Casandra “Cassie” Ventura courageously took the stand this week to testify against Sean “Diddy” Combs amidst his federal sex crime trial. Many of his criminal accusations stem from a bombshell lawsuit she filed, which his attorneys have denounced as a money grab scheme. However, the singer cleared the air about her intentions - and it will break your heart.
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Ventura testified this week that the previously undisclosed amount in settlement she received from Combs was in fact $20 million. The settlement stemmed from a lawsuit she filed in November 2023 accusing the rapper of sexual abuse, physical abuse, bribery and various drug offenses. The most notable claims were about his so-called “freak off” sex parties, where prosecutors allege the singer was drugged and forced to perform sexual acts with male sex workers at Combs’ pleasure. He was also accused of using video footage to blackmail her into compliance. The two settled the day after the suit was filed.
Defense attorneys for Combs brought up a claim that Ventura and her family moved into her parents’ home in Connecticut due to “financial issues” just a month before the suit was filed. The singer told the jury that was not the case but rather because they wanted to move to the East Coast. Ventura also confirmed that she canceled the tour she had planned following the $20 million settlement, prompting a tense question from the defense.
“As soon as you saw that you were going to get the $20 million, you canceled the tour because you didn’t need it anymore, right?” said Combs’ attorney Anna Estevao.
“That wasn’t the reason why,” Ventura replied, per CNN.
Prosecutors circled back to the topic of the lawsuit, asking Ventura if she’d return the money if it meant never having to participate in another “freak-off.” Ventura burst into tears in her response.
“I’d give that money back if I never had to have ‘Freak Offs,’” Ventura said, through tears. “If I never had to have ‘Freak Offs,’ I would have had agency and autonomy. And I wouldn’t have had to work so hard to get it back.”
Ventura doubled down, defending herself against the suggestion that she wanted to milk Combs for money, saying she cancelled her tour because she was “overwhelmed from addressing the past.”
“It was just quite overwhelming and I didn’t want to be away from my kids at that time, I didn’t want to go,” she said.
Combs is facing multiple counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and engaging in interstate transportation for prostitution. His indictment cites three anonymous victims in addition to Ventura. He has pleaded not guilty, and was denied bail.
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