UPDATE, 2:12 pm: From ecstasy, MDMA, opiates, GBH and extra, there was lots of drug use throughout Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura’s self-described “poisonous relationship,” particularly throughout the lengthy “freak-off” intercourse periods. Much more than previous testimony, there was lots of discuss medication as we speak throughout the protection’s cross-examination of Diddy’s former girlfriend.
A variety of that materials had come out already earlier than the trial, within the opening assertion from Combs’ authorized staff, and throughout the prosecution’s questioning of Ventura on Tuesday and Wednesday But, on this struggle of coercion vs consent, as protection lawyer Anna Estevao tried to determine that Ventura was not solely an approving grownup and never a sufferer in her admittedly disadvantaged relationship with Combs, however typically the initiator within the drug use, some new drug particulars had been revealed.
In early 2012, Combs ended up in an L.A. hospital after overdosing throughout a celebration on the then Hugh Hefner-owned Playboy Mansion. Additionally, the protection now are suggesting that Combs was within the midst of a opiate withdrawal throughout the time of the harrowing safety digital camera footage of the mini- mogul going ballistic on an escape trying Ventura within the hallway of an upmarket L.A. resort in March 2016.
For the primary occasion, the couple had been collectively that February evening 13 years in the past for one more drug enhanced “freak-off” with a male escort having intercourse with Ventura, whereas Combs, as common, watched, choregraphed and masturbated. They went to a intercourse membership subsequent, however Ventura didn’t head afterwards over to the then Hugh Hefner-owned manor. Hours later she did nonetheless get Combs to medical assist the place she realized he had OD’d.
“From what he advised me, he took a really robust opiate that evening, however we didn’t know what was occurring, so we took him to the hospital,” she defined as Combs sat close by within the comparatively cosy courtroom.
Piling on the protection’s rivalry that the results of heavy drug use and very jealousy on each the a part of the sexually consenting Combs and Ventura had been the true deficits within the relationship, the now a lot appear 2016 prevalence on the InterContinental resort was framed in a brand new context Thursday. Scrolling by textual content messages from March 3, 2016, Estevao indicated that Combs’ complaints of illness and extra had been the results of opiate withdrawal. Conceding Combs was unwell on the time, Ventura by no means denied nor confirmed if her then boyfriend on the time was crashing from his heavy drug use or not
Medication additionally had been a subject when Estevao tried to get Ventura to confess she by no means truly noticed Combs’ supposedly dangling her good friend Bryana “Bana” Bongolan off the 17th flooring balcony of her LA high-rise in September 2016. The incident was introduced up by the prosecution on Wednesday, with a photograph of the blue-haired clothier proven in court docket. Filed in late November 2024, Bongolan has an ongoing $10 million swimsuit in opposition to the self-described “motherf*cking satan” Combs over the incident.
Citing a textual content Ventura despatched that day nearly 9 years to Combs staffer Kristina Khorram about what occurred, Estevao requested, “isn’t it true you realized about this incident after the very fact?” Indignantly, Ventura snapped again: “I noticed what I noticed.” She additionally acknowledged she couldn’t keep in mind if it was due to medication or not that she was asleep that day. Yesterday Ventura advised the court docket that she woke as much as see Bongolan being pulled over the balcony by Combs after which tossed round into patio furnishings.
In addition to Ventura now answering questions from the protection versus the prosecution, Thursday additionally noticed a change within the courtroom itself. Earlier within the week, Decide Subramanian rejected requests by media shops to have a point of entry to the sealed overtly express proof of images and movies from the “freak-offs.” On the time, he reiterated the “freak-offs” proof would stay sealed and solely the jury and the witness would see them
On Wednesday, as that materials was first launched, solely the jurors (a few of whom had been stunned by what was in entrance of them) and Ventura noticed the pictures – although the courtroom heard them described in broad phrases by Assistant U.S. Legal professional Emily Johnson. At present, covers had been put up across the jurors’ screens so the fabric on them might solely be seen by the juror sitting proper in entrance of them.
