Night Watch: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Part 2

Summary

Crime House Daily
Episode: Night Watch: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Part 2
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Katie Ring

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Episode Overview

This episode continues Crime House’s deep dive into the ongoing trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, focusing on the gripping testimony of his former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. As the prosecution’s star witness, Cassie’s account is central to a watershed racketeering case involving allegations of trafficking, coercion, and multi-year abuse. Katie Ring methodically walks through the trial’s opening statements, Cassie’s harrowing testimony, and the social dynamics surrounding the case, highlighting issues of power, trauma, and public misconception about domestic violence.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Context & Stakes of the Trial

• Charges Against Combs:
  • Racketeering, conspiracy, trafficking, transportation to engage in prostitution ([02:53]).
• Cassie’s Role:
  • Prosecution’s primary witness; her civil suit triggered the federal investigation ([02:53]).
  • Testified while eight months pregnant; delivered her third child days after finishing ([02:53]).

2. Opening Statements and Court Atmosphere

• Prosecution’s Framing:

  • Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson characterized Combs as using "his fame, power, and the very empire he built to control and abuse multiple victims for 20 years."
    • “This case is not about a celebrity's private sexual preferences. It's about coercive crimes.” (Johnson, [02:53])
  • Previewed testimony on “drug-fueled freak off encounters” and described a pattern of manipulative, violent behavior.

• Defense Tactics:

  • Attorney Tenney Garrigus deployed classic victim-blaming narratives, focusing on Combs’ “bad temper” amplified by drug and alcohol use.
    • “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity, and money.” (Garrigus, [02:53])
  • Admitted to evidence of domestic violence but argued, “domestic violence and sex trafficking are not the same thing, and he is not on trial for domestic violence.”
  • Suggested Cassie stayed because “she enjoyed everything she gained from their relationships,” downplaying the abuse’s impact.

• Katie’s Analysis:

  • Katie Ring pushes back, explaining how these arguments ignore the nuances and realities of domestic violence and coercive control.
    • “Saying that she didn’t [leave] because of the money and connections is taking out all of the nuance and the core of what domestic violence really is and how it actually works.” ([02:53])

3. Cassie Ventura’s Testimony: Childhood to Industry Entrapment

• Initial Relationship & Grooming ([11:46]):

  • Met Diddy at 19, signed to a restrictive 10-album Bad Boy contract.
  • Diddy quickly moved to isolate and exert control—insisted on paternal nicknames and on Cassie quitting her existing relationship.
  • (“He heard one of her songs playing...brought her into Bad Boy Records…before he manipulated and coerced her into a, quote, romantic relationship.” [11:46])

• Escalation of Control and Abuse:

  • Forced drug use as a form of control.
  • Financial dependency cemented via career manipulation—threatened her career would be over if she left.
  • Physical violence began early and escalated. (E.g., forced kiss at 21st birthday, followed by manipulation and threats.)

• Isolation and Complicity:

  • Witness testimony (George Kaplan, assistant): Others often witnessed abuse and averted their gaze out of fear ([11:46]).
  • "Isn't anybody seeing this?" she yelled during an incident on a private jet. No one responded. ([11:46])

• Physical & Psychological Harm:

  • Frequent beatings (“too frequently” when asked in court), kept in hotel rooms post-beatings, security prevented her from leaving ([11:46]).
  • Developed memory problems; medical information sent directly to Combs.
  • Cycle of abuse evident – “He tried to make it up to Cassie by showering her with gifts. In reality, this is just a tactic that all abusers use in the cycle of abuse.” ([11:46])

4. "Freak Offs," Voyeurism, & Extreme Degradation ([19:47])

• Sexual Coercion & Abuse:

  • Combs’ voyeurism: Paid male sex workers to have sex with Cassie while he watched and filmed (“freak offs”).
    • “I just remember my stomach falling to my butt. Just the nervousness and confusion in that moment.” (Cassie, [19:47])
    • “I didn’t feel like I could say no…didn’t know what no could be or what no could turn into.” (Cassie, [19:47])
  • Forced participation, frequent use of drugs to numb herself.
  • Degrading acts: Forced to be urinated on while filmed; compelled to take part even while ill.

• Lasting Damage:

  • Psychological trauma, opioid addiction to cope.
  • Career stagnation: Combs never released the hundreds of songs she recorded; all time consumed by “freak offs.”
  • Threatened with release of explicit videos—fear for career, family, reputation.

