May 13, 2025 – Day 2 of testimony in the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial

• Cassie Ventura on the stand: Cassie Ventura, the former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and one of his accusers, testified today in his federal criminal trial. She described Combs as controlling and said some of their arguments would get violent. She’ll be back on the stand for a second day of testimony tomorrow.

• Graphic video: The jury has viewed hotel surveillance footage from an altercation between Combs and Ventura from 2016.

• Federal charges: Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. If convicted on all counts, he could face up to life in prison.

• Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Our live coverage of the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial has ended for the day. Follow the latest updates or read through the posts below.

Cassie Ventura, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former girlfriend, testified about her relationship with the music mogul and the alleged “Freak Offs” during his federal criminal trial today.

She will be back on the stand tomorrow.

Some of the details of her testimony are graphic. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

Here’s what she said in her direct examination today:

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie Ventura will continue to testify tomorrow as prosecutor Emily Johnson said she needs at least half the day to finish her direct examination.

The parties will meet in court at 9 a.m. ET tomorrow before bringing in the jury at 9:30 a.m. ET.

Defense attorney Anna Estevao is expected to cross-examine Ventura.

Douglas Wigdor, Cassie Ventura’s attorney, said that he was “super proud” of his client as he left the New York City courthouse today.

Ventura took the stand most of the day today, testifying about her more than a decade long relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs, the “Freak Offs” and alleged abuse.

Still, he said it’s “not up for me to decide” how Ventura did on the stand, “it’s up to the jury to decide, but we’re very confident.”

“I anticipate another half day of direct. And probably another half day or so of cross-examination,” Wigdor said of potential plans for tomorrow’s proceedings. “She has been in therapy. I think she’ll testify about that tomorrow.”

“I’m very proud of the way she handled herself today,” Wigdor said about his client.

During a break in the afternoon session, Sean “Diddy” Combs caught the eye of one of his twin daughters who made a heart shape with her hands.

He returned the gesture and caught the eye of his mother, and blew her a kiss. His mother blew a kiss back to him.

Combs’ daughters stayed in court throughout the day’s proceedings and during all of the testimony. Cassie Ventura’s husband Alex Fine, her female cousin and her brother stayed in the courtroom throughout the testimony as well.

When Ventura spoke about the “Freak Offs” during her testimony, including the explicit details, her tone was matter of fact and almost devoid of emotion. Her tone changed when she reflected on her feelings and when she cried while speaking about how horrible the alleged abuse made her feel.

Judge Arun Subramanian provisionally denied the news organizations’ application to have sexually explicit videos and images shown in court.

He told the prosecution and defense to submit any additional letters to complete the record but said something would have to change his mind. He agreed with the prosecutors’ argument that showing the sexually explicit videos of the sexual encounters would revictimize Cassie Ventura and “Jane.”

Subramanian also provisionally denied the media’s alternative suggestion to allow three pool reporters view the images and videos.

Court is adjourned for the day. Cassie Ventura will continue her testimony tomorrow, answering more questions from prosecutors.

Prosecutor Emily Johnson said she expects to finish her direct examination tomorrow, but she said she needs at least half the day.

The judge advised the jurors to turn off notifications from news organizations on their phones to ensure they don’t see anything about the case.

After the jury was shown hotel surveillance video showing Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting Cassie Ventura, prosecutor Emily Johnson asked Ventura how many other times Combs had beat her in that way.

“Too many to count. I don’t know,” Ventura testified.

“Are there occasions when you tried to fight back when Sean hit you?” Johnson asked.

“No,” Ventura said.

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The jury is viewing the hotel surveillance footage again.

This is at least the fifth time the jury has watched Sean “Diddy” Combs assault Cassie Ventura on the surveillance footage in the hotel hallway.

Cassie Ventura said she was having a “Freak Off” in the hotel room with Sean “Diddy” Combs and an escort when the 2016 altercation happened at the InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles.

She said the escort was in a separate room in the hotel suite when Combs hit her. After it happened, she said she grabbed her belongings and “ran out as fast as I could.”

Ventura ran out of the room when Combs was in the shower barefoot with her sneakers still in her bag. It was faster that way, she testified.

Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with intimate partner violence, there are resources available, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

The jury just viewed a text thread between Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie Ventura from March 5, 2016. (Remember: The surveillance footage that showed the altercation at the InterContinental Hotel was also dated March 5, 2016.)

