Music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ legal team conducted a rigorous cross-examination of his former partner, Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura, the R&B singer and primary accuser in the case.
The trial, centred on Combs’ charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution, has drawn intense media attention due to the serious nature of the allegations and Combs’ celebrity status.
Ventura, who is eight months pregnant, has testified over multiple days, describing a decade-long relationship marked by alleged physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.
She accused Combs of coercing her into drug-fuelled sexual encounters he called “freak-offs”, obstructing her music career, blackmailing her with explicit videos, and assaulting her physically, including an incident captured on a 2016 surveillance video.
During the cross-examination, Combs’ attorneys sought to challenge Ventura’s narrative by portraying her as a willing participant in their unconventional relationship and suggesting financial motives behind her allegations.
They introduced evidence of affectionate communications from the early years of their relationship and questioned her about her own history of domestic violence. The defence aims to undermine Ventura’s credibility and frame the relationship as consensual, disputing claims of coercion and abuse.
Ventura also revealed in court that Combs settled her 2023 civil lawsuit for $20 million just one day after it was filed, a suit in which she accused him of rape and prolonged abuse.
She recounted the alleged rape occurring in 2018 after their breakup, describing it as a traumatic event she could no longer bear to keep silent about. Despite the settlement, Ventura chose to testify in the criminal trial to seek justice and relief from the emotional burden of the abuse.
Combs, 55, denied all allegations and has pleaded not guilty. If convicted on all counts, he faces a potential prison sentence ranging from 15 years to life.
The trial, which began with jury selection last week, is expected to last approximately two months and includes multiple accusers testifying against the hip-hop mogul.