• Violence & Intimidation (Multiple Incidents):

  • Attacks detailed: thrown into a bed frame (needed surgery), public humiliation (forced to watch tapes on plane), violently kicked off yacht at Cannes.
  • Harrowing quote after sending a photo of her injured face to Combs: “You don’t know when to stop. You pushed it too far.” ([19:47])

5. Attempted Escape & End of Relationship

• Leaving Combs:

  • By 2018, Cassie experienced PTSD, blackouts, sleepwalking.
  • In a final meeting after breakup, Combs forced his way into her apartment and sexually assaulted her ([19:47]).
  • Despite a mutual closure dinner, he assaulted her afterwards—even after breaking up.

• Long-term Trauma and Recovery:

  • Cassie struggled with suicidality and drug addiction after leaving.
  • Alex Fine, her new partner, provided crucial support. Their love story provided a rare bright spot amid trauma.
  • “Alex was caring, supportive and empowered Cassie to make her own decisions…That dynamic didn’t change when she finally got Combs out of her life.” ([19:47])

• Public Perception and Media Storm:

  • 2022: Combs thanked Cassie on BET Awards for “getting him through dark times” (public largely unaware of extent of abuse at the time).
  • Cassie’s “why now” for suing: Relived trauma while shooting a music video, attempted suicide, entered trauma therapy, then decided to confront Combs legally ([19:47]).

6. Civil Suit, Settlement, and Shock Video

• Civil Suit Details:

  • Attempted private settlement with Combs failed (“he basically laughed her off”), leading to civil lawsuit ([19:47]).
  • $20 million civil settlement—Diddy denied wrongdoing, but paid out quickly.

• Key Evidence Leaked:

  • 2024: Leaked hotel video showing Diddy beating Cassie. Shifted public sentiment.
  • Cassie’s Instagram response:
    • “Thank you for all of the love and support...The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now. But this is only the beginning. Domestic violence is the issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.” ([19:47])

7. Social Commentary and Reflection

• Katie’s Reflection on Victim-Blaming:

  • Criticizes persistent myths about domestic violence, particularly blaming Cassie for staying.
    • “People say she could have left at any time, they fail to remember that when she requested to leave, the security guards refused and kept her locked away in the room.” ([11:46])
  • Cites Cassie’s Instagram plea for public to “open your heart to believing victims the first time.”

• Witnesses and Upcoming Testimony:

  • Episode ends by previewing next episode: defense cross-examination and witnesses who corroborate Cassie’s abuse claims ([19:47]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson:
  “This case is not about a celebrity's private sexual preferences. It's about coercive crimes.” ([02:53])

• Defense Attorney Tenney Garrigus:
  “Sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity, and money.” ([02:53])
  “You may think my client is a terrible person, but that domestic violence and sex trafficking are not the same thing, and he is not on trial for domestic violence.” ([02:53])

• Cassie Ventura (Testimony):
  “I just remember my stomach falling to my butt. Just the nervousness and confusion in that moment.” ([19:47])
  “I didn’t feel like I could say no…didn’t know what no could be or what no could turn into.” ([19:47])
  “Too frequently.” — On how often Diddy became violent ([11:46])
  “I feared for my career. I feared for my family. It’s just embarrassing. It’s horrible and disgusting. No one should do that to anyone.” ([19:47])

• Katie Ring (Commentary):
  “Saying that she didn’t [leave] because of the money and connections is taking out all of the nuance and the core of what domestic violence really is and how it actually works.” ([02:53])

• Cassie’s Instagram (after the abuse video leaked):
  “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now. But this is only the beginning. Domestic violence is the issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.” ([19:47])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Statements Recap: 02:53 – 11:46
• Cassie Ventura’s Testimony: Background and Abuse: 11:46 – 19:47
• Freak Offs and Dehumanizing Violence: 19:47 – 35:00
• Effects on Career, Attempted Escape, and Recovery: 35:00 – 46:00
• Civil Case, Evidence, and Public Reaction: 46:00 – end

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Conclusion

Katie Ring’s sensitive but unflinching walk through Cassie Ventura’s testimony reveals a horrifying pattern of manipulation and abuse, the complicity that power breeds, and the uphill battle survivors face in both the courts and the court of public opinion. Cassie’s story is not just the backbone of the prosecution’s case but a call to reexamine how society views agency, abuse, and the responsibilities of bystanders. The episode closes by teasing the next episode, which will cover the defense's cross and additional corroborating witnesses, as well as the still-untold story of the Kid Cudi arson accusation.

