“People Go Missing”

Summary

Summary of "The Trial of Diddy" Podcast Episode: “People Go Missing”

Episode Release Date: May 21, 2025

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Introduction to the Case

In the gripping episode titled “People Go Missing” from The Trial of Diddy, hosts Kayla Brantley, Germania Rodriguez, and guest Karen Reese delve deep into the tumultuous legal battle surrounding Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs. Facing multiple federal charges in New York, including sex trafficking and running a criminal enterprise, Diddy's trial has captivated audiences worldwide.

Week Two of Testimonies

As the episode unfolds, listeners are taken through the second week of testimony, revealing shocking allegations and detailed accounts of Diddy's alleged misconduct.

Karen Reese's Overview (02:38): Karen Reese, assistant editor for the Daily Mail US Exclusives desk, provides a comprehensive overview of the week's proceedings:

"Another really busy week in court. Every day, there's something new happening in this trial." [02:38]

Cassie Ventura's Harrowing Testimony

Cassie Ventura emerges as the prosecution's star witness, providing emotional and detailed accounts of her 11-year relationship with Diddy.

Forced Participation and Coercion (03:26 - 04:21): Cassie testifies about being coerced into participating in sex parties under the threat of Diddy releasing compromising tapes:

"He was planning on releasing sex tapes of me because he was angry I had started dating someone else." [03:52]

She describes financial intimidation, where her parents wired Diddy $20,000 to ensure her safety, only to have the money returned days later.

Dawn Richard's Testimony: Witness to Abuse

Dawn Richard, a singer and former member of Diddy's groups Danity Kane and Diddy Dirty Money, provides a firsthand account of witnessing physical abuse.

Details of the Assault (11:26 - 16:14): Dawn recounts an incident where Diddy attacked Cassie with a frying pan:

"He came down the stairs screaming, belligerent, asking where his food was, and proceeded to hit her over the head and then kick her and beat her on the ground." [11:29]

She describes multiple instances of Diddy's violence towards Cassie, emphasizing the fear and intimidation tactics he employed:

"He was punching his girlfriend. He was beating her up in front of us." [13:10]

Dawn also highlights Diddy's volatile behavior linked to substance abuse and his threats of violence:

"People go missing if they say things like that, like if people talk." [13:43]

Defense Cross-Examination

Defense attorney Nicole Westmoreland challenges Dawn's credibility by questioning inconsistencies in her testimony.

Accusations of Changing Stories (18:15 - 20:31): Westmoreland points out alleged discrepancies in Dawn's accounts, to which Dawn maintains:

"No, I would agree that I told it to the best of my recollection, and it was as close as I could give it." [19:14]

Despite accusations, Dawn stands firm in her testimony, asserting the authenticity of her experiences.

Carey Morgan's Testimony: Cassie's Best Friend Speaks Out

Carey Morgan, Cassie's former best friend, provides additional layers to the narrative of abuse and manipulation.

Witnessing Violence and Manipulation (21:23 - 26:45): Carey recounts witnessing multiple instances of Diddy assaulting Cassie, including violent episodes in Los Angeles and Jamaica:

"I saw him push her to the ground and she hit her head on the brick." [24:11]

She describes the extreme measures taken by Diddy to control Cassie, including threats and physical intimidation:

"He boomeranged a wooden hanger on my head." [26:14]

Relationship Dynamics and Substance Abuse

The testimonies collectively paint a picture of a relationship marred by jealousy, infidelity, and heavy substance use.

Drug Dependency and Its Impact (30:12 - 32:26): Cassie admits both she and Diddy were dependent on various substances, which exacerbated Diddy's aggressive tendencies:

"We both were." [31:14]

Diddy's reliance on opiates and other drugs is highlighted as a contributing factor to his volatile behavior:

"He blacked out on drugs and alcohol when he assaulted her in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel." [32:26]

Emotional and Professional Struggles

Cassie's emotional turmoil and professional challenges are evident throughout her testimonies.

Struggles with Career and Personal Life (32:50 - 37:10): She expresses feelings of insecurity and disappointment over Diddy's lack of support for her career aspirations:

"I can't become that woman this way. I'm bracing myself for pictures that are going to break my heart." [34:17]

Cassie's attempts to seek independence and the ensuing conflicts further strained their relationship:

"Time I promised myself I wouldn't be with you anymore if you did that to me again." [36:58]

Conclusion and Looking Forward

The episode concludes with reflections on the intense emotions and legal strategies at play, setting the stage for future episodes to unravel more layers of this high-profile case.

