Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, testified on Tuesday in his sensational sex trafficking trial, providing disturbing accounts of physical abuse and coercion in their relationship. The pregnant R&B singer testified about a cycle of abuse, including repeated beatings that left her with black eyes and bruises. Ventura, visibly upset, explained that Combs would frequently slam her head, push her to the ground, pull her, kick her, and stomp on her head when she was on the ground.
Asked how frequently the abuse took place, Ventura replied, “Too often.” Combs, 55, is charged with five felonies, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transporting women for prostitution. If convicted, he could receive a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, with a possible life sentence.
Prosecutors say that Combs enticed women into relationships, pushing them into drug-fueled sex parties and threatening them with videos of the sex. Ventura, a primary witness on the second day of the trial, acknowledged that she took part in these so-called “Freak Offs” to keep Combs from being upset, even though she didn’t want to participate. She said she was confused and scared, but also wanted to please him.
“I loved him very much,” she said. “But I didn’t feel like I could say no to him.”
The defense, though, contends that the case is a misinterpretation of Combs “swingers” lifestyle. Defense attorney Teny Geragos admitted Combs temper but stressed that domestic violence cannot be equated with sex trafficking. Combs has entered not guilty pleas to all charges, and his attorneys contend that he should not be criminalized for his relationships or sexual orientation.
During the trial, the prosecution played a video where Combs is seen throwing Ventura to the ground and kicking her in a 2016 hotel incident. Combs publicly apologized after the video was aired on CNN. In retaliation, Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, said that the altercation involved a disagreement about infidelity and that Ventura had a domestic violence history.
Ventura also spoke about her first encounters with Combs when she signed with his record label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006. What started out as a friendship eventually became sexual, with Combs starting the “Freak Offs” when she was only 22. “I didn’t know what ‘no’ could be, or what ‘no’ could turn into,” she testified, going on to say that Combs dominated much of her life, from her career to her looks.
Throughout the course of the trial, jurors can anticipate hearing testimony from more accusers and past employees, prosecutors claiming that Combs’ acts of abuse were merely part of a broader history of exploitation and manipulation.
