In a dramatic turn of events during Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ongoing federal trial for sex trafficking and racketeering, singer Cassie Ventura, his former partner, has delivered a harrowing testimony that has sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.
Cassie’s detailed account sheds light on years of alleged abuse, manipulation, and control exerted by Combs, painting a disturbing picture of life behind the scenes with the music mogul.
A Decade of Alleged Abuse and Control
Cassie Ventura’s testimony reveals a relationship marked by coercion and fear. She alleges that Combs exerted control over nearly every aspect of her life, from her career decisions to personal matters.
According to her, this control extended to orchestrating drug-fueled sex parties, referred to as “freak-offs,” where she was allegedly forced to engage in sexual acts with male escorts while Combs watched and recorded the encounters .
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Cassie also recounted instances of physical abuse, including a violent episode at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, where surveillance footage reportedly shows Combs assaulting her in a hallway . These incidents, she claims, were part of a broader pattern of intimidation and control that persisted throughout their relationship.
The Alleged “Secret Monastery”
One of the most startling revelations from Cassie’s testimony involves what she described as Combs’ “secret monastery.” While details remain scarce, Cassie alleges that this secluded location was used for private gatherings that involved illicit activities. She claims that within this space, Combs conducted rituals and enforced strict rules, further isolating her from the outside world.
Cassie’s depiction of the monastery suggests a place designed to maintain secrecy and control, where she felt trapped and powerless. This aspect of her testimony has raised questions about the extent of Combs’ alleged manipulative behaviors and the environments he created to facilitate them.
Impact on the Entertainment Industry
Cassie’s revelations have had a profound impact on the entertainment industry, prompting discussions about power dynamics, abuse, and accountability. Several other individuals have come forward with their own allegations against Combs, painting a broader picture of misconduct. The trial has also led to increased scrutiny of industry practices and the mechanisms that allow such behavior to persist.
As the trial continues, the testimonies and evidence presented are expected to have lasting implications, not only for Combs but also for the broader conversation around abuse and exploitation in the entertainment world.
Legal Proceedings and Public Reaction
The legal proceedings against Combs are ongoing, with the court examining the extensive allegations brought forth by Cassie and others. Public reaction has been intense, with many expressing support for the alleged victims and calling for justice. The case has sparked widespread media coverage and discussions about the importance of listening to and believing survivors of abuse.
As more information emerges, the trial is poised to be a landmark case in addressing abuse within the entertainment industry, potentially leading to significant changes in how such cases are handled and how victims are supported.
The 14 biggest bombshells from the Diddy trial — including testimony of an assault outside Prince’s house
A courtroom sketch from September of Sean Combs and his attorneys. Elizabeth Williams via AP
Ventura’s mother has described physically confronting Combs during a 2011 argument over her daughter’s missing cellphone, and two male strippers have regaled the jury with sometimes X-rated testimony about “freak offs.”
Along the way, there have been numerous celebrity mentions, including pop icon Britney Spears, actor Michael B. Jordan, and late music legend Prince.
Rapper Kid Cudi capped an already busy week two by describing his brief romance with Ventura, testifying that a jealous Combs broke into his LA home and unwrapped his family’s Christmas presents.
Combs was arrested in September on federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution — the culmination of months of lawsuits and public accusations of sexual assault and other misconduct.
It was Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit that began this avalanche of accusations. Filed about 10 months before the criminal charges, it accused Combs of rape, physical abuse, and controlling her during their relationship. The lawsuit was settled a day later for what Ventura testified was $20 million.
Combs has denied the charges. The music tycoon is arguing through his defense team that all sexual encounters were consensual, including the alleged drug-fueled freak offs. The defense also argues that any violence fell far short of sex trafficking and that his accusers have a financial motive to implicate him.
Here are some of the most striking moments from the trial so far.
