NEW YORK (AP) – R&B singer Cassie is set to return to the witness stand today after spending a day detailing her disturbing and degrading experiences with her former boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In her testimony on Tuesday at Combs’ sex trafficking trial, Cassie shared that she felt pressured to engage with paid sex workers. She also described instances of violence, stating that Combs physically assaulted her when she did something he found unsettling.
“You make the wrong face and next thing you know, I’m being hit in the face,” she recounted.
Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, accused Combs of coercing her into submission by threatening to release a video of her with a male sex worker.
Combs’ legal team acknowledges that he may exhibit violent behavior but insists that all sexual interactions were consensual. They maintain that he is not involved in sex trafficking or any assaults, which are the charges he currently faces.
Combs’ lawyers have yet to cross-examine Cassie, a crucial step that could challenge her credibility and examine the validity of her claims.
The trial is anticipated to continue for approximately two months.
Prosecutors have accused women associated with Combs of using their connection to a powerful music mogul to facilitate drug-fueled sex parties they labeled as “freak-offs.”
Cassie met Combs in 2005, early in her career as a singer, model, and actress, when she was just 19 years old. She found success with her hit song “Me&U” from an album released under Combs’ Bad Boy Records in 2006.
At the time, Combs was 37, and he played a significant role in fostering her career before they became a couple for a decade.
Cassie left Combs’ label in 2019 and filed a lawsuit against him in 2023, alleging years of physical and sexual abuse. During her testimony, she noted that while there were moments of tenderness in their relationship, the dynamic was often one of control and aggression.
She mentioned that at 22, Combs first proposed participating in a “freak-off,” which took place in a Los Angeles home and involved a male stripper. Although she felt confused and degraded, she reassured herself that Combs was satisfied with the situation.
“It was his fantasy,” she reflected. “He was controlling the whole situation. He was in charge of it.”
The 55-year-old Combs has been incarcerated since September. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison.