Final Thoughts (38:12):

"Thank you so much for tuning into the Trial of Diddy." [38:12]

Listeners are left anticipating the next stages of the trial, with promises of more exclusive insights and developments.

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Notable Quotes:

• Karen Reese: "Another really busy week in court. Every day, there's something new happening in this trial." [02:38]

• Cassie Ventura: "I was expecting justice." [18:07]

• Dawn Richard: "He was punching his girlfriend. He was beating her up in front of us." [13:10]

• Carey Morgan: "I saw him push her to the ground and she hit her head on the brick." [24:11]

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This episode of The Trial of Diddy meticulously documents the harrowing experiences of those close to Sean 'Diddy' Combs, offering listeners an unflinching look into the allegations that have rocked the music industry.

Transcript

[Ken Ruiz]

Seriously popular.

[Commercial Voice]

The following episode explores a number of allegations regarding the artist Diddy. He denies all charges and has pled not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering and.

[Ken Ruiz]

Transportation to engage in prostitution.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Welcome to the trial of Diddy. I'm Hermania Rodriguez Poleo.

[Ken Ruiz]

And I'm Ken Ruiz filling in for Kayla Brantley.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

We'll be back in a second.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Sean Combs]

At the height of his career, Sean.

[Ken Ruiz]

Diddy Combs had it all.

[Commercial Voice]

Everything Diddy touched turned to gold.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Now he faces multiple federal charges in New York including sex trafficking and allegedly running a criminal enterprise.

[Commercial Voice]

Another woman has now come forward alleging comes of sexual assault. Music mogul and rapper Sean Diddy cop. She claimed she was drugged and sexually assaulted by Combs.

[Cassie Ventura]

Oh, this guy is dangerous.

[Commercial Voice]

From freak offs to the mysterious list, the shocking case that has gripped the world is finally here and we'll be bringing you every detail as it happens.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Welcome to the trial of Diddy. Welcome back to the trial of Diddy. We're now into the second week of testimony in this trial and it's fair to say that there have been some very interesting revelations over the past few days. Filling in for Kayla today is Karen Reese. Karen is the assistant editor for the Daily Mail US Exclusives desk. Welcome to the trial of Diddy, Karen.

[Ken Ruiz]

Thank you, Hermania. Another really busy week in court. Every Day. There's something new happening in this trial. Earlier today, Cassie Vetura's mom, Regina had given her testimony. She's told the jury that she felt, quote, physically sick when Cassie told her Diddy was planning on releasing sex tapes of her because he was angry she had started dating someone else. She said she and her husband took out a loan and wired him $20,000 because he was demanding they pay back cash he'd spent on their daughter. She said they paid him because they knew he had beaten Cassie and she was scared for her daughter's safety. But she said the money eventually came back into her account a few days later. Today, we're also going to hear how Diddy turned up to a diner with three handguns when he found out his rival was there.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

That's right, Karen. It comes from his personal assistant who claimed in court this was the moment he felt in danger as an employee.

[Ken Ruiz]

We'll also hear how Diddy was allegedly preparing for a final freak off when police arrested him at the Park Hyatt Hotel last year.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

We've got the evidence from singer Dawn Richard, who watched him attack Cassie with a frying pan and later threatened her to keep quiet about what she had seen and how Cassie negotiated a $30,000 payout to her best friend after she too was allegedly attacked by Diddy. Welcome to the trial of Diddy. People go missing. So, Karen, on Friday, we heard a lot from Cassie. As we know, at eight months pregnant, she spent four days being questioned about her 11 year relationship with Diddy. We're going to bring you some of her final testimony later in this episode. But first of all, we're going to bring you the evidence of some of the other witnesses that we've heard from this week.

[Ken Ruiz]

As we're recording today, David James has completed his testimony. He was Diddy's personal assistant for two years from May 2007 to May 2009. You might remember that Cassie told the jury he was one of Diddy's staff who facilitated the freak offs. He was very emotional and crying during his testimony. He told the jury he got the job after seeing an ad in the New York Times. He said during his interview for the role, one of Diddy's employees pointed to a picture of the rapper on the wall and said, quote, this is Mr. Combs kingdom. We're all here to serve in it. He said his job involved arriving at Diddy's home before he woke up and organizing his business schedule for the day. He said he would turn on his TV to his preferred channel and also compile a folder of all the press cuttings which mentioned him from the previous 24 hours. He said he would spend the day accompanying Diddy to meetings, then go with him to dinner and later to the studio where he would sometimes work on his album until four in the morning. James said he was paid $70,000 but was expected to work up to 20 hours a day, six or seven days a week. He also claimed there was a common saying among his bodyguards that went, quote, you know what rhymes with tired? Fired.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