Combs beat Ventura outside a Prince party, ex-assistant said
Prince’s security once intervened after Sean “Diddy” Combs attacked Cassie Ventura, Combs’ ex-assistant testified. BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images
One of Combs’ ex-personal assistants testified on May 29 that Combs once attacked Ventura during a party thrown by music icon Prince.
The government witness, who used the pseudonym “Mia,” told the jury she and Ventura had snuck out to Prince’s Los Angeles home after learning he would be performing for a small gathering.
“We were just having fun,” dancing on top of Prince’s pool, Mia told jurors. The pool had been covered with purple plexiglass and was backlit with party lights, and the funk star played music for his guests while standing on a small table, Mia remembered from the witness stand.
Then Combs showed up, she said.
“I saw his bucket hat come through the entrance and then made eye contact with him,” Mia said of Combs. “Me and Cass just booked it.”
Mia, who said she previously worked as a PA for actor Mike Myers, told the jury that she and Ventura ran through the house and out into a wooded area, where they tried to hide from Combs.
“Puff caught Cass. He caught up to her and he had her on the ground,” Mia said of Combs. “He started to attack her, but Prince’s security quickly intervened.”
Ventura previously testified that she knew Combs would not approve of her going to Prince’s party, but she went anyway because she thought it would be “a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Later that night, Ventura testified that Combs continued to beat her back at her hotel, leaving her with “bruising on my face, knots on my head.”
Ex-employee Capricorn Clark testified Combs kidnapped her at gunpoint
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-assistant Capricorn Clark testified against the hip-hop mogul at his criminal trial. Adam Gray/Getty Images
Capricorn Clark, Combs’ former personal assistant who became one of his top marketing executives, kicked off week three of the trial by telling jurors that he once kidnapped her at gunpoint.
It was December 2011, after Combs learned of rapper Kid Cudi’s brief relationship with Ventura, Clark testified on May 27.
Combs was “furious” with Clark for keeping him in the dark about Ventura’s romance with the “Pursuit of Happiness” rapper, she said.
Clark told the jury that Combs, armed with a gun, went to her house in a rage and banged on the door.
“He just said, ‘Get dressed, we’re going to go kill’” him, Clark testified that Combs told her, using the N-word to refer to Kid Cudi.
Combs then took Clark to Kid Cudi’s Los Angeles home, she told the jury, describing it as being “kidnapped.”
“The way he was acting, I just felt like anything could happen,” a tearful Clark testified.
Ex-exec says years before “freak offs” Combs took Kim Porter to hotels too — with candles and baby oil
Kim Porter and Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2003. Getty Images/Giulio Marcocchi
In the first week of trial testimony, Ventura told jurors that starting in late 2008, she was coerced by Combs into a decade’s worth of near-weekly “freak offs” — dayslong sex performances, usually at luxury hotels, involving male escorts, Glade candles, and numerous bottles of baby oil.
Clark told jurors that in the years she was Combs personal assistant, from 2004 until 2006, she would set up and clean up the hotel rooms where Combs took another longterm girlfriend, model Kim Porter, the mother of four of Combs’ children.
During those years, Combs and Porter would stay for days at luxury hotels in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York. Clark said, as a personal assistant, she made sure Combs’ suite was stocked with ecstasy, baby oil, and pricey Diptyque candles.
Cleanup was tricky, Clark told jurors, who mentioned “handprints left in oil on the, like, ultra-suede wall” as a particular problem. “It was just a lot of baby oil. It was just everywhere.”
These were not “freak offs,” Porter’s former family attorney, Suzanne Kimberly Bracker, told Business Insider.
“He was madly in love with Kim,” said Bracker, who helped negotiate Combs’ child support settlement and who said that Porter had two children with Combs at the time.
“There is absolutely no way that he would share her with another man,” she said. “He would tell her ‘I’m not gonna pay for an apartment with my kids in one room while you’re with another guy in the other bedroom.’”
Kid Cudi said Combs broke into his house and probably torched his Porsche