Moreover, to streamline issues and preserve Decide Subramanian’s pledge to have the almost prepared to present delivery Ventura’s testimony concluded by mid-day Friday, the witness was supplied with a iPad to look throw proof and extra. To that, Ventura and protection lawyer Estevao had some friction when within the midst of a protracted part of the day going over e-mail and textual content correspondence, the witness made it evident she didn’t like the way issues had been going.
“This isn’t about what I really feel is related proper now, proper, as a result of there’s lots we disregarded,” Ventura stated, to be ignored by the protection lawyer.
As at all times Combs was within the courtroom Thursday, sitting on the protection desk and pretty near Ventura. In sweaters and button-down shirts, the white-haired Combs appears to be like extra outdated Dad or younger grandfather than a larger-than-life former hip hop famous person.
Over the previous three days, Diddy has been waving and greeting mates, household and attorneys at the start of the day and through breaks. A number of occasions over the primary few hours of Ventura’s testimony on Might 13, he grew to become fairly animated, jerking his head again once in a while. All through, the 2 days the prosecution questioned the witness, Combs and Ventura by no means appeared to make eye-contact.
The 2 didn’t appear to make direct eye-contact Thursday, however Combs very clearly had his eye on what was occurring. Within the morning and afternoon periods, as medication, Ventura’s releationship with Child Cudi, and a short 2015 relationship with then Creed star Michael B. Jordan and different issues got here up,Combs was repeatedly passing Publish-It notes to members of his protection staff. Throughout one break, the defendant had a brief dialog with Estevao within the courtroom because the lawyer ready for additional cross-examination of Ventura.
Ventura’s cross-examination will proceed Friday morning. If Decide Subramanian can preserve the trial to his schedule, the very pregnant singer shall be out of the witness field by mid-day tomorrow. The trial itself is anticipated to run till near the July 4th vacation.
PREVIOUSLY, 7:44 am: “You and Sean Combs had been in love for 11 years, proper?” protection lawyer Anna Estevao poignantly requested Cassie Ventura on Thursday at the start of her cross-examination of Combs’ former long-term girlfriend in his sex-trafficking trial. After Ventura responded within the affirmative, Estevao gently added, “You knew the Sean that he didn’t need anyone else to see however you?”
Ventura admitted that despite the fact that she discovered Combs’ charismatic large character to be “scary” after they first met, she felt she found the so-called “actual” Sean Combs beneath his public perpetual hype-man persona. He was “very candy” and “attentive,” Ventura stated, in some ways reiterating testimony she gave whereas underneath questioning from the prosecution earlier this week.
It ought to be famous that the feds need to paint a portrait of Combs as upstanding within the first months he and Ventura had been collectively for instance how he at all times supposed to bend the then 19-year-old singer to his will and wishes. For the protection, the reasoning is clearly the alternative. Their objective is to persuade the jurors that as distasteful because it might generally be, Ventura and Combs had a real relationship between sophisticated folks with non-traditional wishes and turn-ons, however with no coercive undercurrents.
“To make him completely happy, you advised him that you simply needed to do ‘freak-offs,’” the protection lawyer queried, going to the escort and chemically enhanced intercourse periods that Combs requested the customarily jealous Ventura to take part in a few yr into their relationship that’s on the core of the feds’ case.
“There’s much more to that,” Ventura stated.
At that time, Ventura immediately requested Decide Arun Subramanian for a break within the proceedings. On the time the witness requested the pause, the court docket was taking a look at a collection of express correspondence between Combs and Ventura.
Again within the witness field after about quarter-hour, Ventura, who’s pregnant, had a second of levity in what has been an unsurprisingly bleak continuing for essentially the most half up to now this week. She appeared to snicker somewhat bit as Estevao learn aloud an effusive e-mail from the early days in 2007 of the couple’s relationship. Alternatively, different correspondence was launched that handled Ventura’s opiate use and the ever increasing “freak-offs” that got here to dominate the connection with Combs.
Maybe extra telling of how hardball the protection intends to be, the difficulty of the $20 million settlement with Combs that got here out of Ventura’s November 2023 rape lawsuit entered Thursday’s testimony briefly.
