What once appeared to be a glittering celebrity romance unraveled in painful detail Wednesday, as singer Cassie Ventura delivered a harrowing account of her relationship with music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs during the third day of his federal trial.
Visibly pregnant and composed despite evident distress, Ventura took the witness stand for the second consecutive day. Her voice steady, she described a ten-year relationship characterized by psychological manipulation, coercion, and repeated physical abuse — a portrait the prosecution says reveals the darker truth behind the couple’s public image.
The courtroom remained silent as Ventura detailed some of the most disturbing incidents. She described how, under the influence of drugs, she was coerced into sexual encounters arranged by Combs with other men. In one instance in 2013, she said he slammed her into a headboard, leaving a cut above her eye. She spoke of threats, surveillance recordings allegedly used to blackmail her, and explosive outbursts — including a 2016 episode caught on security cameras at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, where Combs allegedly kicked and punched her.
Her testimony painted a picture of a relationship built on fear. Ventura said the abuse left her with long-term physical and emotional scars, including recurrent urinary tract infections and injuries she attributed to forced sex. At times, she added, staff close to Combs witnessed the abuse — one employee even quitting in protest.
Among the most chilling accounts was her recollection of a night when Combs, upon learning that rival Suge Knight was dining nearby in Los Angeles, allegedly retrieved weapons from his private vault and prepared to confront him. In another episode, Ventura said she was forced to leave her own birthday celebration to engage in a sexual act organized by Combs.
The jury listened intently, their expressions increasingly grave. The defense opted not to cross-examine Ventura during the session, allowing her testimony to stand without interruption.
Combs, who remains in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, has pleaded not guilty to charges including sex trafficking, coercion, threats, and racketeering. But with Ventura’s testimony now officially part of the record, the tone and trajectory of the trial have shifted dramatically.