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Stay tuned for tomorrow’s episode and follow for live updates as the Combs trial continues to unfold.

Transcript

[Katie Ring]

Hi, Crime House community. It's Katie looking for another Crime House original podcast to add to your rotation. You will love Clues with Morgan Abshur and Kaylin Moore. Every Wednesday, Morgan and Kaylin dig into the world's most notorious crimes, clue by clue. From serial killers to shocking murders. They follow the trail of clues, break down the evidence and debate the theories. It's like hanging out with your smart and true crime obsessed friends. Listen to clues on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you listen to podcasts.

[Walton Goggins]

This is Crime House.

[Katie Ring]

Tonight is part two of our deep dive into the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. And in this episode, we're focusing on Cassie Ventura's testimony. Cassie dated Combs on and off for over a decade. And on the stand, she held nothing back. Sean Diddy Combs, once one of entertainment's most powerful moguls, accused of crimes so heinous he faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars. Cassie Ventura, Sean Combs, former girlfriend and the prosecution's key witness, was back on the stand for a second day with more explicit testimony.

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We've been learning more about his relationship with Cassie, more details about these freak offs that they engaged in, the escorts who were involved and the violence that was involved.

[Katie Ring]

Hi, welcome to Crime House Daily. I'm your host, Katie Ring. Here we follow the cases making headlines now where justice is still unfolding. Follow us wherever you're listening. And if you want ad free episodes, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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Tonight we're continuing our deep dive into the trial of Sean Diddy Combs. Last night we talked about everything that led up to his arrest. This episode, we're focusing on the opening statements and the testimony of Cassie Ventura, whose civil suit prompted the federal probe into Combs and and whose harrowing testimony took up most of the first week of the trial. Cassie has showed incredible strength through this entire process, and the fact that she testified over multiple days while she was more than eight months pregnant is just another testament to her strength. I could not imagine having to relive all of the most traumatic moments of your life while people dissected and judged you, let alone doing that pregnant. Opening statements in the trial of Sean combs began on May 12, 2025. The courtroom was packed and the entire world was waiting with bated breath to see what kind of revelations would come out and whether Combs would see justice. Combs was facing charges of racketeering, conspiracy, or RICO trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. I think my favorite part of any trial are the opening statements. It's your first impression to the jury and you are setting the ground for your case. Unfortunately, since federal trials are not televised, I didn't get to hear the opening statements myself and can only go off court transcripts in other people's accounts. But here's what I got. Because the prosecution has the burden of proof, they always go first. And the member of their team they selected to give the opening statement was Assistant U.S. attorney Emily Johnson. She got up and painted a picture of a man who had built an empire and who used his fame, power, and the very empire he built to control and abuse multiple victims for 20 years. Johnson made it clear that, quote, this case is not about a celebrity's private sexual preferences. It's about coercive crimes. Johnson walked the jury through some of the most explosive allegations, previewing testimony about what she described as drug fueled freak off encounters with escorts and the emotional and physical toll on the victims. She argued these weren't isolated moments. They were a clear pattern of Combs manipulative, coercive, abusive and violent behavior. This was a man who would go to shocking lengths to control others and put them in harmful and degrading situations. The defense was up next and predictably turned to victim blaming and trying to gain sympathy for Combs by admitting his flaws, which they probably would have conveniently left out had it not been for the extremely graphic video of him brutally beating Cassie that was leaked before the trial. His defense attorney, Tenney Garrigus, said, quote, sean Combs is a complicated man, but this is not a complicated case. This case is about love, jealousy, infidelity, and money. She said that he had a bad temper, which was amplified by drugs and alcohol, and