The defence team in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking trial launched its cross-examination of Combs’ former girlfriend and R&B singer, Cassie Ventura, in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday. It was the third day on the witness stand for Ventura, who confirmed she was a willing participant in a sex and drug addled relationship with Combs, that became abusive and violent. Combs has been in jail in New York City since September last year, charged with racketeering, conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty on all counts, he faces life in prison. The former hip-hop star and music mogul has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their relationship began as plutonic, when Combs signed Ventura to his Bad Boy Records label to a 10-album deal, although by 2011 she had recorded only one album and was considered a mid-level star by Jem Aswad, executive director at Variety, who added Combs controlled her career as a singer and later as his girlfriend. .“He was one of the most powerful people in the music business for 20-some years because he was so wealthy and because he had so many people who were willing not only to do what he wanted but were very afraid to speak out against him,” Aswad told CNN. “You heard about his temper, you heard people were afraid of him, the violence was a matter of public record (but) I did not hear about ‘Freak Offs’, I did not hear about a lot of these things that are coming to light now. ‘Freak Offs’ have become a central theme of at the trial, which Ventura said involved her having sex with paid male escorts while Combs watched and pleasured himself. Defence attorney Anna Estevao spent the day questioning Ventura, focusing on texts sent early in her relationship with Combs that appeared to reflect the “open communication” between the pair, reported CNN’s Alli Rosenbloom from the courtroom. The defence’s tactic was to get the jury to believe Ventura was a consenting adult in the ‘Freak Offs’ ."So a lot of what the defence has been doing during this cross-examination is showing text messages and getting Ventura to acknowledge that, according to these text messages, she was a willing participant in some of these ‘Freak Offs,’” said attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin. The relationship initially appeared as between star-crossed lovers, as defence attorney, Anna Estevao, began her cross-examination of Ventura “You and Sean Combs were in love for 11 years right?” asked Estevao. “Yea,” answered Ventura. “You loved him?” asked Estevao, to which Ventura answered, “I did.” “And you believe that he loved you as well?” asked the attorney. “Yes,” replied Ventura. "So when he cheated on you, it really hurt?” Estevao asked. “I would say not every time,” Ventura said, adding she spent more time feeling hurt in the early stages of their relationship. The jury saw emails between Combs and Ventura from January 2008. Ventura read the emails aloud on the witness stand. Combs wrote, “It makes me so happy that you would fly to ATL just to see me. I’m a very lucky man, I love you, I miss you, can’t wait to hold you.” .Ventura responded, “I’m a very lucky woman. I miss you so much. I’d fly wherever you needed me, whenever. I love you.” Estevao asked Ventura questions about how she had earned Combs’ trust and how she wanted to make him happy. “And to make him happy, you told him that you wanted to do ‘Freak Offs?’” asked Estevao. “There’s a lot more to that,” Ventura responded. On Wednesday, Ventura testified to the prosecution she and Combs agreed to settle a civil lawsuit she filed against the music mogul in 2023 for US$20 million. Estevao raised the subject again, asking Ventura if she thought it would be fair to say Combs’ career was ruined after the lawsuit became public. “I could understand that, yeah,” Ventura replied. Ventura confirmed to the court Combs was addicted. She acknowledged Combs was successfully running his companies and managing his career during their relationship, adding he remained busy even when they were having frequent “Freak Offs,” consuming lots of substances and recovering from those events. Estevao asked what Combs was addicted to. “Success,” Ventura responded. .Estevao went further, asking what substances Combs was addicted to. “I think it varied over the years,” Ventura said, adding that at one point he was addicted to opiates. She also said they took various drugs together, and that Combs’ drugs of choice were ecstasy and MDMA. She said she didn’t believe he was ever addicted to those drugs, and that they were “party drugs,” in contrast to opiates, which they took more regularly. Court heard from Ventura that Combs overdosed on painkillers in February 2012. On that day, Ventura said they had a “Freak Off” and went to a sex club before Combs went without her to a party at the Playboy Mansion. Ventura is scheduled to return to the stand Friday morning, with a number of steps to have all her testimony completed by mid-day, as she is pregnant and due to deliver her third child next month.