Shifting momentarily from her comparatively reasonable stance of the primary a part of the morning, Estevao bluntly requested Ventura if “you understood that his profession was ruined at that time” Replying simply as bluntly, Ventura stated: “I might perceive that, yeah.”
Later, in a dialogue concerning the couple’s drug use throughout the “freak-offs” and in any other case over their years collectively, Estevao questioned if Ventura thought-about Combs a “high-functioning addict.” On, the comply with up of what the endlessly entrepreneurial Combs was hooked on, Ventura gave it a one-word reply: “Success.”
RELATED: Cassie Ventura Acquired $20M From Sean Combs In 2023 Settlement, She Reveals In Trial Testimony
Because the morning made apparent, lower than 24 hours after Ventura tearfully advised the jury within the high-profile trial about being raped in 2018 by Diddy after they broke up, the singer Thursday confronted what is bound to be in-depth grilling from the protection staff. Setting the stage, Ventura was requested earlier as we speak if she felt that she was “particular” to the much-accused Dangerous Boy Data founder throughout the years they had been collectively. The witness very quietly replied: “No, I don’t assume I at all times knew.”
The intricacy of Combs and Ventura’s 2007 – 2018 relationship grew to become evident when Estevao said: “So when he cheated on you, it actually damage?” Searching into the packed decrease Manhattan federal courtroom, the eight-months pregnant Ventura responded: “I might say not each time.”
On the fourth day of the trial, Ventura’s questioning by ex-federal defender Estevao follows a grueling day of testimony Tuesday that discovered the “Me & U” singer often in tears, particularly as she described an alleged 2018 rape by Diddy months after the couple had damaged up.
The assault occurred on the lounge flooring of Ventura’s L.A. condominium. Combs had pushed the singer dwelling after the duo had gone for what the witness known as a “closure dialog” and nice dinner in Malibu. Barely holding on to her composure and asking for a break within the proceedings quickly afterwards, Ventura detailed how she was screaming “No!” and crying, however the “eyes black” Combs didn’t cease or appear to care.
“It’s like somebody taking one thing from you,” Ventura said, whereas additionally admitting to Assistant U.S. Legal professional Emily Johnson that she later consensually had intercourse with Combs another time after the alleged rape.
In that vein, the protection Thursday shortly leaned into their major argument that Combs and Ventura had been at all times consenting adults and Ventura was by no means compelled to do something she didn’t conform to, irrespective of how kinky or uncontrolled their relationship was. To ascertain that stance, this morning, protection lawyer Estevao pulled up heat, gushing and in addition lurid emails from each Combs and Ventura from the early days of the couple’s time collectively.
Exterior the Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial at Manhattan Federal Court docket on Might 15, 2025 (Photograph by John Lamparski/Getty Photos)
Kindly in nature from the beginning, as a result of there actually is not any different option to query Ventura proper now with all she has testified up to now, the cross-examination by the Marc Agnifilo, Teny Geragos and Brian Metal-led protection of Ventura is predicted to proceed Friday and perhaps even into early subsequent week. In all probability an important witness of the prosecution’s case, Ventura was known as to testify proper from the close to begin of the trial partly due to the superior stage of her being pregnant.
This felony trial of Combs started in nice half with his arrest final September on expenses of racketeering, intercourse trafficking, transportation to have interaction in prostitution and extra.
If discovered responsible by the 12-person jury in court docket now, that since amended indictment might see the 55-year-old “I’ll Be Lacking You” performer behind bars for the remainder of his life. On the similar time, along with his much- talked about allegedly enabling inside circle not defendants on this case, Combs faces dozens of civil instances, together with one filed earlier this week that mocks the Grammy winner’s genitals because it accuses him of raping a lady in his NYC condominium in July 2001. Repeatedly denied bail and incarcerated in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Heart since final fall on this felony case, Combs has additionally asserted he isn’t responsible of something greater than an unconventional way of life with different consenting adults, no matter what the police, the Division of Justice, some ex-staffers, or any of his accusers say.
