Cassie Ventura had an unlikely name for ex Sean “Diddy” Combs.
As an ardent admirer putting words to my feelings, let me share that on May 13, the enchanting “Me & U” artist testified at the trial of the once-revered music titan accused of sex trafficking. From what NBC News reported, based on their coverage from the courtroom in New York City, she often called him “Pop Pop” during their ten-year bond.
According to Ventura, aged 38, Combs, aged 55, preferred the name Ventura as it was what he used to call his grandmother. Ventura found this choice peculiar. (This information is reported by a New York Times reporter.)
Simultaneously, as reported by NBC News, Ventura testified in court that Combs, who pleads not guilty to the five federal charges filed against him, often referred to her as “CC” or “Baby Girl.
In the course of my extensive testimony, I, as a devoted follower, shared details about my personal experiences. Specifically, I spoke of incidents involving Diddy (Sean Combs), who I’m expecting a third child with my husband Alex Fine. I also elaborated on what I referred to as his “freak offs,” which essentially meant a sexual encounter with an additional party. This included hiring an escort and arranging the circumstances for me to perform for him.
Over time, I found myself taking on this endeavor as my own. With my existing network, I managed to arrange everything, including the setup within a hotel room. Initially, Sean laid the groundwork for it.
Though she admitted that being part of these events wasn’t her preferred choice, the singer explained her commitment to Combs as the driving force behind her involvement in the gatherings.
She went on, ‘I was deeply in love and desired his happiness.’ At a certain point, she felt she had few options left. She wasn’t sure what the consequences of saying ‘no’ might be.
For more on all the revelations from Combs’ sex trafficking trial, keep reading.
Cassie Ventura disclosed to prosecutors on May 13 that during the initial phase of her ten-year romance with Sean “Diddy” Combs, he suggested incorporating voyeurism into their intimate life. This practice started when she engaged an escort and arranged for it, so she could perform in front of Combs, who would observe her with another individual.
Eventually, she said, orchestrating these sex performances “became a job” for her.
She remembered, “I arranged for it to happen in our hotel room, as well as everything else. Initially, Sean had set it up.” or simply, “I organized the setup in our hotel room initially by Sean.
Ventura said that her “stomach churned” when he first proposed the experience.
She explained, ‘Initially, I didn’t understand why it would excite him, but I took on the task.’ She confessed she was perplexed, anxious, yet deeply cared for him and wished to bring joy into his life. It wasn’t an action she desired or could do frequently, but her love for him prevailed, wanting to make him happy.
She admitted, “At some point, I felt I didn’t have much of a choice.”
Ventura stated that Combs, with whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship from 2007 to 2018, often exhibited violence towards her during their time together.
She informed the jury that their disputes were indeed fierce, often escalating into physical violence such as hitting her head, pushing her down, dragging her, and kicking her.
She mentioned that her wounds were typically noticeable, elaborating, “I’d frequently develop lumps on my forehead, have black and red eyes, as well as bruises covering various parts of my body.
On May 13, it was planned for Ventura to testify following Daniel Philip, a male escort. Combs’ legal team asked to have her seated in the witness stand prior to the jury’s entrance, as she is currently eight months pregnant.
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo expressed to the judge that he believes there’s a bias at play, saying: “I find pregnancy enchanting and inspiring. Yet, it can also evoke feelings of compassion.
It was during the trial that Ventura was introduced, suggesting that his legal team’s request had been denied earlier.
On one particular instance when Ventura didn’t immediately respond to Combs’ call, as testified by Philip on May 12th, it was claimed that Combs hurled a liquor bottle in her vicinity, subsequently grabbed her by the hair and forced her into the bedroom. “She was screaming,” Philip recounted, and from another room, what he heard sounded like him hitting or slapping her. Philip also mentioned overhearing Combs say, “‘I instruct you to come here, you come here now, not later.’
Phillip said he was “terrified” and did not intervene.