that they would see evidence of domestic violence. She continued, domestic violence is wrong, and you may think my client is a terrible person, but that domestic violence and sex trafficking are not the same thing, and he is not on trial for domestic violence. She also said that he would only really get violent when he thought someone was cheating, like that's a valid excuse to beat someone. She then leaned into people's misconceptions of DV and said that these were two adult women who consented to everything they did with her client, that there were no other dynamics at play, and that the government had no business in her client's private bedroom life. And lastly, she said the woman could leave anytime they wanted and claimed they didn't because they enjoyed everything they gained from their relationships with Combs. The thing that bugs me the most about this is that, yeah, I think we can all agree that we wish Cassie left earlier, but saying that she didn't because of the money and connections is taking out all of the nuance and the core of what domestic violence really is and how it actually works. And it makes me sad that instead of looking at the abuser and thinking that behavior is not okay under any conditions, they flip the blame to the woman, saying, well, they could have left at any time, which simply wasn't true in this case. And it's almost like they believe the girls deserved it or that Diddy didn't really do anything wrong because they liked the lifestyle. I knew this would be an uphill battle for the prosecution, giving all of the misconceptions about domestic violence and trafficking, but I am still incredibly disappointed by the outcome. Personally, I think he should be serving more time than he is for all of the abuse alone. But there's one important thing to remember. If it weren't for Cassie's bravery, Combs never would have been exposed to the degree that he was. Who knows how many people out there are safe because of her testimony. With that said, let's start at the beginning of her story. As I mentioned before, Cassie has been extremely strong throughout this whole ordeal, which was only amplified by the fact that when she went up to testify, she was over eight months pregnant. So pregnant that she ended up giving birth to her third child just days after testifying. Having to relive your most traumatic moments for multiple days while testifying is hard enough, but I can't imagine having to do it for four straight days while you are days away from giving birth. But Cassie believed it was the right thing to do and the full truth of her relationship with combs was finally brought to life. From clothes to bedding to jewelry, Quince has the highest quality fabrics, materials and pieces that are timeless and will actually last. 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Cassie's story and her civil lawsuit were the basis of this criminal trial. So naturally, she was the most important witness in this case. Between the hours of testimony she gave as well as a detailed lawsuit she filed back in 2023, the court got an extremely vivid picture of what her relationship with Combs was like. Cassie met Sean combs in late 2005 when she was just 19 years old. He heard one of her songs playing in a club and brought her into Bad Boy Records where he soon signed her for a 10 album deal, something that was unheard of in the industry before he manipulated and coerced her into a, quote, romantic relationship. He took an almost paternal role in her life. In her testimony, Cassie said that Combs asked her what she called her grandpa and insisted she used that same nickname for him. So her nickname for him became Pop Pop because that's what she called her own grandpa. He also started giving her advice and taking her places under the guise of showing her the ropes and wanting her to be successful. And that's what she wanted the most, a successful career. So she went along with it. Soon though, he started inviting her to spend more and more time with him, mostly under the guise of doing marketing events. But in reality, he was starting the process of grooming her and isolating her from her loved ones. He dismissed her relationship with her then boyfriend. And as a way to exercise even more control over her, he started pushing her to do drugs at first to fit in since it was part of the lifestyle, but then as a way to control her all the while. He also had a tight grip on her entire livelihood. Everything she'd worked for as a musician was in his hand. When Diddy proposed the 10 album deal, he knew that she wouldn't be able to go to any other record company if she walked away from him and that her career would be over. They both knew that she couldn't get away with him without losing everything, and he took his abuse to the next level. At Cassie's 21st birthday