NOTE: The next article comprises disturbing particulars and video footage. Please learn at your personal discretion.
Cassie Ventura is again on the witness stand Friday to testify for a fourth day in Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ intercourse trafficking trial.
Defence legal professionals started cross-examining the star witness on Thursday, urgent her to learn aloud textual content messages that appeared to indicate her expressing want for the drug-fuelled group intercourse — known as freak-offs — she beforehand testified left her traumatized.
For the primary time throughout the trial, there was some pressure amongst counsel about timing. In a letter to the decide, prosecutors insisted that the defence wrap up their questioning in time to permit for prosecution follow-ups on Friday, citing concern for Ventura’s “well being and security” and the potential for a mistrial if she goes into labour along with her third baby.
“The inefficiency of cross-examination yesterday” the federal government wrote, “raises the inference that the defendant hopes to perform exactly that final result.”
Ventura is eight-and-a-half months pregnant.
Day 5
Defence lawyer Anna Estevao resumed her cross-examination with questions associated to the March 2016 recording of Combs attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles resort. In it, Combs might be seen throwing Ventura to the ground, kicking her and dragging her right into a resort hallway.
Estevao had Ventura learn aloud a textual content message by which she complained that Combs was uncontrolled from medicine and alcohol that day. Within the message, Ventura informed Combs: “I’m not a rag doll. I’m any individual’s baby.”
In textual content messages learn aloud to the jury, Combs and Ventura expressed love to 1 one other once more, simply days after the assault.
Ventura informed Combs in a single textual content: “We’d like a unique vibe from Friday.”
She additionally informed the court docket that Combs was cautious of her courting or giving consideration to different males, even throughout breaks of their decade-long relationship.
The hip-hop star confiscated her telephone on quite a few events, together with when he came upon she was courting a soccer participant and when she suspected her of dancing with the singer Chris Brown.
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Ventura didn’t title the participant and denied dancing with Brown.
The defence additionally performed Ventura an audio recording of her threatening a person who had alluded to seeing a video of her performing intercourse acts in 2014. Ventura is heard pleading to see the video and utilizing profanity to threaten him.
“It’s my life and I’ll kill you,” she may very well be heard screaming on the man, with expletives. “I’ve by no means killed anyone in my life, however I’ll kill you.”
She had beforehand testified that Combs informed her to not let the person out of her sight till she came upon what was occurring.
Ventura acknowledged in her testimony that Combs subsequently made efforts to maintain the video personal. It seems the defence is trying to determine that Ventura and Combs had been united of their efforts to maintain movies personal, regardless of Ventura testifying that Combs tried to blackmail her by threatening to launch the movies.
Ventura testified that she broke up with Combs for good in August 2018 after she noticed a photograph of him with one other lady he’d been courting for the previous couple of years of their decade-long relationship.
“I simply don’t belief anymore. That final shot put the nail within the coffin,” she texted Combs, referring to the photograph of Combs with a lady recognized in court docket as Gina.
“I promised myself I wouldn’t be with you anymore should you did that to me once more,” she wrote, telling Combs “you lied to me” and “she by no means went away.”
Quickly after, she mentioned, she began courting her now-husband, Alex Tremendous.
“Can I not get an opportunity to make issues proper?” Combs texted Ventura shortly after their last breakup. “I haven’t taken care of you?”
“You took care of me materialistically, not the place I wanted it,” she replied. “I wanted you to like me and put me first.”
Estevao requested Ventura if she nonetheless had emotions for Combs after he allegedly raped her in August 2018, when the pair met up for dinner and Ventura initiated the break-up.
“You didn’t hate him then. And also you don’t nonetheless hate him now,” Estevao mentioned.
“I don’t hate him,” Ventura responded.
“You continue to have love for him?”
“I’ve love for the previous, what it was.”
Ventura then confirmed that she bought video from Tremendous over the last time she had intercourse with Combs, shortly after their breakup and the alleged 2018 rape.
“Your now-husband didn’t know that you just had been with Mr. Combs on the time, appropriate?” Estevao requested. Ventura mentioned that Tremendous finally came upon the intercourse, in addition to the alleged rape, which prompted him to punch a wall.
Ventura’s testimony ended Friday with a bombshell disclosure: She mentioned she expects to obtain a US$10 million settlement from the Intercontinental Lodge in Los Angeles, the place she was assaulted by Combs in 2016.
She revealed the determine throughout questioning by Combs’ lawyer in a section of her testimony generally known as re-cross. She mentioned the determine was an estimate and that the settlement was reached lately. She didn’t disclose the character of her declare towards the resort.
The revelation got here after the defence tried to counsel that she had cancelled a music tour after she settled her lawsuit towards Combs to the tune of $20 million and now not wanted the cash a tour would herald.
Not true, Ventura informed the lawyer, saying her motive for cancelling the tour was as a result of she was feeling overwhelmed and didn’t need to be away from her household for therefore lengthy.
On the conclusion of her testimony Friday, Ventura’s authorized group shared a press release on her behalf: “This week has been extraordinarily difficult, but in addition remarkably empowering and therapeutic for me. I hope that my testimony has given power and a voice to different survivors, and may also help others who’ve suffered to talk up and in addition heal from the abuse and concern.
“For me, the extra I heal, the extra I can bear in mind. And the extra I can bear in mind, the extra I’ll always remember. I need to thank my household and my advocates for his or her unwavering help, and I’m grateful for all of the kindness and encouragement that I’ve obtained.
“I’m glad to place this chapter of my life to relaxation. As I flip to deal with the conclusion of my being pregnant, I ask for privateness for me and for my rising household.”
Her husband additionally shared a press release Friday afternoon, which was learn by lawyer Dougals Widgor.
“Over the previous 5 days, the world has gotten to witness the power and bravado of my spouse releasing herself of her previous.”
He continued: “I’ve felt so many issues sitting there. I’ve felt super satisfaction and overwhelming love for Cass. I’ve felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in entrance of an individual who tried to interrupt her. So to him and all of those that helped him alongside the best way, please know this: You didn’t. You didn’t break her spirit, nor her smile, that lights up each room. You didn’t break the souls of a mom who provides the most effective hugs and performs the silliest video games with our little women. You didn’t break the lady who has made me a greater man.”
He added that it’s an insult to say he saved her: “Cassie saved Cassie. She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats. She did the work of preventing the demons that solely a demon himself may have carried out to her.”
What Combs is on trial for
U.S. prosecutors allege that for 20 years, behind the scenes, Combs was coercing and abusing ladies with assist from a community of associates who helped silence victims by way of blackmail and violence.
Combs faces an indictment that features descriptions of freak-offs, that are outlined within the court docket doc as “elaborate and produced intercourse performances that Combs organized, directed, masturbated throughout, and sometimes electronically recorded.”
Quite a few witnesses have come ahead to accuse Combs of terrorizing folks into silence by choking, hitting, kicking and dragging them, based on prosecutors. One indictment alleges that Combs dangled somebody from a balcony.
Though dozens of women and men have alleged in lawsuits that Combs abused them, this trial will spotlight the claims of 4 ladies.
Combs is charged with intercourse trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and transportation to interact in prostitution. He has denied all the fees towards him and has rejected a plea deal, selecting to go to trial as an alternative.
If discovered responsible within the New York court docket, he may face life in jail.
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World Information might be masking the Diddy trial in its entirety. Please verify again for updates.
— With recordsdata from The Related Press