James told a jury that Diddy had at least three other girlfriends, as well as Kim Porter and Cassie when he worked for him. He said he remembered overhearing a conversation when Diddy told a friend that he had Cassie, quote, right where he wanted her and that she was young and very moldable. He said he was often asked to set up hotel rooms for Diddy and would organize clothes and toiletries. He said they would be paid for by the record label, but when he restocked personal items such as baby oil, lubricant and condoms, he would ask his security to reimburse him and they would give him cash. James said Diddy also traveled with a medicine bag that contained around 30 different pills. He said the rapper took prescription drugs including painkillers, water tablets to help him lose weight and Viagra, as well as Ecstasy. He said he remembered one type of ecstasy pill that he took, which was pressed in the shape of Barack Obama's face.

[Ken Ruiz]

He also said he never witnessed any physical violence between Diddy and Cassie, but he heard them arguing about her career more than once. He said twice he was forced to take a lie detector test when Diddy had cash and jewelry stolen from him. He said it was extremely intimidating, but he didn't feel like he could refuse and he was found to be telling the truth. James also recounted an incident when he got into an argument with a female chef who worked for Diddy. He said he grabbed the chef by the wrists and she complained to bosses at the record label. James said Diddy told him you can't be putting your hands on women and warned him he would be fired if it happened again.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

And James also told the jury that he decided to quit after an incident in November 2008 when he was ordered to drive Diddy and his bodyguards to Mel's Diner in LA to confront Suge Knight. As many will know, he's the man who ran Death Row Records, who, as we know, Diddy classed as one of his biggest rivals. James said he looked into the back of the black escalade and saw Diddy had three handguns in his lap. He told the jury, quote, I was really shook up by it. It was the first time I realized my life was in danger. We'll be right back after this episode is brought to you by Rakuten. If you're shopping while working, eating or even listening to this podcast, then you know and love the thrill of the hunt. But are you getting the thrill of the best deals? Rakuten shoppers do. They get the brands they love with the most savings and cash back. And you can get it too. Start getting cash back at your favorite stores like Samsung, Expedia and Sephora, and even stack sales on top of cash back. It's easy to use and you get your cash back through PayPal or check. The idea is simple. Stores pay Rakuten for sending them shoppers and Rakuten shares the money with you as cash back. Download the free Rakuten app and never miss a deal or go to rakuten.com to start getting the most bang for your buck. That's R A K U T E N welcome back to the trial of Diddy. Now, one of the other witnesses to take the stand this week was Homeland Security Special Agent Yassine Binda. She works with the Human trafficking department and was one of the officers sent to search Diddy's hotel room, room 2115 at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan on September 16, which of course was the day Diddy was arrested. Now, Diddy knew he was going to be arrested because he'd already agreed with his attorneys that he was going to surrender to the authorities. But shockingly, it seems he was still planning on having a freak off before he was taken into custody.

[Ken Ruiz]

Right, and the jury was shown photographs of this hotel suite and the haul of items recovered by officers. Binda told them that in a closet in the hallway were several Ziploc bags filled with Johnson's Baby Oil, Astroglide lubricant, and a computer hard drive. Mood lighting was also found in the living room. Another five bottles of baby oil were found in the bathtub. A pill bottle with antianxiety and epilepsy drugs in the name of Frank Black, which we know is one of Diddy's aliases, was found in a brown Louis Vuitton bag on the nightstand in the bedroom alongside. Two more bottles of lubricant, Ketamine and MDMA were also found in pill bottles in the room. And $9,000 in cash was also found in a black fanny pack hanging off the bed and, and just to recap, Cassie told the jury last week that Diddy was meticulous about how he liked a freak off to be set up. She said he choreographed the lighting, decided what lingerie and heels she wore, and made her heat up the baby oil in hot water before the sex session began.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

The next witness the jury heard from was Dawn Richard. She's 42 and from New Orleans. Now, most of our U.S. listeners will probably know that she's a singer in a girl band, but for our listeners in the uk, we should explain that she's famous for being one of the five members of a group called Danny, which was formed as part of the MTV series Making the Band. Now, this group made it pretty big. They sold 100,000 records in just one day and as many as 600,000 in a week at the peak of their popularity.