party, Combs got Cassie alone and forced her to kiss him. They were both with other people at the time. Combs was in a long term relationship with model and actress Kim Porter, who is the mother of a few of his children. But that wasn't the only reason the forced kiss made Cassie so upset. She knew it was wrong on so many levels, she ran out of the bathroom in tears. But Combs knew she was completely powerless after that incident. He used his wealth, celebrity status, and not to mention their power dynamic to convince Cassie he could help her achieve success and a good life. The same year she turned 21, Combs lured Cassie to Florida under the guise of a promotional party. But when she got there, there was no party. Instead, that weekend was the beginning of Cassie's living nightmare. Throughout the trip, Combs forced her to take a ton of drugs and eventually coerced her into having sex with him. And when they returned, he kept showing her how much control he had over her, all while making his actions seem generous. Combs paid Cassie's rent, got her a car, bought her clothes, and in exchange demanded to know where she was and who she was with at all times. On top of that, Combs quickly became physically abusive. Cassie said he regularly hit her in the head, knocked her down and stomped on her. The level of abuse was completely horrible, horrifying. But according to another witness named George Kaplan, who'd worked as Combs personal assistant, Cassie still tried to stick up for herself. Once, while the three of them and a few of Combs other employees were on a private jet, Combs lost his temper at Cassie and started threatening to hit her with a drinking glass. Cassie turned to the others and yelled, isn't anybody seeing this? But everyone ignored her. Every single person averted their gaze. Then George heard glass breaking. So many people blamed Cassie for not leaving, but they failed to question everyone who was complicit in her abuse. Everyone who stood around and turned their cheek. But this also shows Diddy's power over everyone in his orbit. Everyone was afraid of him, even his huge bodyguards, because they knew what Diddy was capable of. And they knew the repercussions for disobeying him would be harsh and swift and that they would be blackballed from the industry and not be able to find work anywhere else. After that incident, though, George ended up quitting because he couldn't fix Combs problems anymore. Cassie said it was a few years into their relationship when she realized just how many people knew about the physical abuse Combs inflicted on her. For example, in January of 2009. They were at a club together, and when Combs noticed her talking to someone else in the industry, he became so enraged that he forced her to leave the club with him. They got into a car together, and Combs immediately attacked her, hitting her and kicking her. One of his security officers tried to talk him down, but no one physically intervened. Then when the car pulled over, Cassie got out and tried to run, but Combs caught her and continued attacking her with no one stepping in. This was one of the most brutal incidents up to this point, and afterward, Combs had some of his staff take Cassie to a hotel to recover. He also told her to lie to her parents about what happened while she was at the hotel. Several of his employees showed up to bring Cassie gifts and check in on her, and that's when she realized that that everyone was aware of how violent he was. Combs soon made it a habit to stash her away in hotels after the more serious beating, so the paparazzi couldn't photograph her bruises. When people say she could have left at any time, they fail to remember that when she requested to leave, the security guards refused and kept her locked away in the room. When Cassie was asked in court how frequently Combs became violent with her, she softly responded, too frequently. She testified that if she made the wrong face, the next thing she knew, she was getting hit in the face and that if she didn't respond to his call immediately, he would call over and over again and his staff, including security guards, would join in on the search to find her and bring her to him. This wasn't even the full extent of his diabolical level of control over Cassie. Cassie started experiencing memory problems from the drugs and the beatings. And when she went in for an mri, Combs employees took her to the appointment and made sure her private medical records were sent directly to him. At the same time, Combs also seemed racked with guilt after every single instance of abuse, and he tried to make it up to Cassie by showering her with gifts. In reality, this is just a tactic that all abusers use in the cycle of abuse. Unfortunately, that didn't stop him from finding additional ways to overpower her.

