Cassie Ventura details 2016 hotel altercation; testifies Combs also abused his employees

WASHINGTON (TNND) — Testimony continued Wednesday in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex trafficking trial. The music mogul's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, was back on the stand detailing years of alleged abuse, blackmail, and her declining health.

Ventura recalled more details from the 2016 hotel altercation as jurors were shown text messages from that day, which instructed Combs to stay away.

I think if people didn't believe her in the first two days, they probably do now," said Madeline Summerville, an Attorney and Political Analyst.

Jurors were shown photos from the "freak off" videos, which Ventura claimed Combs would regularly threaten to publicize. She said she felt trapped and didn't want to make him angry.

"Because she has been so authentic and she says a lot of things that victims of domestic violence often say, like I loved him," Summerville said.

Ventura testified that Combs was violent towards employees as well. Including dragging his assistant named "Mia" out of her bed after refusing to give up her phone. She broke down in tears on the stand after detailing going into rehab and trauma therapy. She also said she was suicidal.

"I couldn’t take the pain that I was in anymore, and so I just tried to walk out the front door into traffic, and my husband would not let me," Ventura testified.

Ventura also detailed her brief relationship with rapper Kid Cudi in 2011. She told the court that, upon learning of their relationship, Combs told her he was going to hurt both of them and have Cudi's car blown up. Testimony Summerville believes doesn't speak to the exact charges he's facing.

"Why they would want to use information about her relationship, and why the judge is allowing it, because for us from the outside looking in, it seems like it's irrelevant," said Summerville.

Ventura testified Combs raped her after their breakup in 2018. She also confirmed, for the first time, that she settled a civil suit with Combs for $20 million in 2023. The defense will begin cross-examination on Thursday at 9:30 am.