Ventura said that the conversation happened just before she had her first big movie premiere.

She testified that Combs wanted to plan a “Freak Off,” and she didn’t want Combs to be angry if she said no, but she also didn’t want to compromise herself before the premiere.

Cassie Ventura has been testifying about her experience as the former longterm girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs during his sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial, painting a picture for the jury of the “physical abuse” she faced through the relationship.

“It is clearly a very emotional moment,” CNN’s Lisa Respers France said. “But I also think that on some levels it may be an empowering moment for her.”

France called back to the civil lawsuit Ventura filed in 2023 against Combs, in which she alleged Combs raped her in 2018 and subjected her to years of repeated physical and other abuses over the course of their relationship. Combs has denied the allegations.

France added that she thinks it’s an “extremely profound moment, not only for her but for other people who have made such allegations or who also say that they are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or in this case, both.”

Combs and Ventura settled Ventura’s lawsuit the day after it was filed.

In March 2016, Cassie Ventura testified that she tried to leave a “Freak Off” before it was “over” at the InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles.

“Sean followed me into the hallway by the elevators. He grabbed me up, threw me on the ground, kicked me, tried to drag me back to the room, took my stuff.”

Cassie Ventura testified today that she took drugs during “Freak Offs” with Sean “Diddy” Combs, including a version of ecstasy called Blue Dolphin.

Ecstasy, also known as molly or MDMA, is part of a class of psychoactive drugs that produce experiences of emotional communion, relatedness and openness. Some users report having less of an urge to eat, drink or sleep, contributing to its use as a party drug.

The drug is taken orally, usually in tablets or capsules, and may be made in different strengths or combined with other drugs. Many manufacturers create their tablets in specific colors or stamp them with certain symbols as a way of branding their products, building confidence in the contents and increasing their appeal to users. Popular symbols include alligators, trees, doves and dolphins, as well as logos like Chanel, Honda and Superman. Blue Dolphin is a blue MDMA tablet stamped with a dolphin symbol.

Cassie Ventura said that Sean “Diddy” Combs began recording the “Freak Offs,” or drug-fueled sex performances, “pretty early on, in the first year.”

She testified that at first, they were recorded on a video camera. Later they were recorded on both his and her electronic devices.

She said there wasn’t really a conversation before he began recording. “Sean brought out a camera and set it up,” she testified.

Ventura said she would later delete the videos on her devices when she saw them because they were “humiliating” and “disgusting.” She testified that she frequently asked Combs to delete the videos he had, as well, particularly because his staff members had access to his devices.

“I never wanted anyone to ever see me like that,” she said.

Most of the “Freak Offs” followed a similar pattern, Cassie Ventura testified.

“It was established pretty early on in doing the Freak Offs that Sean enjoyed a lot of conversation and describing,” she said of her former boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Ventura said a “Freak Off” would typically start with “oil and touching.” After that, she said participants would engage in oral sex before progressing to intercourse. “It was like a gradual process,” she said.

Ventura said she would often ask Combs if they could move to the next act in the pattern. She said she wanted to speed the process

“He was controlling the whole situation, he was directing it,” she said.

Cassie Ventura is back on the stand, and the jury is entering after a short afternoon break.

Prosecutors are trying to use Cassie Ventura’s testimony to prove that the crimes Sean “Diddy” Combs is accused of happened in multiple states, one lawyer said, which gives the federal government jurisdiction.

In order for the case to be brought in federal court, prosecutors have to be able to show that the alleged crimes occurred across state lines, Bob Bianchi, a criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor told CNN.

Combs’ former girlfriend testified that some escorts participated in “Freak Offs” in multiple states. She also said that she would tell Combs’ travel agent that she would need to arrange travel for a new staff members when she needed to fly an escort in for an encounter.

Ventura said “Freak Offs” were held at both her and Combs’ houses, in addition to hotels in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Ibiza, and Turks and Caicos.

The courtroom is taking a quick 10-minute break after Cassie Ventura asked if it was OK to take one. Ventura will continue her testimony when court resumes.

Cassie Ventura testified that she used drugs at every “Freak Off,” and took “all kinds” of drugs — including ecstasy, marijuana, and mushrooms.

Combs provided the drugs and sometimes his staff would drop them off, she testified.

“Someone would drop off drugs to me, wherever I was,” Ventura said.

She testified that that she took more narcotics every few hours during a “Freak Off” when the high would wear off.