https://x.com/PositivelyBrie/status/1922326412775571977
Cassie Ventura, the singer and actress, testified for a second day in the sex trafficking trial against music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. The 38-year-old appeared in a Manhattan federal court wearing a black, long-sleeved dress and was visibly pregnant with her third child. Ventura’s testimony as “Victim 1” is being leveraged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
https://x.com/BrianEntin/status/1922357195775033389
Criminal defense lawyer Dan Rubin noted that her pregnancy could make her a more sympathetic figure to the jury, impacting their perspective. Throughout the day, jurors listened to Ventura’s emotional accounts of allegedly being raped by Diddy following their breakup. She described her journey through rehab and trauma therapy beginning in 2023 after experiencing “horrible flashbacks” on a music video set.
In the courtroom, Ventura tearfully declared, “I can’t carry this anymore. I can’t carry the shame, the guilt… what’s right is right.
cassie recounts dramatic testimony
https://x.com/ethanshanfeld/status/1922346954886947024
What’s wrong is wrong.”
The prosecution presented evidence, including images from a 2016 incident at the Intercontinental Hotel and testimony about Diddy’s alleged violent behavior. Photos of broken glass in the hotel room and Ventura’s bruises were shown to the jury. Ventura described an instance where Diddy went through her phone during a “freak off” and found email correspondence with rapper Kid Cudi, leading to a violent episode.
Judge Arun Subramanian is presiding over the trial, and jurors have been intensely focused on the testimony and evidence. One juror was seen shaking her head in agreement as Ventura recounted her reluctance to tell her mother about the alleged abuse, while another grimaced when photos of Ventura’s bruises were displayed. Prosecutors claimed in a September memo to Judge Robyn Tarnofsky that Diddy’s co-conspirator set fire to Kid Cudi’s vehicle using a Molotov cocktail, allegedly connected to Diddy’s jealousy over Ventura’s past relationship with Cudi.
Ventura disclosed receiving a $20 million settlement just 24 hours after filing a lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023. The trial continues with further testimony expected to reveal more about Diddy’s conduct and the psychological and emotional impact on Ventura.
