Cassie Ventura Breaks Down in Diddy Trial: “I’d Give Back $20M to Erase the Trauma”

In a gripping moment that stunned the Manhattan courtroom, Cassie Ventura told jurors she would willingly give back a $20 million legal settlement from Sean “Diddy” Combs if it meant she could erase the trauma of their relationship. Her statement marked the emotional end of four days of intense testimony in Diddy’s ongoing criminal trial.

The trial, now entering its second week, centres on serious charges against Sean Diddy Combs, including racketeering, sex trafficking, and transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution. If convicted, the hip-hop mogul could face life in prison.

Cassie Ventura served as the government’s star witness, offering graphic and disturbing details of the physical and psychological abuse she says she endured during her decade-long relationship with Sean Diddy Combs. Central to her testimony were the so-called “freak offs” — drug-fueled sex parties that she claims she was coerced into, often involving male escorts and lasting for days.

Tearfully recalling those episodes on the stand, Cassie Ventura said the parties left her physically injured and emotionally devastated. “I would have agency and autonomy,” she said. “I would trade the $20 million in a second to have that back.”

The defence team, led by attorney Anna Estevao, attempted to frame Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit as financially motivated. They highlighted her living situation — at the time of the lawsuit, she had moved back in with her parents alongside her husband and children, suggesting she was under financial pressure. Cassie Ventura flatly denied the accusation.

Adding fuel to the courtroom drama, the defence also revealed another pending settlement Ventura is set to receive: $10 million from InterContinental Hotels. The amount stems from an incident in 2016 when Combs was caught on security camera violently attacking her in a hallway of the InterContinental Los Angeles. The clip, played for jurors in full, is being treated as critical evidence in the prosecution’s case.

Text messages shown in court presented a complicated portrait of the couple’s dynamic. In one message following the 2016 assault, Ventura wrote to Combs: “I’m not a rag doll. I’m somebody’s child.” Yet, within days, other texts showed the pair expressing love for each other — a pattern prosecutors argue illustrates the coercive control Ventura suffered.

Additional witnesses backed Ventura’s claims. Singer Dawn Richard, formerly of Danity Kane, testified that she saw Combs violently assault Ventura in 2009. “She fell down. She was in the fetal position,” Richard said. She added that Combs later warned her not to speak out, ominously saying, “Where I’m from, people go missing if they talk.”

Also taking the stand was Homeland Security special agent Yasin Binda, who detailed the arrest of Sean Diddy Combs and the seizure of cash, drugs, and baby oil from his hotel room — items prosecutors say were used in the alleged sex trafficking scheme.

The courtroom has become a spectacle in itself, with crowds lining up overnight to witness the unfolding trial of one of hip-hop’s most powerful and controversial figures. More witnesses are expected next week as the prosecution continues to build its case against Combs.