Diddy trial: Texts Cassie sent after alleged rape read out in court
Cassie, the ex-girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, made a bombshell revelation as she wrapped her testimony.
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A former band member who was in a group with Sean “Diddy” Combs said she was threatened by the star.
She said she was told “people go missing” after she claimed she saw the singer viciously beat his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura because she was late delivering his breakfast.
On Friday US time, Ms Ventura’s almost five day stint in the witness box came to end with the mum of two breaking down in tears as she described a degrading sex act that she claimed she was forced to do.
The jury also heard about the huge settlement Ms Ventura has just received from the hotel where she was beaten by Combs. While her husband Alex Fine broke his silence calling Combs a “demon” who failed to “break” his wife. But Ms Ventura was also asked if a phone call from Mr Fine, after they began their relationship, interrupted her having sex with Combs.
Combs is charged with transportation to engage in prostitution, sex trafficking and racketeering. He could face life in jail for just the racketeering charge. Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
‘People go missing’: Diddy’s alleged chilling threat
One of Combs’ former bandmates took the stand on Friday. Dawn Richards starred in 1990s reality show Making the Band, presented by Combs, and later was in R&B band Diddy – Dirty Money with Combs and Kalenna Harper.
She knew Combs as “Puff” and prosecution lawyer Emily Johnson told Ms Richards she would also refer to Combs as Puff during her testimony.
The judge did not agree.
“Ms Johnson, let’s call him Combs, not Puff,” interjected Judge Arun Subramanian.
Ms Richards testified that in 2009 she was at Combs’ LA home recording music when the man who was effectively her boss flew into a rage over Ms Ventura cooking breakfast.
“Where the f*** are my eggs, you never do anything right?” she alleged Combs said to Ms Ventura.
“He grabbed the skillet (frying pan) with the eggs and tried to hit her on the head,” Ms Richards said.
Ms Ventura was punched, kicked and dragged away by Combs, she alleged.
Ms Richards said she didn’t call the police because “I was scared I might get worse”.
The next day, Ms Richards claimed, Combs invited her and Ms Harper back to the mansion.
He ushered them down to the recording studio and locked the door behind them, she said.
“He said what we saw was passion … it was in the best interests not to talk about it, that he was trying to take us to the top and people go missing who talk,” Ms Richards told the court.
She said he then gave the singers bunches of flowers.
Ventura’s $15 million payday
Ms Ventura revealed in court for the first time that she will receive a mammoth settlement from the InterContinental Hotels Group after she was beaten by Combs in one of their properties in 2016.
The CCTV footage of Combs kicking and dragging Ms Ventura at the InterContinental Century City Los Angeles was seen worldwide. She said the company will pay her $10m ($A15.5m).
That comes on top of the $20 million ($A31m) she received in a settlement of her civil suit from Combs and his companies.
Defence sows doubt on rape claims
The famous musician and Ms Ventura had an 11-year relationship which she claimed end shortly after he raped her in 2018.
But on Friday, Combs’ lawyers sought to cast doubt on the rape claims. They argued Ms Ventura has been unclear about the timing of the alleged attack, telling lawyers it was in both August and September of that year.
And the court was shown Ms Ventura’s texts to Combs from late August, potentially a day after the alleged rape, where she said “hit me when you can” with a love heart emoji.
Combs also messaged her saying “I know I look bad to you. I could tell I didn’t turn you on yesterday. I fell off”.
In September, the couple broke up but no message mentioned the alleged assault as a reason.
Instead, Ms Ventura told Combs the break up was due to a picture she saw of him with another woman.
“I just don’t trust anymore,” she wrote in a text. “That last shot put the nail in the coffin”.
Combs’ lawyer Anna Estevao said to Ms Ventura: “You don’t say anything to the effect of ‘the last time we saw each other you raped me?’”
Ms Ventura said she was trying to “keep the peace”.
MORE: ‘Freak off’: Diddy cops $50m insult in major blow
Cassie bursts into tears
Later in the day, one question proved too much.
Ms Ventura began crying on the witness stand when Ms Johnson asked her about an escort urinating in her mouth during one of Combs’ notorious “freak off” sex parties.
Combs’ defence team quickly objected to the question, which was sustained.
Ms Ventura continued answering questions through tears as Ms Johnson asked her how many times Combs pressured her to participate in sex sessions while she had a urinary tract infection.
“Frequently,” she responded.
When asked how she felt about getting beaten by Combs during the sex marathons, Ms Ventura responded: “Worthless. Like dirt. Like I didn’t matter to him. Like I was nothing. Absolutely nothing”.
MORE: Jailed Diddy’s wild $98m move exposed
Ms Ventura also confirmed she received a phone call from her then partner and now husband Alex Fine during the evening when she last had sex with Combs in late 2018.
She didn’t answer the FaceTime call from Mr Fine who would father her two – imminently to be three – children.
Mr Fine later found out about the ignored call and allegedly punched a wall when Ms Ventura said Combs had raped her.
Cassie’s husband breaks silence on Combs
On Friday, Mr Fine released a statement praising his wife. He has attended every day of the trial when she has been on the stand.
“I have felt tremendous pride and overwhelming love for Cass. I have felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in front of a person who tried to break her,” he wrote.
“Please know this: You did not. You did not break her spirit, you did not break the soul of a mother … you did not break the woman who has made me a better man,” the statement continued.
“Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats. She did the work of fighting the demons that only a demon himself could have done to her,” he concluded.
‘I will cut you up’
Earlier in the day, audio was played in court of a heated argument between Ms Ventura and an acquaintance of Combs. She suspected him of having a video of her having sex at a freak off.
“You need to tell me what you saw,” she said of the footage she suspected he had.
“Who was f***ing me? You have it on your phone.
“It’s my f***ing life I will cut you up and put you in the f***ing dirt and I will kill you and then I will kill you again.
“I have never killed anyone in my life but I will kill you.
“Show me the video, I’m going to f**k you up but it won’t be me, if won’t be your blood on my hands.
“Tell me what you saw”.
There’s no suggestion anyone was harmed.
Ms Ventura said both she and Combs were worried about freak off footage becoming public.
She said in any such instances Combs would “take care of it”.
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