During the first day of Diddy’s criminal trial in New York, a court heard how he allegedly forced his ex, Cassie Ventura, to perform sex acts on male escorts at ‘freak off’ parties
A bombshell trial in New York has unveiled accusations that Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs allegedly blackmailed his ex, Cassie Ventura, with tapes of ‘depraved’ sex acts.
The rapper is up against several charges including kidnapping, arson, drug trafficking, sex crimes, bribery and obstruction of justice, which could land him behind bars for life if found guilty. Diddy has entered a plea of not guilty.
Cassie, 39, was romantically entangled with Combs in a tumultuous relationship spanning from 2007 to 2018. The opening day of the hip-hop bigwig’s trial saw allegations that Combs, 55, drugged Cassie “half of every week” and coerced her into performing sex acts on male escorts at debauched “freak-off” gatherings, which he recorded.
Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson detailed how Combs supposedly wielded lies, narcotics, threats, and violence to dominate model, dancer and singer Cassie, as well as another woman known only as “Jane”.
Ms Johnson claimed: “He told her he could destroy her career by releasing the videos of her performing sex acts on dozens of male escorts. They were souvenirs of the most humiliating nights of her life.”, reports the Mirror.
Testifying today (May 13) at the Federal District Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, NYC, Cassie divulged that Combs’ ‘freak offs’ were driven by his penchant for voyeurism. She described to the jury how they would engage an escort, with her role being “setting up this experience so that I could perform for Sean.”
She revealed: “Eventually it became a job for me, pretty much, so I knew if it was something he wanted me to do, I had the contacts to set it up and get a hotel room and all of that, but in the beginning, Sean set it up. He was in charge.”
From the witness box, Cassie shared her initial unease when Diddy suggested a ‘Freak Off’. She said: “I also felt a sense of responsibility. It was him sharing something like that with me. I was confused, nervous but also loved him very much and wanted to make him happy so, I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to be doing especially as regularly as it became, but again, I was just in love and wanted to make him happy.”
She added: “It got to a point where I just didn’t feel like I had much of a choice, didn’t really know what ‘no’ could be or what ‘no’ could turn into. And I just didn’t feel like I had much say in it at that time, being really super young, naive, total people pleaser, I didn’t know if he would be upset enough to be violent or if he would write me off and just not want to be with me at all.”
Cassie also spoke about the alleged physical abuse she endured from Combs, painting him as a domineering figure. She accused him of “frequently” assaulting her, saying he would “bash on my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me.”
When pressed on the frequency of these alleged attacks, she answered: “Too frequently.”
Cassie took to the stand, sharing her dread that “blackmail materials” might surface in the public eye, holding on to damaged tech because she was uncertain what compromising content they might contain.
In court, Ms Johnson spoke of the harrowing ordeal Cassie and others reportedly experienced, stating earlier this week: “Half of every week, Cassie was in a dark hotel room, high and awake for days performing sex acts she did not want to do on male escorts. These sexual performances lasted multiple days, and they involved multiple escorts.”
At one ‘freak off’ – slang for Combs’ notorious sex parties – it’s claimed Cassie was coerced into participation despite sporting an open facial wound. Following the news of Cassie’s interactions with another man, Combs is alleged to have “beat her, kicking her in the back and flinging her like a rag doll”.
Ms Johnson, describing Combs’ grandiose self-image to the jury, said: “You are going to hear about 20 years of crimes, but he didn’t do it alone. An inner circle helped him commit crimes and cover them up.”
She further alerted jurors they’d be exposed to evidence of Combs’ aggression including recordings showing Cassie and Jane “pretending they enjoy themselves during Freak Offs”. Notably, one tape ostensibly captures Combs “brutally beating Cassie during a Freak Off at an LA hotel.”
After the hotel assault footage was broadcast on CNN last year, Combs came forward with an apology, admitting he took “full responsibility” for his actions. He expressed his remorse by saying, “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
Daniel Phillip, another witness, described to the court his involvement in alleged “Freak Offs” at a New York hotel or at Diddy’s private home.
Male revue manager Phillip has claimed he was paid to have sexual relations with Cassie and has accused Combs of directing their activities. According to Phillip, Combs would insist on the use of more baby oil during these encounters and would instruct Phillip to procure the items beforehand.
Phillip also recounted to the court a disturbing incident where Cassie asked him to urinate on her while Combs observed and pleasured himself. Allegedly, Combs recorded the acts using his phone and a camcorder on some occasions.
During one such event, Phillip alleges he overheard what sounded like Cassie being assaulted in another room. “I was shocked,” he said, claiming that he saw Combs “started dragging her by her hair into the bedroom,” after Cassie had supposedly been on a computer.
Phillip shared with the court his fears: “In my mind, it was going through my head if I tried to do something, I might lose my life.”
When questioned about not reporting to the police, Phillip responded: “I was concerned for my life.”
It is alleged that Combs had taken a photo of Phillip’s driving licence, leading Phillip to fear that Combs had connections within the police force.
Teny Geragos, representing the defence, didn’t shy away from Combs’ history of violence, referencing the 2016 hotel assault on Cassie. She admitted to the court: “What Combs did to Cassie on this videotape is indefensible. It is not evidence of sex trafficking. It is evidence of domestic violence.”
Ms Geragos stood firm, arguing that despite his shortcomings, the musician is “a very flawed individual but still not a racketeer, trafficker or somebody transporting for prostitution”.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
