Breaking News : Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial, day 8: Lawyers confront Cassie Ventura with years of text messages.
NEW YORK —Â The R&B singer Cassie will return to the witness stand on Friday after spending hours under cross-examination following two days of testimony recounting tumultuous details of life with her ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Cassie read aloud her explicit messages with Combs on Thursday.
In some of the messages, she expresses enthusiasm for the sex encounters with other men orchestrated by Combs that she disparaged in previous testimony. Cassie testified on Wednesday that Combs raped her in 2018 and coerced her into participating in the so-called “freak-off” sex encounters with male escorts that made her feel ashamed.
Prosecutors allege Combs, 55, used his fame and fortune to orchestrate an empire of exploitation, coercing women into abusive sex parties.
If Combs is convicted on all charges, which include racketeering, kidnapping, arson, bribery and sex trafficking, he would face a mandatory 15 years in prison and could remain behind bars for life.
This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.
“Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy,” a new podcast from “20/20” and ABC Audio, traces how the whispers of abuse came to light and led to the downfall of Sean “Diddy” Combs, who was once among the most influential entertainers and entrepreneurs in hip hop. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and more
(ABC News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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As Judge Arun Subramanian sent the jury home, he told them he plans to resume Cassie’s testimony promptly at 9:30 a.m. Friday. After the jury had left the room, the judge told defense lawyers they would have up to five hours to question Cassie on Friday.
Prosecutors said they expected to have no more than a half hour of questions for Cassie once the defense is finished. Combs attorney Marc Agnifilo said he’ll let the court know in the morning questions Cassie Ventura’s testimony on violence, drug habits
The defense questioned whether Cassie Ventura had really witnessed Sean Combs dangle one of her friends over a balcony, as she previously testified that she had.
“You learned about this after the fact,” defense attorney Anna Estevao said.
“I saw what I saw, so I don’t know,” Ventura answered.
The defense also questioned Ventura’s prior testimony recounting a time when she alleged Combs and others went to confront record executive Suge Knight at a diner, and her account of Combs allegedly attacking her friend Kerry Morgan.
Estevao elicited testimony from Ventura about Combs’ alleged drug use and its effect on his moods. Ventura testified that Combs could be “pretty explosive.”
The defense also attempted to establish instances when Combs in turn worried about Ventura’s drug use.
“He wanted you to stop doing drugs,” Estevao said.
“He wanted me to stop doing drugs with other people,” Ventura responded.
The cross-examination at times became disjointed and meandering such that at one point, Estevao declared, “I know I’m all over
There was infidelity and jealousy on both sides in Cassie Ventura’s tumultuous relationship of Sean Combs, Ventura testified under cross-examination.
The defense instructed Ventura to read aloud a past message she sent to Combs that read: “You are making me look like a side piece and that’s not what I thought I was.”
Defense attorney Anna Estevao asked Ventura, “It was disappointing and hurtful to find out you weren’t the main girlfriend?”
“Yes,” Ventura replied. “It didn’t pertain to every situation but I was definitely jealous of certain situations he was in.”
“If he suspected you were in relationships with other men, he became insanely jealous?” Estevao asked, referring to Combs. “That’s when he lost his temper?
“A number of times,” Ventura answered.
Ventura had previously testified that Combs “lunged” at her during a “freak off” when he examined her phone messages and discovered that she had been seeing Scott Mescudi, aka rapper Kid Cudi.
“Did you feel justified in cheating on him with Mr. Mescudi because of Mr. Combs’ infidelities?” Estevao asked.
“I could have, I don’t know,” Ventura answered.
Ventura testified that she would have text-message arguments with Combs about cheating, during which he would bring up Kid Cudi.
“He would bring it up quite a bit,” Ventura told the court.
Ventura testified that in 2015, she was in South Africa shooting the film “Honey 3: Dare to Dance” when she learned Combs was back with a former girlfriend. “I was definitely angry,” Ventura testified.
At the same time, Ventura said she began a relationship with the actor Michael B. Jordan.
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