Singer, dancer, and actress Cassie Ventura has become a central figure in the sex trafficking and racketeering trial against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Ventura, who gained fame in the mid-2000s with her hit single ‘Me & U,’ is testifying against the music mogul in a New York City courtroom.
Combs faces accusations of running a criminal enterprise that manipulated women into participating in commercial sex acts at drug-fuelled parties, referred to as ‘freak offs.’ He has been held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn since his arrest in September 2024. The case includes allegations from four women, one of whom is Ventura.
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Who Is Cassie Ventura? Career and Relationship with Diddy
Casandra Elizabeth Ventura, known professionally as Cassie, was born on August 26, 1986, in New London, Connecticut. She entered the music industry after meeting producer Ryan Leslie in 2004 and was soon signed by Combs to Bad Boy Records. Her debut album, Cassie (2006), included the hit ‘Me & U,’ which reached No 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ventura and Combs began dating in 2007 and were in an on-and-off relationship for over a decade. She said in court that Combs first kissed her on her 21st birthday and later became abusive and controlling.
“I recorded hundreds of songs under a 10-album deal, but most were never released,” she testified.
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Cassie Ventura Allegations of Abuse and ‘Freak Offs’
In her emotional testimony, Ventura described years of alleged physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. She said Combs raped her in 2018 after they had broken up. She also revealed that participating in ‘freak offs’ became part of her job.
One of the key pieces of evidence is a hotel surveillance video from 2016, published by CNN, which shows Combs assaulting Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” Combs later said in an apology video. “I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
Combs’ lawyers had tried to exclude the video from the trial, calling it “a glimpse into a complex but decade-long consensual relationship.”
In November 2023, Ventura filed a federal lawsuit accusing Combs of rape and long-term abuse, using the Adult Survivors Act to bypass the expired statute of limitations.
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"After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story," Ventura said in a statement. "This was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life.”
Ventura married personal trainer Alex Fine in 2019. The couple has two daughters and are expecting their third child, as announced in February 2025. Her husband and brother have been seen supporting her in court.
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Diddy Other Accusers and Legal Details
Prosecutors are focusing on four women in the criminal case, including Ventura. The remaining three women have not been publicly identified and are expected to testify under pseudonyms. Many other allegations involving drugs, abuse, and celebrities have surfaced, though they are not part of this trial due to lack of physical evidence.
The trial is being overseen by US District Judge Arun Subramanian, appointed by President Joe Biden in 2022. The prosecution team includes Assistant US Attorney Maurene Ryan Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey. Combs' defense is led by attorney Marc Agnifilo and includes Brian Steel, known for representing rapper Young Thug.
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As proceedings continue, Ventura’s testimony remains crucial to the prosecution’s case against one of hip-hop’s most powerful and controversial figures.
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