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18 May 2025 9:36
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  •   Home > News > International

    Sean 'Diddy' Combs's lawyers ask singer Cassie to read out graphic texts in court

    The prosecution's star witness, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, is cross-examined about drugs, sex and infidelity at Sean "Diddy" Combs's sex trafficking and racketeering trial.


    Lawyers for Sean "Diddy" Combs have questioned his former partner about drugs, sex and infidelity at the rapper's sex trafficking and racketeering trial.

    Warning: This story contains details of sexual abuse and domestic violence.

    Casandra "Cassie" Ventura was also instructed to read out text messages she sent Mr Combs during their relationship, when she says he forced her to take part in marathon sexual encounters known as "freak-offs".

    Prosecutors allege Mr Combs used his fame and fortune to orchestrate a criminal empire of exploitation, coercing women into abusive sex parties.

    The defence team has said that jealousy and infidelity are at the heart of this case. As they cross-examined Ms Ventura on the fourth day of the trial, they sought to portray her as a willing participant in Mr Combs's freak-off lifestyle.

    'Insane' jealousy and adoring texts

    Ms Ventura conceded both she and Mr Combs were already in relationships when they started seeing each other, a few years after he signed her to his record label.

    She told the court she was sometimes "insanely jealous" when Mr Combs spent time with other women.

    Defence lawyer Anna Estevao responded: "He gave you a lot to be jealous of."

    Ms Estevao confronted Ms Ventura with loving emails and text messages the pair exchanged early in their relationship, which lasted almost 11 years.

    In one 2008 email, Ms Ventura told Mr Combs she was a lucky woman. "I love you sooo much," she wrote after Mr Combs thanked her for flying to Atlanta to be with him.

    In August 2009, he wrote to her: "I love you sooooo much it makes me cry."

    But in an April 2010 email, she expressed disappointment that Mr Combs would rush her off the phone and he was not spending time with her.

    Ms Ventura read the email in court: "That's not being in a relationship with someone that you love and are in love with … I am really hurt by the way you deal with me, I don't need your money, I need some attention."

    'Always ready to freak off'

    The defence also asked Ms Ventura to read aloud some of the messages she sent to Mr Combs about "freak-offs".

    She had previously told the court she felt pressured into taking part in the events, in which she had sex with other men while Mr Combs watched and gave them instructions. But the defence produced messages in an apparent effort to show Ms Ventura's enthusiasm for them.

    Ms Estevao read out some of the messages Mr Combs sent to Ms Ventura, and asked Ms Ventura to read out her responses.

    In a message in August 2009, Mr Combs wrote: "When do you want to freak off? Lol."

    Ms Ventura replied: "I'm always ready to freak off."

    Two days later, Ms Ventura sent an explicit message to Mr Combs.

    He replied: "I can't wait to watch you. I want you to get real hott (sic)."

    She wrote back: "Me too, I just want it to be uncontrollable."

    Ms Ventura was also asked to read graphic messages that included descriptions of what she said she wanted to do during the freak-offs.

    At one point, acknowledging Ms Ventura's potential discomfort, Ms Estevao told her: "If you ever don't want to read the message, I can read it for you."

    Ms Ventura thanked the lawyer for the offer but kept going.

    In some messages, Ms Ventura used the initials "FO" to refer to freak-offs. In July 2013, she wrote to Mr Combs: "Wish we could've FO'd before you left." And in 2017 she wrote to him: "I love our FOs when we both want it."

    Asked about this in court, Ms Ventura said: "I would say loving FOs were just words at that point."

    'Addicted' to opiates

    The defence also questioned Ms Ventura about Mr Combs's drug use and his behaviour when withdrawing from drugs.

    Ms Ventura said she and Mr Combs used party drugs including MDMA, ecstasy, ketamine, cocaine and GHB.

    Later, when the defence lawyer asked Ms Ventura what Mr Combs was addicted to, she replied: "Success."

    When the lawyer clarified that she was asking about substances, Ms Ventura said Mr Combs had been addicted to opiates.

    Just before proceedings ended for the day, the defence lawyer suggested the couple had taken a "bad batch" of MDMA the night before Mr Combs assaulted her at a hotel in 2016.

    "They were a bad batch, right?" the lawyer asked.

    "I have no idea," Ms Ventura replied. She had earlier testified that Mr Combs attacked her as she tried to leave a freak-off.

    Ms Ventura's cross-examination is set to continue on Friday morning, local time.

    ABC/AP


    ABC




    © 2025 ABC Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved

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