After being questioned by prosecutors for two days, Casandra Ventura Fine, known professionally as “Cassie,” will be cross-examined by Sean “Diddy” Combs’ defense team during the fourth day of his federal sex trafficking trial in New York City.
The 55-year-old music mogul faces a life sentence for charges of sex trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution and racketeering. He has pleaded not guilty.
Cassie, 38, and Combs dated for over a decade. The pair met when she was 19 and he was 37. The singer was signed to his record label, Bad Boy Records.
Their tumultuous relationship ended in 2018 after years of alleged physical, sexual and psychological abuse.
The prosecution is alleging that Combs used his money and power to orchestrate an empire of exploitation. Cassie has been a key witness for prosecutors, spending most of her testimony painting Combs as an abusive and controlling lover who allegedly coerced her into “hundreds” of marathon sex parties with drugs and male prostitutes — referred to as “freak offs” — and filmed them.
Cassie claimed he threatened to publicize the videos and threatened the lives of the people around her whenever she tried to leave. She also testified that his staff members aided him in controlling her every move.
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Combs’ lawyers acknowledge that he may have been violent at times, but insist sexual acts were consensual.
Cassie previously alleged in a lawsuit filed in 2023 that Combs raped her when she tried to leave him and often punched, kicked and beat her. The lawsuit was quickly settled with Combs paying $20 million to Cassie, a number that wasn’t disclosed until her testimony on Wednesday.
According to The Associated Press, Combs’ lawyers have said they plan to focus on infidelity in the relationship when questioning Cassie.
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This is a developing story that will be updated.
