New York (AFP) – Casandra Ventura, the ex-girlfriend of music mogul Sean Combs, on Friday finished four grueling days on the witness stand in his sex trafficking trial, testifying in graphic, deeply personal terms about years of abuse including rape. Combs is facing federal charges of sex trafficking and leading an illegal sex ring that enforced its power with crimes including arson, kidnapping, and bribery — and Ventura’s testimony is core to the prosecution’s case.
Ventura — the singer known as Cassie, who is heavily pregnant with her third child — told jurors that Combs raped, beat, and forced her into degrading, drug-fueled sex parties dubbed “freak-offs” throughout their decade-plus relationship. In the final stretch of her testimony in a Manhattan courtroom, Ventura faced a blitz of questions over a $20 million settlement she received from Combs in a separate civil case prior to the start of criminal proceedings. She said she was also set to receive $10 million in another settlement with the Intercontinental Hotel, where Combs assaulted her in a 2016 incident caught on camera that was aired in open court.
Ventura remained largely composed throughout the week but broke down near the end of her testimony. “I’d give that money back if I never had to do freak-offs,” she said through tears in an emotional crescendo, referring to the marathon sex parties with male escorts she says Combs systematically subjected her to. “I would have had agency and autonomy. I wouldn’t have had to work so hard to get it back,” she said. She said Combs’s treatment of her made her feel “worthless.”
The defense sought to tarnish her credibility with painstaking readings of years-old text messages between the couple, emphasizing that she stayed with Combs despite the alleged abuse, and pointing to times when she had acted violently. “I will kill you,” Ventura was heard saying in an audio recording to a man she believed had a video of a freak-off. Defense lawyer Anna Estevao highlighted tender text exchanges and implied drug addiction had played a key role in Combs’s rage. Ventura insisted there was subtext to many of the suggestive or keen messages she sent to Combs over the years, and that she often felt pressured into freak-offs with the music industry heavyweight, especially as she was signed to his label. “I worried for my safety. I worried for my career. But I also was in love with him, so I worried that he wouldn’t want to be with me” if she didn’t comply with his demands, she said.
– ‘Extremely challenging’ – Ventura’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor read a statement on her behalf after she wearily left the courtroom holding her belly. “This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing,” she said. She said she hoped her testimony would help other abuse survivors and asked for privacy as she prepares to give birth. “I am glad to put this chapter of my life to rest,” she said.
In a separate statement, also read by Wigdor, Ventura’s husband Alex Fine praised her “strength and bravery” while adding he felt “profound anger” as he sat in court “in front of a person who tried to break her.” Combs initially introduced Fine and Ventura, who already have two children together, it was stated in court.
– Many weeks to come – Combs, 55, made hundreds of millions in the music, fashion, media, and liquor industries and is often credited with helping to bring hip-hop into the mainstream. But the rap producer and global superstar once famous for his lavish parties now appears visibly aged after months in prison. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges but faces life in prison if convicted. The defense contends that while Ventura’s relationship with Combs was complicated and included domestic abuse, it did not amount to sex trafficking. Late in the day, prosecutors began questioning Dawn Richard — a singer who found fame on MTV’s reality show “Making the Band,” which Combs produced. Richard previously filed a separate civil suit against Combs alleging sexual assault and battery. She told jurors Friday she witnessed Combs attempt to hit Ventura over the head with a skillet. Proceedings are expected to continue into the summer.
© 2024 AFP