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[Katie Ring]

When Cassie Ventura took the stand against Sean Combs In May of 2025, she and other witnesses described Combs bizarre and degrading abuse. After they were together for a bit, Combs confided in Cassie and told her that he had a voyeurism fetish and wanted to hire male sex workers so he could watch her have sex with them. This is what eventually became the drug fueled sometimes days long sex performances called freak offs. When asked how she first felt when Combs proposed this, she said, quote, I just remember my stomach falling to my butt. Just the nervousness and confusion in that moment. And that she didn't feel like she could say no to Combs because she, quote, didn't know what no could be or what no could turn into, which she said she learned could include violence and blackmail threats. She continued, quote, shawn controlled a lot of my life. Whether it was career, the way I dressed, everything, I just didn't have much say in it at the time. On top of him controlling everything in her life. Cassie was only 22. She was sexually inexperienced when she met him young and was willing to try something for the man she believed she loved. But after the first encounter with a sex worker, Combs started demanding it more and more. Soon, Combs started making bizarre requests. During the so called freak offs, he forced Cassie and the men they hired to douse themselves in baby oil. Cassie said they used about 10 bottles for each encounter. It created a huge mess and it was clearly a way for Combs to degrade her and the other person. But this wasn't the only way he liked to degrade Cassie. In one freak off, Cassie said that he instructed two people to urinate on her at once while he filmed it. He didn't just force her into dehumanizing situations either, but painful ones. She started getting UTIs and he would force her to do freak offs even when she had them, which was extremely painful. He would force them to go as long as he pleased and would get upset and sometimes beat her if they stopped too soon. To make the performances last longer. Combs would often encourage Cassie and the other person to take drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, alcohol, marijuana, GHP and ketamine. Cassie said that she did this as a way to numb herself during the experience. Because of the drugs, physical tolls and dehydration, these events would take days to recover from. Understandably, Cassie dreaded each encounter. Sometimes she'd be so nervous and afraid beforehand she'd throw up, but Combs would still force her to go through with it. Remember, he was in control of her entire life. Plus, we know from the hotel footage that even when Cassie tried to get away, Combs wouldn't let her. Even though she hated doing it, she didn't have a Choice. On her 29th birthday, Combs even made her leave in the middle of her party to go to a hotel for a freak off. She tried to resist, but his security guards forced her. As their relationship progressed, the freak off started happening more and more often, sometimes even weekly, and she said that the freak offs became a job in and of themselves. Cassie said that planning and recovering from the freak offs took up so much time that it was hard to find time to work on her career, which only further deepened her financial dependence on Combs. And any spare time she could find to work on music went nowhere because the hundreds of songs she worked on were never released. On day two of her testimony, they started off with the hotel footage where Combs is seen dragging and kicking her, and she also said he threw a vase at her. She talked about how after the incident she was kept in a hotel room and they did not let her go home to see her parents as she requested. Jurors were also shown pictures of the movie premiere she had to attend shortly after the attack, and she went over the bruises she had. She also testified that Combs would constantly threaten to release the videos of her and that quote, I feared for my career. I feared for my family. It's just embarrassing. It's horrible and disgusting. No one should do that to anyone. When asked if she ever tried to fight back, she said she did try earlier in the relationship, but learned it could escalate the fight more and make it worse for her. She said that the freak offs made her feel empty and gross and that she developed an opioid addiction because she would use them to numb her from the experience. She recounted a time where she was getting ready for Drake's music festival and Combs got into a fight with her and her friends and he threw her into a bed frame where she suffered a significant gash above her eye, which she had to go to a plastic surgeon to get fixed. She said that afterwards she texted Combs a photo of her injured face and wrote, so you can remember. And he just replied, you don't know when to stop. You pushed it too far. And continued to push. Sad. Yeah, she's the one who pushed it too far. She also recounted another incident at the Cannes Film Festival, where she got into an argument with Combs after he accused her of taking drugs from him and kicked her off of his yacht, leaving her stranded with no shoes, no passport and nowhere to stay. She said that on the commercial flight home, he made her watch one of the Freakoff tapes on his laptop while other people were around them and he told her he was going to embarrass her and release them. The prosecutor showed the jury stills from some of the Freak off events and many members of the jury had visible reactions, including eyes opening wide, looks of shock, and one juror shook his head after showing the images. Prosecutors asked her about some of the other violent events she experienced at the hands of Diddy. She said the first instance of violence came early in their relationship when she saw Combs flirting with someone and said she shrugged her shoulders when someone else saw it and looked in her direction. But in the car when they left the venue, he knocked her around and and was hitting her until she fell to the floor of the car and laid there in shock. She testified about the time she returned home from Christmas in 2011 after Diddy found the communications between her and Kid Cudi and lunged at her with a corkscrew and kicked her in the back. She was left with large bruises from the altercation that her mom took pictures of. On her way home to Connecticut, Cassie wrote to her mom about what happened just in case she didn't make it there when she got home. She said she lied to her mom and told her it was the first time he had hit her. She also testified that she saw Diddy hold one of her friends over the railing of a balcony at her LA apartment before he took her down and threw her on the patio furniture. And about another occasion where she saw him hit one of her longtime friends in the head with a hammer, which ended their friendship. They then ventured into the end of their relationship. Cassie said that before she ended their relationship in 2018, she was experiencing PTSD and started blacking out and sleepwalking. Cassie met up with Combs for dinner in September of 2018 where she broke the news. Surprisingly, Combs was okay with it. They kept talking and Cassie felt that he was finally hearing her out and making an effort to un understand her feelings. They both felt like they had closure and when they left the restaurant, Combs offered to walk Cassie back to her apartment. Then once they were at the door, his caring demeanor quickly changed. Combs asked to come inside and Cassie told him no, but he wouldn't listen. He forced his Way in and Cassie began crying. She knew exactly where this was going. No matter how much she cried or said no, Combs ignored her and essayed her on the floor of her apartment. After that, they had one more consensual encounter, which I think confused many people. But if you know anything about dv, it is not all that surprising. Cassie said that they had, quote, been together for over 10 years. You just don't turn feelings off like, I didn't hate him. However, after this last encounter, Cassie knew knew she needed to get out once and for all. Her entire adult life had been manipulated and controlled by her abuser. The trauma was still so persistent, she was plagued by the thoughts of suicide and struggled with drug addiction. But there was a bright spot in all of this as well. Despite the mountain of healing she had ahead of her, Cassie was finally free to make her own choices, both in business and in her personal life. After all of the suffering she'd been put through, Cassie finally found true love. She started seeing a man named Alex Fine. They had actually met back in 2018, the same year Cassie broke up with Combs. And they actually met through him as well. Combs had wanted Cassie to start working out with a personal trainer, which is what Alex did for a living. In addition to running a wellness coaching platform. Combs hired him and Alex and Cassie were fast friends. Alex was caring, supportive and empowered Cassie to make her own decisions about her health and well being. That dynamic didn't change when she finally got Combs out of her life. Pretty soon, Cassie and Alex fell in love. In January of 2019, they went public with their relationship on social media. Several months later, they made another big announcement. Cassie was pregnant. Alex wrote a heartfelt caption on social media underneath a photo of him kissing Cassie on the cheek. It was a note to his future daughter saying, I will be the first man in your life and will show you the greatest love and affection now and forever. I never thought my heart could grow bigger after meeting your mother. Then I found out we were having you and I instantly felt a love that is so indescribable. Alex and Cassie's posts were flooded with excited comments. But there was one person who couldn't stand seeing her move on. Sean Combs. In the face of pure, honest love, Combs had to make sure that he was part of the narrative too. He posted a picture of them on Instagram and said he wished them happiness and love. And without Combs in their lives, that's exactly what they got. In August of that year, Cassie and Alex Tied to. Tied the knot. Cassie had officially started her own life, and Sean Combs couldn't take it. A couple years later, In June of 2022, when he won the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, Combs thanked Cassie in his acceptance speech for helping him through the, quote, dark times. The public didn't think much of it because at this point, the hotel footage of Combs assaulting Cassie hadn't been released yet. If anything, people thought it was weird just because Cassie was now married to someone else. Cassie kept posting as usual on social media without responding at all to Combs shout out. She seemed completely unfazed, but beneath the surface, she was still suffering. I think a question that was lingering in a lot of people's minds when Cassie first brought this lawsuit was, why now? And in the last part of her direct, we got the heartbreaking answer. In 2023, Cassie was shooting a music video and she started having horrible flashbacks. When she got home, she told her husband, quote, you can do this without me. You don't need me here anymore. She said she couldn't take the pain anymore and that she tried to walk out the front door into traffic, but her husband wouldn't let her. After she checked into rehab and started trauma therapy, where she was encouraged to work through her pain and trauma and by writing about her experiences. When she got out, she said that she wanted Combs to read it and see all of the pain he had caused her. And she said she made up a number and went to him with an offer to buy the rights to her book. He basically laughed her off, so she filed this civil suit against him. Everyone had access to the horrifying details of what he had put her through over all of these years. Diddy denied everything, but settled with her for $20 million the next day. Many of his fans believed him and claimed this was just a money grab and said that Cassie was a gold digger making up lies and that if these things were true, she could have left at any time. But in May of 2024, when the video of Diddy brutally beating Cassie in the hallways of the Intercontinental Hotel was leaked, no one could turn a blind eye on and Diddy could no longer hide his true self. After the video was leaked, Cassie posted to her Instagram saying, thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers, and those I have yet to meet. The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now. But this is only the beginning. Domestic violence is the issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously. My only ask is that everyone open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in. I offer my hand to those that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people. Don't cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone. However, even with the evidence of abuse, Diddy's team would still paint Cassie as a young woman who had complete agency in her decision making and not only consented to these freak offs, but participated in them consensually. Fortunately for the prosecution, there were witnesses to Diddy's bad behavior, abuse and control. In tomorrow's episode, we'll unpack the defense's cross examination of Cassie, along with key testimony from witnesses who say they saw the alleged abuse. But there's one aspect of Cassie's story we haven't yet discussed because it's so complex, it deserves its own episode. Combs was accused of kidnapping and arson as part of the racketeering charges. Those charges actually both stem from the same incident, one where Sean was accused of firebombing the car of a fellow celebrity, Kid Cudi. Tune in tomorrow to hear about all of the details of what allegedly went down. What did you think of tonight's case? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. See you next time. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel @Crime House daily and follow us on social Media Cross Crime House 247 for real time updates because the pursuit of justice never stops.