In an emotionally charged courtroom on Wednesday, singer and model Cassie Ventura testified that her former partner, music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, raped her near the end of their long-term relationship — a period she described as marked by abuse, trauma, and fear.
Over two days of harrowing testimony, Ventura recounted a decade-long relationship defined by control, coercion, and violence. She told the jury that Combs routinely used his wealth and power to manipulate her and others, leading her to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal thoughts years after their relationship ended in 2018.
“I didn’t want to be alive anymore at that point,” Ventura said, fighting back tears. “I couldn’t take the pain that I was in anymore.”
She credited her husband, celebrity fitness trainer Alex Fine, with preventing her from taking her life and helping her seek rehabilitation in 2023.
Now 38 and eight months pregnant with her third child, Ventura is a key witness in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering case against Combs. Prosecutors allege he orchestrated a criminal sex ring involving coercion, drugs, and violence over many years.
‘I Had No Choice’
In her testimony, Ventura described a disturbing pattern of abuse — including being forced into so-called “freak-off” sex parties involving multiple women and sex workers.
“I was just in love and wanted to make him happy — to a point I didn’t feel like I had much of a choice,” she said.
She also said Combs would urinate on her or order others to do so, and at times, threatened to release explicit videos of her if she tried to leave or resist.
Ventura said her descent into opioid and drug addiction was fueled by Combs’s lifestyle. She described taking ecstasy, ketamine, and cocaine to endure days-long sex parties.
“The drugs were an escape. They made me feel numb,” she said. “It was a way to not feel what was really happening.”
Violent Outbursts and Public Facades
Ventura recalled one violent incident in 2011 when Combs discovered she had been in contact with rapper Kid Cudi, prompting him to lunge at her with a corkscrew in a fit of rage.
The court also viewed hotel surveillance footage from March 2016, which showed Combs brutally beating and dragging Ventura down a hallway. Ventura explained why she didn’t resist:
“Staying curled up on the ground felt like the safest place to be.”
Despite the assault, she was forced to attend a red carpet premiere days later with visible bruises — including a black eye, which she concealed with sunglasses. Photographs from the event, shown in court, depicted the pair smiling together, masking the violent reality behind the scenes.
Legal Fallout and $20 Million Settlement
In 2023, Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Combs. The two parties reached a $20 million settlement in under 24 hours. However, Ventura chose to come forward again as part of the ongoing criminal case, despite the emotional toll of reliving her trauma.
“I can’t carry the shame, the guilt anymore,” she said through tears. “What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. I’m here to do the right thing.”
Defense Pushback
Combs’s legal team is preparing for an intense cross-examination, expected to begin Thursday. They have indicated they will challenge Ventura’s credibility, arguing she took drugs voluntarily and exhibited erratic behavior.
Combs, 55, denies all allegations, with his defense arguing that while some behavior may have been questionable, it does not amount to sex trafficking or criminal enterprise activity.
This case is one of several legal challenges currently facing Combs, whose once-towering music empire is now shadowed by mounting lawsuits and public scrutiny.
