo: MIKE COPPOLA Ventura said some of her arguments with Combs became violent. "He would smash me in my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head if I was down," she said. She added she suffered injuries from the abuse, including knots on her forehead, busted lips, and "bruises all over my body." Asked how frequently he was physical with her, she responded, "Too frequently." Early in their relationship, Combs proposed the provocatively named "Freak Offs" in which he would watch her have sex with another man while he pleasured himself, a form of sexual voyeurism, Ventura testified. Each "Freak Off" would usually consist of two to three sexual sessions - each session lasting an hour to three hours - and could involve three or four different men, she explained. "It's his fantasy. He was controlling the whole situation, he was directing it," she said. The "Freak Offs" became almost weekly, she testified, and stretched until 2017 or 2018. When Ventura "gently" brought up not wanting to do them anymore, Combs was dismissive, she said. "It got to a point where I just didn't feel like I had much of a choice, didn't really know what 'no' could be or what 'no' could turn into," she testified. "Sean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was (my) career, the way I dressed, like everything, everything. And I just didn't feel like I had much say in it at that time, being really super young, naive, total people pleaser," she said. "I didn't know if he would be upset enough to be violent or if he would write me off and just not want to be with me at all." She testified she took "all kinds" of drugs provided by Combs or his staff at the "Freak Offs" as a way of dissociating and numbing herself. At a certain point, a "big chunk of her life" was spent recovering from taking drugs and dehydration stemming from the "Freak Offs," she said. "The 'Freak Offs' became a job, where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again," she said. Ventura stoically described the sexual acts that occurred during "Freak Offs" but eventually broke down when she was asked how she felt about them. "I felt disgusting, I was humiliated," Ventura said. "I didn't have the words to put together at the time how horrible I really felt, and I couldn't talk to anybody about it." When asked what she enjoyed, if anything, about the "Freak Offs," Ventura broke down into tears. "The time spent with him," she said. "As sad as it was, I thought that like it was (the) only time I could get." The central evidence in the trial so far has been surveillance video showing Combs beating and kicking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, and in court she offered more details on what led to that incident. At some point the "Freak Off" turned violent, Ventura said. "I'm not sure what happened, but I got hit by Sean and I had a black eye, and at that point all I could think about was getting out of there safely," she said. The attack came after she attempted to leave a "Freak Off" before it was "over," she testified. "It got violent and I chose to leave," Ventura said. "Sean followed me into the hallway by the elevators, he grabbed me, threw me on the ground, kicked me, tried to drag me back to the room, took my stuff." Ventura said she grabbed her belongings and "ran out as fast as I could," without putting her shoes on, while Combs was in the shower. She said he had beat her in that same way seen on the surveillance video "too many (times) to count." "Are there occasions when you tried to fight back when Sean hit you?" the prosecutor asked. "No," Ventura said. Video of the attack was first published by CNN last year. The jury has viewed surveillance footage of the attack at least five times in the trial so far. Some of Ventura's testimony touched on the role that Combs' employees and staff played in the "Freak Offs" - a key part of the prosecution's allegation that he and his inner circle constituted a criminal enterprise. She testified Combs' staff would sometimes book the hotel rooms for the "Freak Offs," and that Combs told her which escorts to hire. Ventura said he paid them in cash and facilitated the escorts' travel to wherever the couple was at the time. Ventura said she found the escorts online and then would show them to Combs for him to approve. Escorts were paid between $1,500 and $6,000 after the "Freak Offs" in cash that was provided by Combs, she said. Some of the escorts participated in "Freak Offs" in multiple states, according to Ventura. When she needed to fly in an escort for a "Freak Off," Ventura would tell Combs' travel agent to arrange travel for a new staff member, she testified. At Combs' direction, she purposely concealed the true reason for the travel request, Ventura said. "It was important to Sean not to have (the escorts') identity known," she said. She also said that Combs' staff would provide materials such as baby oil, Astroglide and condoms for the "Freak Offs," and when they ran out of lubricant, they'd call someone on Combs' staff or the hotel desk to bring more. Law enforcement discovered more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil in searches of Combs' homes last year, and Ventura explained the product's role in the "Freak Offs." "If he felt like you were too dry, he'd let you know," she said. "He would say 'you were too dry you need to put more oil on,' or 'you need to be glistening.'" They used about 10 large bottles of baby oil each time. At one "Freak Off" there was even an inflatable pool filled with baby oil, she testified, and Combs told her to get into the pool to cover herself in oil. Hotel rooms would typically be trashed after "Freak Offs," and many times one of Combs' staff members would go in and clean up, she said. The hotels often charged Combs for the damage, and she recalled hearing staff members take calls from hotels about it. The defense has said the case is really about jealousy, and