American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, is scheduled to face intense questioning from the defence lawyers of the music mogul on Wednesday as she returns to court for her second day of testimony in his racketeering and sex trafficking trial.
Singer and model Ventura, widely known as Cassie, is expected to be cross-examined about allegations that Combs raped her in 2018, as well as her detailed accounts of elaborate sex parties organised by the hip-hop icon.
During her emotionally charged first day of testimony, a heavily pregnant Ventura described instances of beatings and abuse allegedly inflicted by Combs, whom she portrayed as a controlling figure who readily used his wealth and influence to manipulate situations.
Her vivid accounts are central to the prosecution’s case against Combs, who is accused of using violence and blackmail to control women over an extended period.
Ventura recounted participating in so-called “freak-off” sex parties, stating that her motivation stemmed from being “just in love and wanting to make (Combs) happy — to a point I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice.”
Ventura, who is 17 years younger than Combs and first met him at age 19, described instances where the mogul would allegedly urinate on her or instruct one of the numerous sex workers he employed to do so.
Describing these acts, she said, “It was disgusting. It was too much. It was overwhelming,” adding that the hotel rooms used for these prolonged sex sessions were often left in disarray, resulting in substantial cleaning and repair charges, including for sheets stained with blood and urine.
Combs’s defence team has indicated that during the cross-examination, anticipated to begin as early as Wednesday afternoon, they will aim to highlight Ventura’s alleged voluntary drug use and erratic behaviour.
Ventura testified that she used drugs, including ecstasy, ketamine, and cocaine, during these encounters, stating that the “drugs honestly helped” her comply with Combs’s demands to stay awake for extended periods.
She also described the drugs as having a “dissociative and numbing” effect, providing “a way to not feel it for what it was.”
The jury has been shown hotel surveillance footage from March 2016 on both Monday and Tuesday, depicting Combs brutally beating and dragging Ventura down a hallway.
The prosecution played portions of this footage while Ventura was on the stand. When questioned about why she didn’t fight back or get up, Ventura simply replied that curling up on the ground “felt like the safest place to be.”
Combs’s defence maintains that while some of his behaviour might be questionable, it does not constitute racketeering and sex trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts, and the trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks.
