NEW YORK — Cassie Ventura took the stand for a second consecutive day in Manhattan federal court on Wednesday, delivering searing testimony about her decade-long relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. In vivid detail, the 38-year-old singer described the music mogul’s extreme jealousy and violent reaction after discovering her romantic involvement with fellow artist Kid Cudi—an episode she said culminated in threats, physical abuse, and ultimately, the explosion of Cudi’s car.
The courtroom sat in stunned silence as Cassie recounted the moment in 2011 when Diddy uncovered text messages between her and Kid Cudi following one of the so-called “Freak Off” sex encounters Combs allegedly orchestrated. According to her, the hip-hop tycoon flew into a rage after searching her phone, grabbing a wine bottle opener and lunging at her in a violent outburst.
“His eyes blacked out, super angry,” she said. “He told me he was going to release videos and that he was going to hurt Scott [Kid Cudi] and me.”
Fearing for her safety, Cassie said she used a burner phone to call Cudi, who picked her up. Shortly after, she ended the relationship with the rapper, citing Diddy’s chilling threat: “He said he’d hurt both of us,” Cassie testified. “If I stayed, we’d both be hurt. If I didn’t, we wouldn’t.”
According to her 2023 lawsuit, which was settled for $20 million just one day after filing, Diddy later made good on at least part of that threat—allegedly orchestrating the explosion of Kid Cudi’s car. While Cudi himself has since confirmed the vehicle incident, the court heard chilling details of the exchange between the two men. Cassie said when Cudi confronted Diddy about the destroyed car, Diddy coldly replied, “What vehicle?”—signaling, she implied, his calculated involvement.
Supporting her account, jurors were shown disturbing photos of Cassie with large, dark bruises on her back and legs. She said those injuries were the result of Diddy physically assaulting her after discovering her relationship with Kid Cudi. “He kicked me in my back,” she testified. “I fell to the floor and left. I had bruises in other places too. That one stood out because he kicked me with the bottom of his foot.”
The image, taken by Cassie’s mother in December 2011, was used to illustrate the brutal aftermath of the incident. Cassie admitted she lied to her family, claiming it was the first time she had been hit. “I couldn’t hurt her like that,” she said. “It’s terrifying, constantly being bruised up by someone who says they love you.”
Cassie’s testimony expanded beyond the violent fallout of her connection with Kid Cudi. She detailed a decade of abuse, control, and humiliation at the hands of Combs, whom she accused of coercing her into hundreds of “Freak Offs” with male sex workers. “Impossible to know [how many],” she said. “Hundreds.”
During those sessions, she said Diddy micromanaged every detail—demanding she lather her body in baby oil, using up to ten bottles per encounter to achieve the “glistening” look he desired. Cassie stated the mogul would direct the activities while watching, controlling her through fear and manipulation.
Combs’ defense team has acknowledged instances of domestic violence but categorically denies the more severe charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. His attorneys argue that the prosecution is targeting him over his sexual lifestyle, not criminal behavior.
Even after their split in 2018, Cassie said the abuse didn’t end. In 2019, Diddy allegedly sent her a series of threatening messages demanding money and referencing incriminating materials in her possession. “You have too many iPads full of skeletons,” one message read.
Cassie replied, “Do you want me to tell the truth? It’s way deeper than iPads.”
She said she had once asked Diddy to purchase the rights to her memoir for $30 million—an offer he ignored. “I wanted to be compensated for the time, the pain, the many years of fixing my life,” she told the jury.
Her voice trembling, Cassie revealed she suffered a mental health crisis in early 2023 that pushed her to the brink of suicide. “I couldn’t take the pain anymore,” she said through tears. “I tried to walk out the front door into traffic, but my husband stopped me.”
She attributed her psychological collapse to undiagnosed PTSD, caused by years of trauma during her time with Combs. Cassie shared that she experienced blackouts and sleepwalking episodes prior to ending the relationship. “My body was telling me to chill out,” she said.
Jurors were visibly shaken as they viewed still images from videos documenting the “Freak Offs.” While these visuals were shielded from public view, their impact was clear—eliciting gasps, grimaces, and stunned silence from the jury box.
With additional witnesses scheduled to testify under pseudonyms like “Jane” and “Mia,” court officials say multiple individuals are undergoing emotional breakdowns in preparation for reliving the most traumatic experiences of their lives.
One attorney described the testimony to come as recounting “the worst things to ever happen” to his client—stories she had planned to “take to her grave.”