Ventura admitted in her testimony she was "insanely jealous" of Combs' other girlfriends. "I didn't get that he was him - he was Puff Daddy, and Puff Daddy has many women," Ventura said. "He likes the company of women, and I had to just really learn that over time, despite what he would tell me just between us." She continued, "He made me feel like we were in a monogamous relationship more often than not. It was really me figuring out that we were not." Ventura was not the only person to take the stand Tuesday. The day began with the continued cross-examination of Daniel Phillip, the 41-year-old who testified a day earlier that he was paid thousands of dollars on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2014 to have sex with Ventura while Combs watched and pleasured himself. Ventura appeared to be sober during these sexual encounters, except on one occasion when she was "slumped over" on a couch, Phillip testified. In that instance, Combs stepped in and said they could not have sex, he said. Ventura testified later Tuesday that she usually took narcotics with Combs before an escort would join them. Phillip first took the stand Monday afternoon as the second witness in the government's case. - CNN
Forbes
12-05-2025
- Forbes
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs Trial Begins: Jury Is Picked (Live Updates)
Opening statements will begin shortly in Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial in New York federal court Monday, as well as the first witness testimonies, which may include Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, whose testimony is considered a crucial part of the prosecution's case against the rap mogul (Combs has pleaded not guilty to all five federal charges). Judge Arun Subramanian finished seating the jury and will then swear in 12 jurors and six alternates Monday morning, before the trial turns to opening statements, in which both the prosecution and defense will lay out their cases. Combs arrived at the New York federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, where his mother, Janice Combs, and six of his children are present, the New York Times reported. The first witnesses in Combs' trial are expected to testify today, which may include his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, whom prosecutors allege Combs coerced into having sex with male prostitutes. Ventura is referred to as 'Victim 1' in the indictment against Combs, and her testimony could take up much of the trial's first week, CNN reported. Hundreds of people have lined up outside the courthouse, the AP reported, some of whom camped out overnight. 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. Combs' lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, has indicated at pre-trial hearings he would portray the rap mogul as a 'swinger' in his defense, which he argues is not a crime. 'It's relevant to the defendant's intent that there's a lifestyle called swingers, call it whatever you will, that he was in, that he might have thought was appropriate,' Agnifilo said at a hearing in April. Agnifilo also said at a hearing he would portray Combs' relationship with Ventura, whom he dated off-and-on between 2007 and 2018, as mutually violent with 'hitting on both sides,' after the court allowed a hotel surveillance video that shows Combs attacking Ventura to be played during trial as evidence. Combs told the judge he rejected a plea deal in court earlier this month, though details of the deal are unknown. Combs had also attempted to delay the trial by two months so his legal team could have additional time to prepare, though Subramanian rejected his legal team's request. 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. 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. The suit was settled the next day for an undisclosed amount, though Ventura's lawsuit kicked off a barrage of suits filed against Combs, many of which alleged sexual assault and sex trafficking. Combs has denied all allegations made against him. Federal agents raided Combs' homes in March 2024, and he was arrested by authorities in September 2024 after being indicted by a grand jury. 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)
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man sentenced for ‘Swatting' call that led to Kansas City IRS lockdown
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A 46-year-old Kansas City, Missouri man was sentenced in federal court for making a hoax telephone call that led to an Internal Revenue Service office being locked down and an employee being detained. Anthony M. Alford was sentenced on Wednesday, May 7, to three years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Alford to serve supervised release for three years following his incarceration. Man found dead in parking garage in downtown Kansas City Alford to one count of intentionally conveying false and misleading information. Court records show that on Sept. 10, 2024, Alford falsely reported the threat to 911. KCPD officers were dispatched and detained an employee at the IRS office on Pershing Road. The B-wing of the IRS building was then sent into lockdown. The person who was detained, identified in court records as 'Victim 1', claimed she had been dating Alford for about a month and had been trying to break up with him. While she said that Alford had never been violent, she did say that he acted 'controlling possessive and jealous behavior', according to records. Those court records also show that Alford messaged Victim 1 saying he was ' [o]n the phone with IRS police have fun when you get there,' and '…just wait until you get to work.' KC restaurants raise thousands for Graham Hoffman Scholarship Fund Alford was arrested on September 25, 2024, when he said that Victim 1 did not make those threats and that he had been drinking when he made the 911 call. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
