Cassie testifies on ‘Freak Offs,’ claims Diddy was violent and jealous

Editor’s Note: This story contains discussions of rape or sexual assault that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can find help and discreet resources on the National Sexual Assault Hotline website or by calling 1-800-656-4673.

(NewsNation) — Witness testimony continued Tuesday in the federal criminal trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs, headlined by the prosecution’s star witness, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, the rapper’s ex-partner. 

On Tuesday morning, the judge responded to a request from media organizations to view sexually explicit material the jurors will be shown. Judge Arun Subramanian said he was inclined to allow the request but said he will the parties one more day to present their arguments on the matter.

Robert Balin, an attorney for the media outlets, said the news organizations are not looking to report on “something salacious” and suggested a select group of pool reporters might be allowed to view the material.

He also suggested as an alternative, that a group of pool reporters could be allowed to view the exhibits.

The testimony of male stripper, Daniel Phillip, continued on Tuesday. He said was paid money to have sex with Ventura while Combs watched. Defense lawyer, Xavier Donaldson, said that Phillip developed romantic feelings for Ventura and was attempting to isolate Combs’ then-girlfriend in order to date her. Phillip said, “I was attracted to her. If she ever gave me the chance to date her, I absolutely would have.”

A defense lawyer requested that Ventura’s husband, Alex Fine, not be in the courtroom for her testimony because he might be called as a witness. However, the judge ruled Fine could be in the courtroom for most of his wife’s testimony. The judge ruled Fine must leave when questioning turns to a claim that Combs allegedly raped Ventura in 2018. The defense said they may use Fine as a witness to discredit Ventura’s allegation.

The prosecution argued that Fine is part of Ventura’s emotional support system. She is currently pregnant with their third child.

Cassie begins testifying against Diddy

Ventura began testifying on Tuesday morning shortly after 11 AM EST.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson began questioning Ventura, visibly pregnant and emotional, by asking her age, 38, and occupation. The musician said she was in a romantic relationship with Combs for a little over 10 years.

Ventura said the relationship had ups and downs, including arguments and physical altercations.

She told the jurors, “If they were violent arguments, it would usually result in some sort of physical abuse and dragging, just different things.” She said Combs would violently assault her; drag her, kick her and stomp her in the head when she was down. When asked how often Combs allegedly physically assaulted her, Ventura responded, “Too frequently.”

Cassie testifies she was afraid to say no to Diddy’s ‘Freak Offs’

“Freak Offs” were mentioned, to which Ventura said the hotel video footage of Combs allegedly assaulting her was when she was leaving one. She commented that the group sex, drug-fueled parties were highly planned parties to indulge Combs’ interest in voyeurism. She said she was 22 when Combs asked her to participate in one. Ventura testified she was, “confused, nervous, but also loved him very much.” She continued, “I just remember my stomach falling to my butt. Just the nervousness and confusion in that moment.”

Ventura said she was afraid to tell Combs no because she did not know the consequences of refusing him, which she learned could be physical violence or blackmail threats.

“Sean controlled a lot of my life, whether it was career, the way I dressed, everything, everything. I just didn’t have much say in it at the time,” Ventura said on the stand.

Ventura further explained why she did not refuse Combs’ requests.

“Sean is a really polarizing person, also really charming. It’s hard to really be able to decide in that moment what you need when he’s telling you what he wants. I just didn’t know. I didn’t know what would happen,” Ventura said.

Cassie says she was ‘confused’ and ‘young’ at beginning of relationship with Diddy

Ventura signed with Combs’ music label, Bad Boy Records, in 2006. The relationship between Ventura and Combs was started out as platonic until Combs kissed the then-21-year-old artist during her birthday trip in Las Vegas, according to her testimony.

“I was just really confused at the time. And young,” Ventura said.

After the Vegas trip, Ventura said Combs invited her to hotels in New York where they talk about music projects. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson asked her what else happened at hotels.

After the Miami trip, Ventura said she thought they were in a monogamous relationship at that time, but now knows that wasn’t the case saying, “Sean Combs had many girlfriends.”

Ventura said the beginning of her relationship in 2007 with Combs was, “was really fun, at this point.”

Cassie was ‘insanely jealous’ at start of relationship with Diddy

Ventura said that at the beginning of her relationship with the record label executive she was, “insanely jealous.”

“I didn’t get that he was him. As he would say, ‘I’m Puff Daddy. Puff Daddy has many rules. Likes the company of women.” She added that “more often than not” she thought they were monogamous because “he expected that of me so I assumed it was the same.”

Ventura recalled that Combs said to her, “I’m not dealing with anyone else. It’s just us.”

Cassie testifies: ‘The freak offs became a job’

Before court took a lunch break, Ventura testified, “The Freak Offs became a job.”

She recalled the “Freak Offs” lasted anywhere from 36 or 48 hours, and after them, she needed periods of recovery. Ventura said the longest sex and drug-fueled encounter lasted four days.

Tamara Holder, a women’s rights and sexual abuse attorney, told NewsNation during the court’s lunch break that Ventura’s testimony so far is helping the jury “get to see a real person behind the video. She’s credible. She presents well to the jury. But it all comes down to how well she holds up on cross-examination.”

…”It seems they are using her to make the jury hate him (Combs) early on. You don’t want your jury to sympathize with the defendant. They are also using her to show that her participation was not consensual.”

Holder said it is likely Combs’ legal team will “attempt to crucify her saying this case is about love, jealously, infidelity, and money so that’s what we can expect from cross-examination.”

Cassie testifies Combs took guns to confront Suge Knight

She recalled an incident when Combs left his Los Angeles home during a “Freak Off” with his security guard, guns in hand, black masks to confront Suge Knight at Mel’s Drive-In, a diner.

Ventura said, “I was crying. I was screaming, like ‘Please don’t do anything stupid. I was really nervous for them. I didn’t know what they were going to do. It’s like I wasn’t even there.”

Combs returned home, Ventura did not say if he told her what had transpired.

Ventura said that Combs was “really happy” with her after she participated in her first “Freak Off” around 2008 when she was 22.

She said she felt many emotions: dirty and confused but that Combs was “really happy”, so she felt like “I did something right.” After the first one, she testified she felt she could not say no to her then-boyfriend.

The last “freak off” she was a part of was 2017 or 2018. Previously, the singer said she participated in one weekly.

Cassie testifies each ‘Freak off’ used 10 large bottles of baby oil

Ventura said the “Freak Offs” were a “very choreographed experience.” She testified with each orgy 10 large bottles of Johnson’s baby oil would be used. Combs would want her to be reapplied with baby oil often; sometimes about every 5 minutes.

She testified that one time at a hotel there was an inflatable pool filled with baby oil.

“It was such a mess. It was like, ‘What are we doing?” she said.

The prosecutor asked Ventura whose decision it was regarding the “Freak Offs”, using baby oil, paying male sex workers to have sex with her, to which the entertainer said, “Sean.”

The video of Ventura being attacked by Combs in Los Angeles in 2016 was played in the courtroom.

Ventura is expected to testify through the rest of the week.

Lisa Bloom, a victims’ rights attorney representing former Danity Kane member, Dawn Richard, and a man identified as “John Doe” in civil cases, as well as a government witness in the federal trial, attended court on Tuesday.

Bloom told NewsNation, “It’s a good thing that the videos are not going to be played in an open court because it would be wrong for the press to have access to them and further victimize the victims.”

Combs faces federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The music producer has been held without bail since his September 2024 arrest; two of his homes were raided by federal investigators seven months earlier. 

Prosecutors have alleged Combs used the resources of his music empire to create “a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.