He also stated that on another instance, it appeared to him that Combs was physically attacking Ventura at the Essex House hotel in New York. “I heard her crying out, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ and it sounded like someone was being struck and shoved around the room,” Philip explained. “Peeking around the corner, I saw Mr. Combs leave the hotel completely, possibly only covered by a towel.
Ventura exited the room and leaped onto Philip’s lap, as he stated in court. “She seemed to reassure me that ‘everything will be fine’ and ‘I’ll manage,'” Philip went on. “But I replied, ‘This isn’t alright and you should seek help.’
“I tried to explain to her that she was in real danger if she stayed with him,” Phillip said.
In response to prosecutor Maureen Comey’s question about why he didn’t contact the police, Philip stated that he perceived Combs as a person with immense power. He added that, given this perception, even if he had reported the issue to the police, there was still a possibility that his life could have been endangered.
Daniel Philip claimed that during the specified time period, he was operating a male strip show. He testified that he received a substantial amount of money, roughly several thousand dollars, in exchange for engaging in sexual activities with Ventura, while Combs observed from Manhattan’s Gramercy Hotel in 2012. Philip recognized Combs by his voice, despite the fact that Combs was wearing a robe, a baseball cap, and a bandanna concealing his face.
In response to being paid, Ventura mentioned she’d give him a tip upon leaving, which Philip relayed to the court. Later on, they had sexual intercourse and applied baby oil on each other for a while. Combs was observed masturbating in a corner during this time.
Afterward, the witness continued, Ventura gave him “a couple of thousand more.”
Philip mentioned that he had numerous instances over the subsequent year where both Ventura and Combs reached out to arrange similar experiences at various hotels and their residences in New York. He claimed that on one or two occasions, Combs videotaped him and Ventura engaging in intimate activities, and at times, Combs would step in and engage with Ventura while Philip was present.
In a lawsuit filed in 2023, Ventura claimed that her former partner, Combs, compelled her into engaging in sexual acts with male escorts.
According to Florez’s statement, Ventura appeared frightened. She was huddled in a corner, with her hood up and covering herself. Her face was hidden, and she seemed to be trying to conceal herself in the corner. There was a shattered flower vase on the floor nearby.
After Ventura departed from the hotel, Florez stated that she had a noticeably purple eye. Following her exit, Florez mentioned, he and the hotel manager ascended to Combs’ room to remind him of “hotel regulations.” According to Florez, when Combs suspected the manager was filming him on his phone, he attempted to seize it, and in response, Combs tried to grab Florez’s phone. As per Florez’s testimony, he restrained Combs against a wall. He testified that they told Combs they weren’t recording him, aiming to de-escalate the situation.
In court, the prosecution displayed the slowed-down version of the CCTV footage showing Combs seemingly striking, kicking, and pulling Ventura – this is the same footage initially broadcasted by CNN in May 2024, which the defense previously claimed was sped up to exaggerate the violence. Additionally, the jury watched a video that Florez had recorded on his phone when he responded to an emergency call regarding a distressed woman on the sixth floor.
As a devoted follower, I can share that during that critical moment, I chose not to contact the authorities immediately since Ventura declined to discuss the incident and expressed her desire to depart.
Officer Israel Florez, who served with the Los Angeles Police Department, was formerly employed as a security guard at the InterContinental Hotel. During the incident involving Combs and Ventura on March 5, 2016, he was present. In her opening statement, Geragos referred to the surveillance footage of the attack, which CNN published in May 2024, as “compelling evidence of domestic violence.” However, this evidence did not pertain to allegations of sex trafficking; rather, it centered around infidelity discovered on a mobile device.
On May 12th, I took the stand to share my account of events, stating that I witnessed a scuffle on the day under investigation. Later, Combs extended a sum of money to me, attempting to persuade me to overlook what I had seen.
During questioning, Florez stated that he was absolutely convinced the gesture was intended by Combs as an attempt to bribe him.
In the initial remarks made by Teny Geragos, the defense lawyer, he asserted that the prosecution was attempting to reclassify consensual sexual acts as instances of sex trafficking. However, he expressed his belief that this strategy would ultimately be unsuccessful.
