Casandra Ventura Fine has returned to the stand in the trial of her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs with new details about the abuse she allegedly faced.
Combs’ sex-crimes trial continued on May 14, kicking off with her second day of testimony. Professionally known as Cassie, the singer has laid bare the most significant incidents during their decadelong relationship, including her participation in alleged drug-fueled sex parties labeled “freak offs,” the physical and emotional abuse she said she faced just a few years into their relationship, and the violence she allegedly witnessed while with Combs.
Here are the biggest moments from her testimony so far.
Diddy trial live updates: Cassie returns to the stand in sex trafficking case
Cassie and Diddy settled her lawsuit for $20 million
Toward the end of her second day of testimony, Ventura Fine delved into the years following her and Combs’ 2018 breakup.
As she was involved in writing a book about her experience, she wanted Combs to read it so he would understand what she went through in their relationship. She said she’d reached out to him through her lawyer, asking him to read the draft and offer compensation.
She said she’d put a $30 million price tag on him acquiring the rights to her book, and this was an amount she thought would affect him. But after he allegedly failed to respond, she sued him in November 2023, alleging he had trafficked, sexually assaulted and physically abused her.
The two came to agreement by the following day and announced Ventura Fine would dismiss the lawsuit following an unspecified settlement.
It was finally revealed on May 14 that the settlement amounted to $20 million, paid for by Combs and his companies.
Cassie details Diddy’s jealousy over Kid Cudi relationship
As expected, Ventura Fine testified that Combs’ violence extended to other people, including Kid Cudi, whom she briefly dated in 2011 during a break in her relationship with Combs. She broke up with the rapper/producer, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, to protect him, she told the court on May 14.
After Combs found out about the relationship by reading emails on her phone, he was “so irate” that as she attempted to “resolve” the issue with him, he allegedly kicked her in the back, leaving a large bruise. Combs told Ventura Fine – as she alleged in her 2023 lawsuit – that he’d blow up Mescudi’s car and that he wanted Mescudi’s friends to see it happen, she testified.
Using an alias email, Ventura Fine told her mother and Combs’ assistant, Capricorn Clark, about Combs’ threats of releasing explicit footage of her as retaliation. She lied to her mom, telling her the kick in the back was the first time Combs had assaulted her.
Later, Combs, Ventura Fine and Mescudi met at SoHo House to discuss the latter two no longer being romantically involved. “What about my vehicle?” Mescudi asked, according to Cassie’s testimony. “What vehicle?” Combs responded.
Read more: Cassie alleges Diddy assaulted kicked her in the back over Kid Cudi
Cassie recalls Suge Knight incident with Diddy
Ventura Fine told the court on May 13 that Combs left his house amid one “freak off” in Los Angeles after being tipped off by a bodyguard that former Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight was at a diner nearby. Knight is one of Combs’ longtime music industry rivals, with tensions dating back to the 1990s around the deaths of Knight’s labelmate and West Coast rapper Tupac Shakur and Combs’ rap protégé the Notorious B.I.G.
Ventura Fine said she told Combs, “Please don’t do anything stupid” as she screamed and cried in fear.
These Diddy family members have been in court amid his sex-crimes trial
The testimony came as Ventura Fine was talking about weapons allegedly in Combs’ homes. She said she was handed a gun at the time to hold in her purse, though she did not say Combs gave her the weapon. She added Combs and his security guard “D-Roc” packed guns from his safe and put them on their bodies before they left.
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Kerry Morgan and Cassie: Singer testifies that model friend endured abuse
Ventura Fine’s former friend Kerry Morgan was named in court on May 13, after the model was mentioned in her 2023 civil lawsuit involving Combs. In one alleged incident cited in the lawsuit, Combs entered Ventura Fine’s house unannounced and got in an “altercation” with Morgan.
During the alleged incident, Combs threw a hanger at Morgan, later paying a settlement after the fact. Cassie also paid additional funds to Morgan after the incident, but their relationship has been “strained” since.
Cassie Ventura ‘Perfect Match’ premiere hid alleged Diddy assault: Photos from 2016 event
Voyeurism meaning
The singer said she was 22, and within the first six months to a year of their relationship, when Combs introduced her to “freak offs.” He described it as voyeurism, where he would hire an escort “so that I could perform for Sean,” the singer told the court May 13. She testified that it was “a fantasy that he had,” and he liked watching her interact with another man, whether it was a stranger, an escort or a dancer.
“I was shocked. I wasn’t expecting that,” she said. “I didn’t want to upset him if I told him I was scared of it.”
Voyeurism is the practice or sexual interest in observing others in intimate moments, including during sexual activity and undressing.
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If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.
Contributing: USA TODAY staff
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cassie testimony: Diddy trial reveals Kid Cudi, Suge Knight incidents
