Tearful Casandra Ventura tells court docket Diddy beat and humiliated her

[ad_1] Madeline Halpert BBC Information in New York court docket

Watch: Cassie particulars violent relationship with Diddy at trial

Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, has informed the hip-hop mogul's sex-trafficking trial that he managed her life and coerced her into "humiliating" intercourse acts.

The prosecution's star witness testified in regards to the alleged bodily and emotional abuse she endured by the hands of the rapper throughout so-called "freak-offs", or sexual encounters the couple had with male escorts.

Household and associates have come to court docket in massive numbers to assist Mr Combs, whose authorized workforce has not but questioned Ms Ventura.

Mr Combs has pleaded not responsible to costs together with racketeering conspiracy, intercourse trafficking, and transportation to interact in prostitution.

Warning: This story comprises particulars that some readers might discover distressing.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f95f/live/655fdda0-304a-11f0-ac07-f5768e369feb.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters/Jane Rosenberg In a courtroom sktech, Sean "Diddy" Combs watches as his former girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura reacts during testimony to prosecutor Emily Johnson" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> Reuters/Jane Rosenberg Ms Ventura fell 'in love' with Mr Combs

Prosecutors started by questioning Ms Ventura - one in all their two central witnesses within the case - about her 11-year, on-and-off relationship with Mr Combs.

Now 38 and pregnant together with her third little one, she met Mr Combs when she was a 19-year-old aspiring singer and he was 37.

His report label would later signal Ms Ventura as an artist, and shortly afterwards their romantic relationship started.

On the time, she testified, she felt like they have been in a monogamous relationship, although she is aware of now that he had different girlfriends.

She mentioned she "fell in love" with the "larger-than-life entrepreneur and musician". But it surely was not lengthy earlier than she observed one other facet to him, she mentioned.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/b0aa/live/a76a1050-3048-11f0-b82c-9132e072dcff.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg A court sketch shows as Sean "Diddy" Combs watches as his former girlfriend Casandra "Cassie" Ventura is sworn in as a prosecution witness " class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Mr Combs needed to 'management' each a part of her life, Ms Ventura says

Mr Combs needed to "management" her life, Ms Ventura mentioned. She mentioned he paid for her dwelling, her vehicles, her telephone and different know-how that he would generally take away to "punish" her.

"Management was all the pieces, from the way in which that I seemed... to what I used to be engaged on," Ms Ventura mentioned.

Finally, she claimed, the management turned violent. Mr Combs would "bash on my head, knock me over, drag me and kick me" continuously, Ms Ventura testified, generally via tears.

She alleged that she was left with swollen lips, black eyes and knots on her brow.

Ms Ventura felt 'humiliated' by 'freak-offs'

Prosecutors spent hours on Tuesday asking Ms Ventura about so-called "freak-offs".

Ms Ventura informed the court docket how Mr Combs launched her to the sexual occasions throughout the first 12 months of their relationship. They'd rent a male escort or stripper to have intercourse with Ms Ventura whereas Mr Combs watched.

Ms Ventura informed the court docket that she first tried the encounters to make Mr Combs "glad". However she mentioned they humiliated her, and generally lasted three to 4 days.

"I felt fairly horrible about myself," she informed the court docket, wiping away tears. "It made me really feel nugatory."

Ms Ventura informed the court docket she by no means needed to have intercourse with anybody however Mr Combs, and claimed she would take myriad medicine - marijuana, ecstasy and ketamine - to assist her carry out to Mr Combs' satisfaction, but in addition to "disassociate".

The medicine have been "a approach to not really feel it for what it actually was", she mentioned, "having intercourse with a stranger I did not actually wish to be having intercourse with".

Mr Combs flew male escorts in for freak-offs, court docket hears

As prosecutors pressed Ms Ventura in regards to the "freak-offs", she informed the court docket of how Mr Combs would direct her to search out male escorts, strippers or dancers to have intercourse with whereas he watched.

She alleged that Mr Combs would pay the lads wherever from $1,500 to $6,000 in money, relying on their efficiency.

They discovered the lads via stripper corporations and websites like Craigslist. A few of their pictures have been exhibited to the jurors, together with Daniel Phillip, who completed his testimony earlier on Tuesday.

Ms Ventura and Mr Combs had the enounters in cities world wide, together with Los Angeles, New York, Las Vegas and Ibiza, Spain, Ms Ventura testified.

Typically, males can be flown in throughout holidays, she alleged, and Mr Combs would direct her to ask workers to pay for and organize their journey, calling them new workers.

Amongst different costs, prosecutors are attempting to show that Mr Combs engaged in intercourse trafficking - human trafficking for the aim of sexual exploitation - and transportation to interact in prostitution.

Mr Combs 'directed', Ms Ventura says

As prosecutors pressed Ms Ventura for graphic particulars, one key component emerged: Ms Ventura claimed that Mr Combs managed each a part of the encounters.

He selected the outfits she wore - all the way down to the extraordinarily excessive heels she stored on for hours - in addition to the sexual acts that transpired and the lighting, Ms Ventura informed jurors.

"If Sean needed one thing to occur, that was what was going to occur," she mentioned. "I could not say no."

Typically, Ms Ventura mentioned, she would take the lead on which male escorts to rent as a result of Mr Combs was "very busy", however she solely did so at his route, she mentioned.

She mentioned freak-offs had a really particular "sample" of sexual acts every time.

"He was controlling the entire scenario," she alleged. "He was directing it."

At instances, Ms Ventura mentioned, she tried to inform Mr Combs that she felt "horrible". However when he dismissed her issues, she mentioned, she relented, apprehensive he would get indignant or query their relationship.

Ms Ventura is predicted to proceed her testimony on Wednesday, when she might additionally face cross-examination.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/940c/live/7a069ca0-3061-11f0-8947-7d6241f9fce9.png.webp" loading="lazy" alt="graphic with Sean "Diddy" Comb's headshot and the words ''diddy on trial''" class="sc-4abb68ca-0 ldLcJe"/> Get all the newest trial updates on the BBC Sounds 'Diddy on Trial' podcast out there wherever you get your BBC podcasts.