Trigger Warning: This article contains references to sexual abuse. If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or a crisis hotline.
In the ongoing Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal sex-trafficking trial, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura recounted a 2018 incident where she alleged that he r*ped her in her apartment. Ventura met Diddy for dinner in Malibu, intending to end their 11-year relationship, but was assaulted, which Ventura described as swift and traumatic.
“I just remember crying and saying ‘no,’ but it was very fast,” she said. “I went inside, he came in and r*ped me on the living room floor,” she said. During the attack, she alleged, “His eyes were black, he wasn’t himself, it was like somebody taking something from you.”
One consensual encounter after the assault, their relationship ended shortly afterward. Ventura further testified that the two didn’t see much of each other or contact each other until March 2019. Diddy attempted to intimidate her with a message referencing the incriminating recordings.
The Testimony of Cassie
Prosecutors pressed Ventura for details about the “freak-offs,” drug-fueled sex parties orchestrated by Diddy that often lasted for days. Ventura testified that Diddy repeatedly threatened to release videos from those encounters, which showed her having sex with male escorts.
“He said he would release them to embarrass me and jeopardize my career,” she said. “It could destroy everything I’d worked for. It would make me look like a sl*t. I’d be publicly shamed.”
In the testimony, Ventura also detailed repeated abuse throughout their relationship. One alleged violent episode occurred days before the 2016 red carpet premiere of her film The Perfect Match. As photos of her injuries were presented in court, she testified that Diddy had beaten her, leaving her with a black eye and bruises across her face and body. To cover the injuries, she said she used heavy makeup. She even changed into a different dress during the evening to hide the bruises on her legs.
Diddy, arrested in September 2024, has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bail.
