Cassie Ventura’s courtroom showdown: Diddy’s dark secrets exposed in explosive testimony

All eyes were on Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura as she took the witness stand on Tuesday, May 13, and Wednesday, May 14, at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

The R&B singer, now 38 and heavily pregnant with baby number three with husband Alex Fine, recounted the turbulent and tumultuous decade she spent in a relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs, a high-profile music mogul now facing serious allegations of sex trafficking.

During her emotional testimony, Ventura detailed years of alleged physical, emotional and sexual abuse, painting a portrait of a relationship marked by manipulation and control. 

On day one on the stand, Ventura testified that Combs had a hand in nearly every aspect of her life, from her finances to her music career, and even her personal choices.

Her accusations included horrifying accounts of coercion, such as claims that Combs and others would direct her to perform degrading acts, including being urinated on and forced into humiliating situations involving baby oil. 

During her testimony, she also revealed that despite signing a 10-album deal with Combs' Bad Boy Records, only one album was ever released, despite her recording hundreds of songs.

She alleged that Combs actively sabotaged her career while surrounding her with employees who managed aspects of her life, creating a complex environment of fear and intimidation.

On day two of the testimony, Ventura delivered more harrowing details from her time with Combs, recounting the 2016 incident captured on surveillance footage where Combs assaulted her in a hotel corridor. 

Videos displayed to the court showed Combs throwing a vase at her before physically restraining her.

"I remember it hitting the wall. He was yelling at me and threw it at me," she stated. 

Ventura went on to share details of a 2018 rape incident that occurred at her home after a lunch for “closure.” 

"I just remember crying and saying ‘no’, but it was very fast." 

Ventura added that Combs ejaculated inside her before getting up and leaving. 

As she recounted various incidents, Ventura also revealed the psychological warfare Combs waged on her, including threats of publicising private videos from their "freak-offs".

"I feared for my career, my family … It is horrible and disgusting, no one should do that to anyone. It could ruin everything I worked for, make me look like a slut … I wasn’t supposed to be on those videos. I didn’t want to be in them.

"I felt trapped ... Whatever was going to not make him angry or threaten me, I was going to do."

Later, Judge Subramanian ruled that the notorious "freak off" videos at the centre of Diddy's trial will not be released to the public. 

It was also disclosed that Ventura's civil lawsuit against Combs had been settled for a staggering $20 million shortly after it was filed almost two years ago.

This settlement prompted federal investigations that eventually led to Combs's arrest in September 2024 concerning alleged racketeering and sex trafficking.

The 55-year-old rapper has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, but if he is found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. 

The court is expecting the full trial to last somewhere between eight and 10 weeks.