In so some ways, with cameos of types by Loss of life Row Data founder and Combs’ rival Suge Knight, Prince, and Ventura’s brief time period boyfriend Child Cudi, it was the complexity of star witness Ventura’s second day of testimony on Wednesday that was so highly effective.
Janice Combs, mom of Sean Combs, arrives within the rain throughout Combs’ trial at Manhattan Federal Court docket on Might 14, 2025 (Photograph by Spencer Platt/Getty Photos)
Sure, with a sweater-wearing Combs, his mom and different members of his household just some toes away in Decide Subramanian’s courtroom, she revealed the $20 million settlement she obtained from Combs after suing him in late 2023 for abuse and assault. Sure, Ventura revealed her personal infidelities and drug use within the relationship and the way she entered a rehab and trauma remedy program a few years in the past after “spinning out” and considering suicide. Sure, she revealed Combs’ intensive threats (a few of which can have borne fruition) in opposition to Cudi when Ventura was with the latter.
Nonetheless, devolving into what Ventura herself known as “degradation,” and accidents bodily and psychological she skilled throughout the 11-year relationship, time and time once more she nonetheless expressed the love she had for Combs regardless of the horrors, “freak-offs” and relentless violence and manipulation he seemingly subjected her to.
Explaining her determination to have intercourse along with her now-ex Combs after he raped her, Ventura stated in a gradual however quiet voice, “We’d been collectively for 10 years and also you simply don’t flip that off.”
Having already acquiesced to their consumer being a home violence perpetrator and never nice man, the protection made it clear even earlier than this trial started this week that’s precisely the sentiment of the deep ties of the connection they plan to give attention to. Particularly, because the court docket noticed to start with of cross-examination, that the self-described “poisonous relationship” Combs and Ventura had was a two-way road and, even with Combs’ robust character, to place it mildly, Ventura made her personal selections and was a consenting grownup to all and every thing that went on, as sordid because it generally grew to become.
To that, at the same time as pregnant as present married mom of two Ventura is now, her phrases of affection to Combs, her admitted settlement, as least initially, with the male escorts of “freak-offs,” the video footage of these marathon drug-juiced periods and the quite a few textual content exchanges between the 2 organizing these periods and the aftermath, even when it was all simply to maintain Combs completely happy, inform a story of their very own in case you undertake a sure POV. It’s these phrases, these actions that might show the high-priced protection’s finest path to a not responsible verdict for his or her not guilty-pleading and plea deal-rejecting consumer by the tip of this eight to 10 week-long trial.
That technique is reliant, nonetheless, on the jurors to some extent not believing their eyes.
Yesterday the panel was proven a collection of images from the “freak-offs. Pictures, not revealed to the general public or media within the courtroom, that clearly shocked or stunned various jurors. Even earlier than that fastidiously deliberate jarring show by the prosecution on Wednesday, there have been the repeated viewings in court docket of 2026 resort safety footage of a freak-off in motion, to some extent. The stark nine-year outdated video from L.A.’s InterContinental Lodge, which, CNN obtained and broadcast final spring, exhibits a half-naked Combs beating and kicking his then-girlfriend within the corridor and dragging her again to their room. As soon as resort safety arrive, Combs tries unsuccessfully to persuade Ventura to not go away, which, in possession of her telephone and different necessities, she ultimately does.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs bodily assaulting Cassie Ventura in 2016
CNN
Final yr, Combs, who purchased for over $50,000 what he thought was the one copy of the footage, took to social media to apologize for what he did in 2016, But, prior to now few months that apology has been deleted, and the protection disputed the feds’ studying of the occasions on the video. In her Might 12 opening assertion, the protection’s Geragos took a unique tone, and used the video for instance of Combs committing home violence, however not the felony expenses the federal government have gone with.
Even with former staff of Combs and different ladies who say the one-time mini-mogul abused and assaulted them anticipated as witnesses (although Sufferer-3 nonetheless has not be positioned by the U.S. Legal professional’s workplace), the choose has promised to wrap the matter up for the non-sequestered jury earlier than the July 4th vacation. To fulfill that objective, beginning subsequent week, the court docket will go to a 9 a.m. to three p.m. ET schedule with shorter breaks.
