Cassie claims Diddy threatened to leak explicit footage, ruin her career

On Wednesday, Casandra Ventura, the former partner of Sean “Diddy” Combs, during her testimony in Manhattan federal court, claimed the hip-hop mogul threatened to release explicit footage of her and warned he could destroy her career.

“He would grab me up, push me down, hit me in the side of the head, kick me,” said Ventura, a rhythm and blues artist widely known as Cassie, addressing jurors during the third day of Combs’ high-profile trial, where he faces sex trafficking and racketeering charges.

According to Reuters, Ventura recounted an incident from 2013, showing Combs a photo of an injury above her eye—an injury she said was the result of being thrown against a bed frame.

READ ALSO: “Sex parties derailed my music career” – Diddy’s ex, Cassie testifies

She told the court that Combs dismissed her pain and responded coldly.“You. Don’t know. When to. Stop,” Ventura recalled him saying. “You have pushed it too far and continue to push. Sad.”

Now 38, Ventura wore a dark jacket over a turtleneck dress during her second day on the witness stand. She is considered a key figure in the prosecution’s case against Combs.

Combs, 55, has entered a plea of not guilty to five serious felony charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals for prostitution. If found guilty on all charges, he could be sentenced to a minimum of 15 years in prison and potentially face life imprisonment.

Ventura described their decade-long relationship as one that began with affection but gradually descended into cycles of violence and fear.

She said attempts to defend herself would sometimes delay his aggression, but typically escalated the abuse.“It would just make him more violent, make him stronger, make him want to push me harder,” Ventura testified.

She said Combs repeatedly warned her that speaking out or resisting him would destroy her reputation. “He said that it would ruin everything that I had worked for, that it would make me look like a slut. That I would be shamed,” she said. “Nobody should do that to anyone.”

One of the key pieces of evidence was a 2013 text message from Combs stating he had deleted the recordings, but Ventura testified she continued to see the footage on his devices.

According to her testimony, the so-called “Freak Offs” spanned about ten years. Ventura said she felt compelled to participate, worried about what Combs might do if she refused.

In court on Wednesday, Combs appeared in a cream-colored sweater layered over a white shirt. His mother and two of his children were reportedly present in the courtroom.

When not attending trial, Combs is held in custody at a Brooklyn facility.

Earlier in the trial, jurors were shown surveillance footage from a Los Angeles hotel dated 2016. The video allegedly showed a towel-wrapped Combs violently shoving Ventura to the ground and kicking her.

Ventura said the assault happened following another one of the “Freak Off” events, during which she sustained a black eye. Combs has since publicly apologized for the incident.

Jurors also reviewed text messages from shortly after that hotel episode.

In the messages, Combs asked Ventura to return before law enforcement arrived. She refused, citing visible injuries—a swollen lip and bruised eye—and told him she needed to be presentable for a movie premiere scheduled the next day. “You are sick to think it was ok for you to do what you’ve done,” Ventura texted Combs.

“Please stay far away from me.”

Combs’ defense team is expected to begin cross-examining Ventura once the prosecution concludes its direct questioning. The full trial is anticipated to last up to two months.

Beyond the current criminal proceedings, Combs is also facing multiple civil lawsuits filed by both women and men, alleging sexual misconduct. He has maintained that all relationships in question were consensual and denied all accusations.

A prominent figure in the music industry since the 1990s, Combs—also known by his stage names Puff Daddy and P. Diddy—founded Bad Boy Records and played a central role in launching the careers of artists such as Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, the Notorious B.I.G., and Usher.