Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriend, Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, told jurors she agreed to days-long drug-fueled sex parties during her decade-long relationship with Combs because she feared his violence, but also because she wanted to make him happy.
Ventura was initially willing to have sex with male escorts in front of Combs, she told jurors, but later suggested to him she wanted to stop. Ventura "treaded lightly" when suggesting the so-called "freak-offs" end because she "didn't want anything bad to happen," like Combs becoming violent or "saying he'd find someone else," she said on direct examination Tuesday.
Ventura is the federal government's star witness in its case alleging Combs committed sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. A famous singer in her own right, Ventura's testimony was hotly anticipated by fans of both artists, and is seen as crucial to the state's case.
Combs has pleaded not guilty. His defense attorney said Monday he had engaged in domestic violence but not the crimes charged.
Another Combs accuser is expected to testify later under a pseudonym. A third accuser was expected to testify, but the government said it was having trouble locating her.
Enamored, Fearful
Ventura offered varying accounts of her relationship with Combs and whether she was a wiling participant in the sex parties.
She described being "enamored" with Combs when they met while she was a 19-year-old model and he was 17 years her senior-before he introduced her to what he initially called "voyeurism" and later "freak-offs."
Ventura, visibly pregnant, spoke in a quiet voice, tearing up a few times. The assistant US attorney asked her about the "freak-offs" in significant detail.
Ventura said Combs would find the escorts and pay them thousands. He also "directed" the sex acts and told her what to wear, she said.
During the sex parties, Ventura said Combs provided her with ecstasy and cocaine so she could stay up for days without sleep and have sex with multiple male prostitutes in front of him.
Ventura said Combs began physically abusing her shortly before he first requested she engage in sex with other partners, about six months into their relationship. When Combs was angry, "he got violent with me, became a different person," she told jurors.
"His eyes would go black," Ventura said. "The version of him I was in love with was not there." Ventura had also seen guns at multiple Combs homes, she told jurors.
Ventura said she loved Combs and agreed to the sex parties to make him happy, but they eventually left her feeling worthless. "I felt like that was all I was good for to him," she said. "I was disgusted, but I didn't have the words at the time."
While describing a fear of Combs' alleged mood swings, Ventura also said she participated in the parties in order to spend time with him. She liked the parts of the events where she got "one-on-one" time with Combs, she said, but they also left her physically drained and "humiliated."
Earlier in the day, Ventura described a relationship where Combs had much of the power. He covered her rent and cars and took away the possessions when he was upset with her, Ventura said. He also oversaw her music and decided which songs were released, she said.
When initially asked why she participated in the sex parties, she responded, "great question." Ventura will return to the stand on Wednesday.
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