“Sean Combs is a complicated man,” she said, “but this is not a complicated case.”
Geragos stated that the matter at hand concerns Sean Combs’ private, intimate sexual activities. He emphasized that this issue holds no relevance to his legitimate business affairs.
She informed the court that her client exhibited aggressive behavior, used illicit substances, and struggled with anger management issues. During the course of this trial, it’s possible that you may find him unpleasant or rude. However, he is not on trial for being unpleasant or rude; he is being tried for other charges.
Geragos stated, “The evidence will portray an individual with numerous flaws, yet it won’t demonstrate they are involved in racketeering, sex trafficking, or transporting someone for prostitution.
The prosecutor Emily Johnson claimed that Combs had orchestrated an extensive system of workers to perform illicit activities, such as multi-day “freak offs.” These actions were described in the federal indictment, as reported by journalists from NBC News who were present in the courtroom.
She informed the jury that “On occasion, he would refer to himself as a king and demand special treatment to fulfill all his whims. Through his businesses, he abused women by compelling them, along with male escorts, to engage in sexual activities while he observed. He and his close associates ensured he always received everything he desired.
Johnson commenced her case before the jury by painting Combs as an extraordinary individual who oversaw a criminal organization.
In his testimony to the jury, Johnson emphasized an instance seemingly indicating Combs’ criminal behavior. He stated that Combs was “pursuing” Ventura one evening following news of her new romantic involvement with someone else. According to Johnson, Combs allegedly assaulted Ventura severely, kicking her in the back and tossing her roughly, like a carelessly discarded doll, upon discovering her.
He made a threat, telling her that if she disobeys him once more, he would expose videos of her engaging in intimate acts with male escorts, effectively showcasing some of the most embarrassing moments from her past,” she went on. “Mementos of those shameful evenings.
The prosecutor alleged that Combs’ inner circle covered up “crime after crime.”
The lead judge, Arun Subramanian, shared his expectation with the jury members, stating that the trial may wrap up as early as July 4th. He expressed his hope that the case would be resolved by then, though there’s a chance it might extend past this date, but he doesn’t anticipate such an outcome.
On the opening day of his sex trafficking trial on May 12th, the rap mogul’s mother, Janice Combs, was among those present, along with six of his oldest children.
The children of Kim Porter, Quincy Brown, Christian “King” Combs, Jessie Combs, and D’Lila Combs (who are also the kids from his previous relationship with Misa Hylton – Justin Combs), as well as Chance Combs, the daughter from his past relationship with Sarah Chapman, had an opportunity to embrace their father before he sat down for a meeting with his lawyers.
Both the prosecution and Drew Brees’ legal team consented to selecting an initial jury comprising eight male and four female members, with four additional male and two female alternates for potential use during the trial.
Marc Agnifilo, the lawyer representing Combs, contended that the prosecution seemed to be deliberately excluding possible Black jurors. He asserted this pattern to the judge, insisting that there should be a valid explanation for these dismissals.
As a committed observer, I’d like to share that Prosecutor Maurene Ryan Comey refuted the allegations, stating, “In our actions, we’ve been impartial. Our jury is a mix, featuring several non-white members.
This group of 12 jurors, residing in New York City or Westchester, encompasses a diverse set of professions. Among them are:
1. A 69-year-old male actor and masseur.
2. A 31-year-old male investment analyst.
3. A 51-year-old male scientist.
4. A 30-year-old female deli worker.
5. A 42-year-old female nursing home caregiver.
6. A 41-year-old male communications clerk at a correctional facility.
7. A 68-year-old retired banker.
8. A 68-year-old retired employee from a telecommunications company.
9. A 43-year-old female physician assistant.
10. A 39-year-old male social worker.
11. A 67-year-old male logistics analyst.
12. A 74-year-old female treatment coordinator.
This group reflects a wide range of occupations, from the arts and service industries to healthcare, finance, and beyond.
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2025-05-14 01:18