Former Escort at Center of Diddy’s ‘Freak Offs’ Shares Emotional Message: “She Was Under His Control”

For the first time since Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial began, one of the male escorts allegedly hired for his notorious “Freak Offs” is speaking publicly — and his emotional tribute to Casandra “Cassie” Ventura is sending shockwaves through the courtroom and beyond. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, former escort Shawn Dearing, 37, broke his silence after prosecutors displayed his photo and alias in court. Recalling his time working for Diddy through the escort agency Cowboys4Angels, Dearing offered a robust defence of Cassie, calling her “genuine” and “a badass lady.”

“She was so uplifting… the kindest and most respectful person,” Shawn Dearing said. “I want her respect first and foremost.”

Former escort Shawn Dearing claims he participated in more than a dozen private sessions between 2014 and 2016, typically held in bungalows at the Beverly Hills Hotel or a Sunset Boulevard condo believed to belong to Cassie Ventura.

“It was only me, him, and her,” he said, referring to Sean Diddy Combs and Cassie Ventura. “We did everything under his direction.”

According to federal prosecutors, Sean Diddy Combs orchestrated “elaborate sex performances” — dubbed Freak Offs — coercing Cassie Ventura into repeated participation during their 11-year relationship. Ventura testified in mid-May that she was pressured with threats and physical violence to take part, often with male escorts hired from sites like Cowboys4Angels.

Dearing, whom Cassie Ventura knew as “Skyler,” says he was not told in advance who the “A-list clients” were and only learned of Combs and Ventura’s identities upon arrival.

“A Power Complex Thing With Him”

While Dearing says he never witnessed physical abuse, he strongly suspected emotional and psychological control. “She wouldn’t speak unless he were in the room… she knew she couldn’t,” Shawn Dearing told. “It was like her spirit left her body.”

He recalled one session where Cassie Ventura sat still, staring at the ground. When he asked her a question, she replied, “Not until he gets back.” That moment, he said, confirmed for him that Sean Diddy Combs had absolute power in those rooms. “It was a power complex thing with him,” Dearing added.

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Now living in Hawaii with his dog, Ezzy, Shawn Dearing says he has long left the escort world behind, choosing faith and a more grounded life after leaving Los Angeles in 2017.

His decision to speak out came only after his identity was revealed during the ongoing trial. “I don’t want fame. I just want people to know she’s telling the truth,” Shawn Dearing said. “She didn’t deserve that.”

Sean Diddy Combs, 55, is currently on trial in New York, facing federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty.