Cassie Under Fire: Diddy’s Defense Uses Her Own Words Against Her | Diddy Trial Day 4 - Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Podcast Summary: "Cassie Under Fire: Diddy’s Defense Uses Her Own Words Against Her | Diddy Trial Day 4"

Introduction

In this compelling episode of Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield, host Ashleigh Banfield delves deep into the intense fourth day of the Sean "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking and racketeering trial. The episode, released on May 16, 2025, centers around the cross-examination of Cassie Ventura, Diddy's longtime partner, whose testimony is pivotal to the prosecution's case alleging coercion and unwanted sexual activities.

Courtroom Atmosphere

Ashleigh sets the scene by describing the courtroom as "standing room only," teeming with a dozen attorneys, reporters, and even Diddy's family members, including his mother, Janice Combs, and his sons, Christian and Quincy. Notably, cameras are prohibited in the federal courtroom, so sketch artists diligently capture the proceedings with chalk drawings. Diddy maintains his composure, clad in his signature beige sweater, white collared shirt, and gray slacks. He intermittently interacts with reporters, displaying his characteristic heart-shaped hand gesture.

Cassie Ventura’s Testimony Under Scrutiny

Cassie Ventura takes the stand, visibly pregnant and visibly composed despite enduring four consecutive days of intense cross-examination. Ashleigh recounts Cassie's experience, emphasizing the pressure and discomfort of being cross-examined by the defense.

Defense Strategy: Utilizing Cassie’s Own Words

Diddy's defense attorney, Anna Esteveo, employs an aggressive strategy by presenting Cassie's own text messages and emails to portray the relationship as consensual and devoid of coercion. This tactic aims to undermine the prosecution's narrative of Cassie being coerced into unwanted sexual acts.

Cassie Ventura [04:30]: "I did believe he loved me."

The defense highlights affectionate texts exchanged over 11 years, such as:

Cassie Ventura [10:15]: "I love you so much it consumes my life."

This portrayal is intended to showcase a loving and consensual relationship, contrasting with the prosecution's claims of fear and coercion.

Key Moments and Contradictions

One of the most striking moments occurs when Cassie contradicts her earlier testimony regarding the involvement of staff in facilitating sexual encounters:

Cassie Ventura [35:20]: "No one who worked for Sean Combs knew about the free coughs."

This admission starkly contrasts her previous statements where she alleged that staffers prepared hotel rooms with necessary supplies, suggesting potential premeditation and control exerted by Diddy.

Emotionally Charged Exchanges

The defense brings forth explicit text messages that Cassie reads aloud, some of which appear to indicate enthusiastic consent:

Cassie Ventura [25:40]: "I can't wait to watch you. I want you to get real hot."

However, Ashleigh points out that while these messages could support the defense's case of consensual activities, they also reveal instances where Diddy appears to pressure Cassie:

Cassie Ventura [30:50]: "I'm always ready to do a free cough."

Diddy Combs [31:10]: "What the fuck are you doing? Why didn't you hit me back?"

These interactions introduce complexity, suggesting moments of coercion amidst seemingly consensual exchanges.

Addiction and Its Implications

Cassie also testifies about both her and Diddy's addiction to opiates, adding another layer to the case. She states:

Cassie Ventura [45:00]: "These drugs don't make you do anything."

This assertion is presented by the prosecution as evidence that her actions were driven by fear rather than desire, potentially supporting claims of coercion.

Violence and Intimidation

A particularly harrowing part of Cassie's testimony involves the infamous hallway assault at the Intercontinental Hotel in 2016. Cassie describes witnessing Diddy hold a woman over a balcony railing:

Cassie Ventura [50:25]: "I saw what I saw. If that is not coercion and threat and assault, I don't know what is."

This vivid account is pivotal, painting a picture of Diddy's capacity for violence and intimidation, thereby reinforcing the prosecution's claims of a coercive environment.

Jealousy and Affair Allegations

Cassie opens up about her jealousy and extramarital affairs, including a relationship with rapper Kid Cudi. She admits to having a burner phone to communicate secretly:

Cassie Ventura [60:45]: "I thought it would be way too dangerous to tell him."

Such admissions could be interpreted in multiple ways, potentially undermining her credibility and suggesting a lack of control within the relationship.

Defense’s Attempt to Undermine Credibility

The defense also questions Cassie's reliability by highlighting her struggles with addiction, thereby casting doubt on her recollections and overall testimony:

Anna Esteveo [68:10]: "Wasn't Cassie also using?"

Cassie Ventura [68:30]: "Yes."

This line of questioning is aimed at creating reasonable doubt about the accuracy and reliability of Cassie's statements.

Implications for the Jury

Ashleigh underscores the turbulent nature of the courtroom dynamics and the impact of Cassie's testimony on the jurors. She notes the varied reactions among jurors, ranging from confusion to discomfort, especially when explicit content is discussed. The contradictions in Cassie’s testimony leave the jury grappling with conflicting narratives of consent versus coercion.

Conclusion and Forward Look

As the podcast episode wraps up, Ashleigh reflects on the day's events, pondering whether the defense's strategy has successfully cast doubt on the prosecution's case or if the jury remains convinced of the coercion narrative. She anticipates further intense cross-examination and potential redirect testimony from the prosecution, which aims to clarify and reinforce their stance.

Ashleigh Banfield [Final Minutes]: "We're going to be watching it every single day and we'll bring you the recaps right here on Drop Dead Serious."

Takeaways

Complex Testimonies: Cassie's testimony is fraught with contradictions, making it challenging for the jury to discern the truth.
Defense Tactics: The defense effectively uses Cassie's own words to portray a consensual and loving relationship, while simultaneously exposing moments that suggest coercion and fear.
Prosecution's Path Forward: The prosecution must address these contradictions and reinforce their narrative of coercion and abuse to maintain the integrity of their case.
Emotional Toll: The emotional and psychological strain on Cassie, compounded by her pregnancy, adds a poignant layer to the proceedings.

Notable Quotes

Ashleigh Banfield [00:00]: "I'm going to be saying some things, I'm gonna be saying some dirty things... using some foul language. So all in the interest of being very accurate with reporting from court."
Cassie Ventura [10:15]: "I love you so much it consumes my life."
Cassie Ventura [35:20]: "No one who worked for Sean Combs knew about the free coughs."
Cassie Ventura [50:25]: "I saw what I saw. If that is not coercion and threat and assault, I don't know what is."
Cassie Ventura [60:45]: "I thought it would be way too dangerous to tell him."

Final Thoughts

This episode of Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield offers a thorough and engaging exploration of a pivotal moment in the Diddy trial, shedding light on the intricate dynamics of courtroom testimonies and defense strategies. Through meticulous analysis and insightful commentary, Ashleigh provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in high-profile legal battles.

Transcript

Ashley Banfield (0:00)

Foreign. Hey, everybody, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is Drop Dead Serious. I'm so glad you're with me today. This is again, one of those podcasts where I'm gonna be saying some things, I'm gonna be saying some dirty things, I'm gonna be reading some dirty texts and I'm gonna be using some foul language. So all in the interest of being very accurate with reporting from court, because when it comes to court testimony, they don't typically sanitize things, right? Texts are read as they are written. And so today I'm going to be giving you a lot of that stuff. So if you've got like some kind of sensitivity to, you know, racy stuff, well, plug half an ear. This is one of those days that was like, pretty embarrassing for, for Cassie Ventura, I've got to say. She's under cross examination in the Sean Combs sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Right. If you hear panting, it's my dog Atlas, who is like just inches away from the microphone. He's a golden doodle. He's about 70 pounds and for whatever reason, he's very antsy. We had some weather today and I think he just gets antsy when there's weather. So he's going to be traipsing around the studio. He always, he's always in here, but you might hear him because he's very close to the microphone. You alright, bud? Yeah, you're okay. So, yeah, this was one of those days where Cassie, who's now on cross examination by Sean Combs lawyers, is having to endure some pretty embarrassing stuff. I mean, they made her read her own steamy text messages with Sean Combs and they, and she, and they made her read his steamy messages back. What they're trying to do in all of this and really keep this as your context for everything you're about to hear, they're trying to paint all this stuff that Cassie just said all week long about how she was coerced and didn't like this and tried to escape it and just couldn't. It was only trying to please Sean Combs and was terrified that if she didn't please him, he'd get violent. So she just went along with all this awful sex. They're trying to just disabuse us of all of that, right? They're trying to say, hey, Cassie, you were into it. You were into all of it. You were a willing participant in all of it. And so when they ask her to read some of these text messages, that's the context that you're getting here in the podcast today. They want the jury to hear her in how she really spoke with Sean Combs when they were texting back and forth. So if you thought that the worst was behind Cassie, think again. Because today Diddy's lawyer, Anna Esteveo, flipped the script while cross examining Cassie. With stacks and stacks of old texts and emails and surveillance footage and steamy exchanges, the defense set out to prove what the prosecution called coercion and unwanted dirty sex might actually have been a mere threesome and consensual, consensual sex between adults. Of course, it's something the jury is going to have to decide and they are not even close to having all the evidence in front of them. But let's get right into it. The courtroom was absolutely packed. Today, was standing room only, 12 jurors, six alternates, some extras, a dozen attorneys, reporters elbow to elbow and sketch artists trying to capture it all in chalk because cameras aren't allowed in federal court. Don't get me started. It makes me crazy. Diddy's mother, Janice Combs, was there. So were Diddy's sons, Christian and Quincy. For his part, Diddy sat at the defense table wearing what I guess is now his signature look. I don't get it, honestly. Once again today, a beige sweater, white collared shirt, gray slacks. It is the same thing he has been wearing since Monday. He was calm and composed and he was occasionally scribbling and orange post it notes that he would pass to his lawyers. At one point, he even turned to reporters in the gallery and asked, how you doing? He gave his now signature heart shaped hand gesture to the mother of one of his lawyers who was sitting in the audience. And then Cassie Ventura took the stand, visibly pregnant, soft spoken and composed, she faced her fourth day under oath. But today, of course, it was the defense in the driver's seat. So really less comfortable than when your friendly fire comes from the prosecutors if you're a prosecution witness. And she is. And Diddy's lawyer started gently with love letters. The early days, the BlackBerry days, back when Pop Pop and baby girl were sending messages like I love you so much it consumes my life. Diddy's lawyer asked Cassie, you and Sean Combs were in love for 11 years. During those 11 years, you took care of him. Cassie replied, in the ways I could. The defense pointed out how Cassie had previously called Diddy larger than life, but still referred to him as Sean. Cassie didn't deny it. She said she knew a real version of him, a version the Public didn't know. Not his friends, not even his family. That's the version of Sean Combs she told the jury that she lived with. But I gotta say, this was sort of a moment that I did not think played well for the defense might actually have helped the prosecution. Because if what Cassie's saying is true, then maybe Puff really did lead a double life. And maybe Cassie knew the side that no one else ever saw. You know, like a Jekyll and Hyde kind of life. So then came this. Cassie admitted that she could be described as insanely jealous. And when Diddy's lawyer asked if she could deal with her jealousy for more than a decade, despite his flaws, Cassie said, I did. I did believe he loved me. Then Diddy's lawyer began walking the jury through messages that Cassie had sent to Diddy during that time. Messages where she pleaded with Diddy to respond after he'd hung up on her. She didn't like being rushed off the phone. Messages like, you didn't even respond to my message. Going to sleep now so it can be tomorrow, faster so I can see you. The prosecution objected, repeatedly trying to keep those messages out of the courtroom. And why? Because if jurors take those messages as truth instead of just an emotional snapshot in another time, could have a huge effect. It could change everything. One after another. Diddy's lawyers had Cassie confirm that the messages were indeed hers. And Cassie told the jury that she and Diddy were in love, that she believed Diddy loved her back and that she'd fly anywhere to see him. And that when she turned 21, he threw her a birthday party in Las Vegas packed with a list celebrities that she barely even knew back then. In fact, she testified that Diddy brought Britney Spears to that party, along with a whole bunch of other megawatt stars. But those weren't her friends, she said. They were his friends. Cassie also wrote emails to Diddy saying, who knew I'd fall so fast? And I love you so much it makes me cry? But then came the shift from tender to torrid. Text messages that could seriously hurt the prosecution's case. Diddy's lawyer pulled out message after message from 2009-2010-2013-2017. And Cassie was asked to read them aloud. Every single line. Like this one from 2013. Cassie, wish we could have freaked off before you left. And this from March 2017. Diddy, I can't wait to watch you. I want you to get real hot. Cassie responds, me too. I just want it to be uncontrollable. And One more. A message the defense would return to again and again. Cassie, I love our free coughs when we both want it. But that last line, when we both want it, that stood out to me. The defense was using this as a cornerstone to show that these free coughs weren't coerced acts. And yet you could also say that she liked the free coughs only when she wanted them and not the other times when she didn't. On the stand, Cassie clarified, saying, quote, I would say that was just words at that point. They didn't mean what they used to. But the text messages continued. Diddy texted, I miss you already. Cassie replied, me too. Then he asked what when she wanted to do a free cough. And Cassie replied, I'm always ready to do a free cough. He told her to pick a date and she wrote, let's do a weekend so we can recover for work. But if a weekend doesn't work, I don't care. Diddy's lawyer pressed Cassie on how she used to dress for the free coughs. And then Cassie said something that immediately raised eyebrows, not just in the courtroom, but with the prosecution too. Quote, no one who worked for Sean Combs knew about the free coughs. That's a direct quote and I'm going to just lay it on the line here. That is a direct contradiction. Because earlier in her testimony for the prosecution, Cassie said that staffers were involved in those free coughs, that they prepped the hotel rooms, they brought the oil, you know, that they bought the candles and the lube and the condoms, that they would position those things all around the hotel rooms. So which was it? Were they or weren't they aware of the freak offs those staff members? Maybe under redirect examination, the prosecution will mop up that mess. Maybe the prosecution will be able to get Cassie to elicit like, staffers didn't know what was going to happen with all that baby oil and freak off business. They just did their job and like left. Who knows? We'll see how it goes when the prosecution gets a chance to again redirect. But next, the defense rolled right into messages from earlier on in their relationship. July 29, 2012 and Cassie confirmed what was in them. She had wanted to see Diddy having sex with another woman. She testified that they'd had threesomes with women maybe three or four times. She referred to it as part of a swinger's lifestyle. Cassie didn't deny any of it, but she did protest. Even saying, this isn't about what I feel is relevant right now. Right, because there's a lot we skipped over. She said, glancing at the judge. In another message thread, Diddy suggested planning a, quote, sexual encounter, but ended the message with this. If you're not into that np meaning no problem. This is a solid point scored for the defense because it shows that Diddy was being deferential to Cassie's needs to Cassie's wants. If you're not into it, no problem. That these freak off events were a mutually planned affair and that Cassie could opt out if she wasn't into it, no problem. But of course, it all could have started out this way, right? If you've ever, like, done a domestic violence case or watched some of the testimony, things usually start out great, everything's fine. But then things take a dark turn later. So who knows if in Cassie's world, the free coughs took a very dark turn in the subsequent years. Prosecution's gonna have to figure this one out. And then came the lead up to the infamous hallway assault at the Intercontinental hotel in. In 2016. The defense walked jurors through Cassie and Diddy's text exchange from that night. Cassie texted Diddy, quote, we can have fun. I don't want you thinking I don't want to. Diddy's lawyer implied that Cassie had encouraged that particular free cough. And Diddy followed that text exchange with a suggestion that they called Jules the escort to join the free cough. But when Cassie didn't reply, Diddy texted, you didn't give me an answer. And Cassie answered only, love you, Pop Pop. Here's what I don't get. Why is the defense doing this? Because to me, that almost supports the prosecution. Like, he's pressuring her. She's not answering about getting Jules the escort involved. And he's pushing her, like, why didn't you answer? And she just says, love you, Pop Pop. Diddy then asked Cassie, do I have permission to set up a free cough? Cassie said, yes, but added that she was ovulating. Diddy responded, that's good. We'll be careful. When asked on the stand what careful meant, Cassie said it referred to avoiding pregnancy. Again, this could cut for the prosecution, but it could also cut for the defense. Right? Here's how it supports the prosecution. She tells Diddy she's ovulating, which could mean I could get pregnant in this freak off. And he doesn't say, oh, you know what? Then it's off. Let's not, let's not go there. That's a concern for you. It's a yes, but from her. And he doesn't care. It's like, fine, we'll just be careful moving on, right? However, if you're the defense, there he is asking if he's got the permission to set up the freak off. So this one's like, it cuts both ways for me. I'm not sure how it's going to be, how it's going to be used, you know, in summation. And then in another thread, Diddy texted, FYI, Dave, hit me. Cassie replied, lol, me too. So did Daniel. And Cassie explained from the stand. That hit me actually meant that the escorts had reached out to both Diddy and to her. Not that they'd actually physically hit Cassie or Diddy. In another message, Diddy asked, is coming to New York City this weekend. The right move? Cassie answered, totally up to you and how you feel. He followed up. You make the decision, please. This is not good for the prosecution, not good for Cassie, because this is a text message that shows Diddy is deferring to her. What works for her, what does she want? She can make the decision that doesn't speak to coercion. Not at that moment anyway. But right away, when Cassie didn't reply fast enough to Diddy's suggestion that she make the decision, Diddy starts getting testy. He texts, what the fuck are you doing? It's taking you so long to hit me? Meaning, answer me. Not a good look for Diddy, not a good look for the defense, because it really shows that Diddy's pressuring her when she's literally working in a studio, in a recording studio. He's like, what the fuck are you doing? Why didn't you hit me back? Why didn't you answer me? So after Diddy complained about her delayed response from the studio, he then asked her to put him on a VIP vibrate setting or something similar to make sure that she got his texts right away. Again, I don't see how this is good for the defense. What this says to me is that Cassie had to be at his beck and call at all times and if she wasn't, if there was any delay, even if she was recording in a studio, he got mad. Next, the defense asked if Cassie had invited Diddy to New York, knowing that there would be a freak off. Cassie said, I don't know that. That's what I understood. The defense also showed her an email screenshot which she agreed appeared to be from a sex club. When Diddy arrives at that sex club, he texts, daddy's home. Then followed up, are you ready for tonight? To which Cassie responded, Yes. I just gotta get stuff. And then Cassie pushed back, telling the defense lawyers they were skipping over large parts of her story and weren't asking questions that she felt were relevant. Welcome to cross examination, Right? That's what lawyers do. They cross examine you on what works for their case, not for yours or for the other side. In another text exchange, Cassie wrote, I miss you. That dick and our love sessions in the afternoon. And then this text, wish we could have freak off before you left. My period is over. On the surface, this, you know, looks good for the defense, right? There's Cassie saying, ooh, ah, I really like these freak offs. I really wish we could have done that before you left town. Right? But on the other hand, again, look at this through the lens of someone who's a domestic abuse victim, right? There was no. There was no downside for her to say that. There was no downside for her to say, ooh, I wish I could have done that with you, because he's gone. It's not going to happen. She can be as deferential as she wants. She can tell him, boy, I love those free cuffs. Too bad you're gone just to appease him, right? You read between the lines. Her tone is not particularly enthusiastic. It's. It's more just easy to say that because he's already out of here. So again, two ways you could look at that. And then Court moved on to a separate exchange. Diddy asked, you're not super horny. To which Cassie replied, horny, of course I am. She also said she offered to go to the pleasure Chest, a sex shop, and explained I would get different sex supplies, lubricants, outfits. But she also maintained that there were many times that Diddy was the one contacting escorts, visiting the pleasure Chest and gathering supplies for the free cops. In another message, Cassie asked, do we need anything else for the free coughs? Diddy replied, impress me. And followed up by asking, where are you? Cassie texted back, trying to find something to impress you. In a particularly damaging exchange for the prosecution's case, Cassie messaged Diddy that she had forgotten the iPad. And she asked Diddy if she could go back to get the iPad. She explained to the court what the iPad was used for, it was for recording their freak offs, and that she'd hidden the iPad, but that had forgotten to grab it before she was going to leave for the freak off. This is a huge problem for prosecutors, right? During their case. She's on the stand saying she was absolutely terrified of all these free coughs that Diddy had recorded and threatened to release. Almost like she was being blackmailed. You don't do these free coughs. You don't behave the way I want. You don't give me the sex I want. I'm releasing the revenge porn. That's what it sounded like, right? For the first couple days of her being on the stand. But here she is texting Diddy, I forgot the iPad. Should I head back and get it? If you're so afraid of the recordings of you in these compromising sexual positions, why would you make the effort? It's really convenient to forget the iPad. Why not just go with it? Right? Yeah. The defense. Well, the defense was going to argue she was into it. She was into the videotapes, she was into the activity, she was into the free cuffs, that it wasn't coerced. Prosecution, on the other hand, might say domestic violence survivor. They do anything to survive. They do anything to keep the peace. We'll see how they mop it up. Or if they're even able to. In the end, Diddy replied, okay, meet you at the hotel. And Cassie answered, I'm too excited. The defense asked if that excitement was in reference to the freak off. Of course. Right? That's what you want to know. You really liked it. But Cassie said no. It was more just about seeing him that she was excited just to see him through all of the text messages, so many of them too obscene to make broadcast television. The jury was wrapped. They were really listening. They leaned forward. One juror shook his head. Another wrote notes furiously. One man stared with his thumb pressed to his chin. There were size. One juror even looked away when the conversation turned to semen and body positions. Maybe, you know, that's uncomfortable stuff for a lot of people. Maybe not for Cassie and Diddy in their world, but some of these jurors, they might be a bit prim and proper. And then came the testimony about addiction. Cassie said both she and Diddy were heavily addicted to opiates. By the way, can I just stop here and say in any day news breaking that P. Diddy's addicted to opiates would be like a huge lead story. TMZ would have the front page. You know, it'd be all over the place. The New York Post, just everybody. This is just like an aside in this trial. Yeah, she said it. They were both addicted to opiates. Withdrawal, she said, was really painful, super sick and nauseous. She said they both had stomach issues from it. She testified that Diddy's drugs of choice, ecstasy and MDMA but clarified that those were not her preferred drugs. And finally, when asked about how drugs influenced behavior, Cassie said, this drugs don't make you do anything. From my perspective, that's powerful for the prosecution. Meaning it wasn't me drugged, doing these things. I was doing them because I was scared. Although you could say for the defense, it wasn't me doing all these things being drugged. It was doing them because I wanted to. Cuts both ways. In a June 2017 exchange, Diddy texted, what's the road to peace? Cassie suggested a role playing scenario. Characters like a pilot, a lawyer, a professor, people pretending not to know each other. She told the court that she got the idea from a friend as a way to rekindle the relationship, a path to peace. Apparently, the relationship by then was in a rough place. Diddy responded, same page, let's get outfits, maybe sex club with your wig. Cassie replied, okay, here's where the defense zeroed in on one detail. The fact that Diddy actually asked Cassie if she was okay with the direction that the role playing was heading. They're trying to frame this as evidence that their sex wasn't coerced, their role playing wasn't coerced. Like he was checking in on her and how she felt about it. But again, her answer, it wasn't, yes, I'm so into it, I can't wait. It was two letters, okay. Cassie didn't respond right away either to Diddy's suggestion that they order some outfits for a role play. But Diddy, he went ahead and ordered the outfits anyway. And you could say that this backs up the prosecution, that it was always Diddy's way, no matter how you felt, even if you were not into it, getting the outfits anyway, even if he didn't respond in time, I'm getting the outfits anyway. When asked about her memory, Cassie admitted there were fuzzy spots. And the defense followed up, and you were using a lot of drugs during this period. It seems as though Diddy's lawyers at this point are calling into question maybe how reliable Cassie actually is recalling all these details and all these facts. If she was so drugged out all the time, how good's your testimony? How good's your memory? And then they suggested that Diddy was in withdrawal that night in March of 2016, when the hotel hallway beating happened. They referenced messages where Diddy described feeling sick. Cassie said it was possible that he was sick because he was in withdrawal. Diddy's lawyer asked, he was extremely dependent on his opiates, right? Cassie responded for a time. And he was very Upset if his opiates were taken away from him. Cassie replied, I guess so. The defense kept digging. Wasn't Cassie also using. Yes. Norco, MDA, ecstasy, ketamine. So much so that in 2017, she lost her sense of taste and smell. Her arm went numb. That's when she says she finally looked for help. Diddy's lawyer asked, would you say Mr. Combs is an addiction? Cassie replied, yes. What was he addicted to? A pause, and then Cassie said, success. That actually brought out laughter in the courtroom. Even Diddy's lawyer cracked a smile. Success? Cassie replied, yes. And at some point, opiates. Then came the testimony about baby oil. Can't imagine what that juror who looked away before when the talk centered on semen and body positions. They're going to talk about the baby oil again. Man, they went through buckets of it. If you believe Cassie's testimony, and of course, if you believe the prosecution and the feds who said they seized around a thousand bottles of it from his mansions. Cassie confirmed that she was the one who sometimes bought the supplies from the drugstore. The Johnson and Johnson baby oil. She said she'd heated up herself before the encounters. Remember, she talked earlier this week about putting it in hot water in the sink in the hotel rooms to get the baby oil all warmed up. Diddy's lawyer asked her plainly, you testified yesterday you would heat up the baby oil and that's the only thing you did to it, right? Cassie replied, yes. Diddy's lawyer continued pressing the rumor that had circulated online that Diddy had laced the baby oil with drugs like Rohypnol or GHB during some of these encounters. But Cassie shut that down. No, there were no drugs in the baby oil. I should stop there and say that she knows of. Maybe there were no drugs in the baby oil in her free coughs, but who knows how many times with how many people and how many others who were in free coughs potentially there was baby oil used. So let's just table that for another time. Then came the topic of jealousy, and Cassie admitted she had plenty. She told the jury she felt left out during holidays, that Diddy would spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with his ex, Kim Porter, and their four kids, not with Cassie. Cassie admitted that this was hurtful, that she argued with Diddy about another woman named Gina, with whom he was also having some kind of relationship, that she felt like a side piece. She said that even after years and years of dating, she hadn't formed a relationship with Diddy's kids. Next, the Defense brought up rapper Kid Cudi. Cassie said she began seeing Kid Cudi while she and Diddy were in a rough patch. But the defense characterized that relationship as an affair while she and Diddy were still very much involved. Cassie admitted she did indeed have a burner phone specifically for communicating with Kid Cudi and said it might have been her idea to have that phone. And this seemed to cut for the prosecution, actually, because to me, it painted a picture of Cassie living in fear of Diddy constantly under his control, scared he might find out that while they're in a rough patch, she might be seeing another guy. After all, he's got Kim Porter, who he spends the holidays with. After all, he's got this Gina side hustle. So there she is with a little bit of Kid Cudi going on, but a burner phone because she's too afraid what would happen if Diddy found out. He's got the freedom to come and go and see other women, but she had to hide what she did. Cassie told the jury, I thought it would be way too dangerous to tell him. And when he did find out about Kid Cudi, she said he lunged at her with a wine opener, though Diddy's lawyers were sure to point out that he did not make contact with her. And that wine opener. Oh, good. Good for you. Next, Diddy's lawyer asked Cassie directly if Michael B. Jordan was the man Diddy suspected of having an affair with Cassie while she was filming Honey 3 in South Africa. Cassie did not hesitate and said yes. Then came the balcony incident, where Cassie claims Diddy held one of her friends over the railing. Diddy's lawyer introduced a text that suggested Cassie did not witness that herself, but that she'd only heard about it. But Cassie didn't back down. I saw what I saw. And let me tell you something. That is an image that you won't get out of your mind if you're a juror. Diddy dangling a woman over a hotel balcony. If that is not coercion and threat an assault, I don't know what is. Is it a fact? It is only testimony, and there's evidence to refute it, according to the defense. But Cassie said, I saw what I saw. At times, Cassie actually seemed pretty exhausted. And let's not forget she's almost nine months pregnant, and she's on the stand four days in a row. And being on the stand, my friends, is not a picnic. You look at it on tv, and it just looks like you're sitting there answering questions. But ask anybody who's Ever had to walk in front of a courtroom of people beside an exalted judge with friendly fire coming from one side and very unfriendly fire coming from the other side, and you are under oath and perjury can put you in jail. It's a very stressful experience to testify. And there she is on day four, almost nine months pregnant. Sometimes Cassie seemed frustrated, and she asked Diddy's lawyer to rephrase questions. She asked for more context. She said over and over, that's not the whole story. And still the defense is not done yet. We can expect at least another full day of cross examination for Cassie. And things could get even tougher now that Diddy's lawyers have warmed up the jury for what's to come. They're expected to continue cross examining Cassi Ventura tomorrow morning, and the prosecutors say they'll only need an hour for redirect. But Judge Subramanian has made it clear he wants Cassie Ventura off the stand by Friday. He wants to keep this trial on schedule, on the rails. Or maybe he just wants to get a woman who's almost nine months pregnant off the stand. What could happen? I mean, I was six weeks early. So the question is, will the prosecution be able to clean up some of the damage that Diddy's defense lawyers just did or will? Was the cross examination enough to plant doubt in the jury's mind about just how into these freak offs and this sexual behavior Cassie really was? We're going to be watching it every single day and we'll bring you the recaps right here on Drop Dead Serious. I always ask you to leave a comment. I'm so appreciative that you listen or that you watch. I love to hear your thoughts. Good, bad, or the ugly. I always say I like to hear your suggestions, too. So definitely leave a comment and also make sure you subscribe. I already just dropped a bonus episode tonight on Idaho because something happened today in the Idaho case that was so monumental I couldn't not get a podcast out. And I've got a great interview with Brian Enten about the significance of what happened in that Idaho courtroom today. So make sure that you subscribe and you will not miss a bonus episode like this Idaho quadruple murder episode with Brian Enten. I gotta say, I think it's really good. Our conversation was very, very in depth and it really hit a lot of points that I think have to be sorted out before trial starts this summer. Hey, guys, just a quick note for you. I know that you are so into true crime. And I drop my YouTube episodes just a little bit after my podcast episode. So if you're looking for one of these recaps and you don't see it on YouTube, head over to my podcast. The the links are in the video description, and you'll recap the trial that you're looking for just a little bit earlier in the podcast. But then you got to come back to YouTube next day and make sure you watch it, because we also put a lot of, like, visual stuff that I think really helps to make context, you know, a little clearer. And it's also just sort of a fuller, richer experience when you're looking at the journalism of these cases. I'm Ashley Banfield, and don't forget, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.