Cassie Ventura has testified that she would willingly return the $20 million legal settlement she received from her former boyfriend and rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs if it meant she never had to endure his alleged “humiliating” drug-fuelled sex parties, dubbed “freak-offs,” per bbc.com.
According to the report, Ventura, the prosecution’s key witness in the ongoing criminal trial, spent four days on the stand, facing intense cross-examination from both legal teams regarding her decade-long relationship with Combs. She vehemently denied defense suggestions that her accusations of abuse and coercion were driven by financial gain.
The singer detailed graphic accounts of her sexual encounters with Combs, alleging she was coerced into participating in sessions involving male escorts under threats of violence. When questioned about the substantial settlement reached just a day after she filed her lawsuit in November 2023, Ventura stated unequivocally that she would trade the money for a life free from the trauma of the “freak-offs,” which she claimed caused her physical injuries and stifled her career.
Combs’ defense team attempted to portray Ventura, 38, as a willing participant in their sexual lifestyle, presenting text messages between the couple as evidence of a sometimes toxic but not criminal dynamic. However, Ventura maintained that her involvement was the result of coercion and fear.
Adding further weight to Ventura’s testimony, Dawn Richard, a former artiste on Diddy’s “Making the Band,” testified to witnessing Combs physically assault Ventura in 2009. Homeland Security agent Yasin Binda also detailed the discovery of cash, drugs and baby oil during a search of Combs’ hotel room.
The trial, which has drawn significant media attention, continues next week with more prosecution witnesses expected to take the stand.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges including racketeering and sex trafficking, and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted.