[Ken Ruiz]

Richard said that from 2004, Danity Kane was signed to Diddy's Bad Boy records. Later, between 2009 and 2011, she was also a member of another group called Diddy Dirty Money, which consisted of herself, another girl called Kalena Harper, and Diddy himself. She said she worked for Diddy, who she said she knew as Puff for a total of seven years until 2011.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

And she also told the jury that during that time, she often witnessed him beating up Cassie. Mitzi Steiner, who is another one of the prosecuting lawyers, asked her about a specific incident that occurred late one night in 2009 when she was recording with Dirty Money in the basement studio at Diddy's LA home. This exchange, which begins with Ms. Steiner, has been voiced by actors.

[Commercial Voice]

Can you please describe what you observed generally?

[Sean Combs]

I observed Cassie being attacked.

[Commercial Voice]

And when you say that Cassie was attacked, who was she attacked by?

[Sean Combs]

She was attacked by Sean Combs.

[Commercial Voice]

What did you observe of that attack?

[Sean Combs]

He came down the stairs screaming, belligerent, asking where his food was, and proceeded to hit her over the head and then kick her and beat her on the ground in front of us. He was saying, where the fuck was his eggs? Excuse my language. And he was telling Cassie that she never gets anything right. Where the fuck is his food? And he proceeded to come over to her and took the skillet with the eggs in it and tried to hit her over the head with it, and she fell to the ground.

[Commercial Voice]

So did the skillet hit her?

[Sean Combs]

It didn't seem that he hit her fully. It seemed like she was anticipating it by going down.

[Commercial Voice]

When you just said that Cassie dropped to the ground, can you describe specifically what she did?

[Sean Combs]

She went into the fetal position, you could see where she was literally trying to hide her face or her head.

[Commercial Voice]

Did you see Cassie respond with any physical force?

[Sean Combs]

No.

[Commercial Voice]

Ms. Richard, what happened after Cassie dropped to the ground in the fetal position?

[Sean Combs]

He started to punch her and kick her.

[Commercial Voice]

And again, when you say he, who are you referring to?

[Sean Combs]

Sean combs.

[Commercial Voice]

Where was Mr. Combs kicking and punching Cassie?

[Sean Combs]

Her body and her head.

[Commercial Voice]

After you observed Mr. Combs kicking and punching Cassie on the ground, what did you observe next?

[Sean Combs]

He proceeded to take his arm around her neck and put his hand in her hair and dragged her upstairs to the first floor.

[Commercial Voice]

What, if anything, did you hear from upstairs?

[Sean Combs]

Glass breaking and yelling.

[Commercial Voice]

Ms. Richard, how did you react to seeing and hearing this?

[Sean Combs]

I was scared for her and scared to do anything in fear of what that might mean for me, too.

[Ken Ruiz]

She admitted she didn't intervene or call the police, but said she was shocked because she had never seen anything like that before and was worried about what it might mean for herself.

[Sean Combs]

He was punching his girlfriend. He was beating her up in front of us. And I was scared if I intervened or did anything that it might get worse, she said.

[Ken Ruiz]

The following day, Diddy called her and Kalena back into the studio again to record. When they arrived, he locked the studio door and told them to keep quiet about what they'd seen.

[Sean Combs]

He said that what we saw was passion and what lovers in relationships do. He said that she was okay and that it would be in our best interest if we didn't say anything. He was trying to take us to the top. And then where he comes from, people go missing if they say things like that, like if people talk. And then he gave us flowers.

[Commercial Voice]

When Mr. Combs told you that you could go missing, what did you understand him to mean?

[Sean Combs]

That we could die.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

She told the jury that following this attack, she frequently saw Diddy being violent towards Cassie. She said the attacks could be random or happened when Cassie had an opinion or tried to speak up for herself. She said Diddy staff and bodyguards also witnessed Cassie being assaulted but did nothing to stop it.

[Ken Ruiz]

She also said there was another time in 2009, before they performed at a music festival in Central park in New York, that she saw Diddy punch Cassie in the face. Here's Ms. Steiner again.

[Commercial Voice]

Did he punch her with an open or closed fist?

[Sean Combs]

It was a closed fist.

[Commercial Voice]

After Mr. Combs punched Ms. Ventura in the face with a closed fist, how did she respond?

[Sean Combs]

She came into the bathroom crying. He walked off angry. And she came in the bathroom and we were with her, and it was really Quiet. You could see her upset. Like, she just. She was hurt.

[Commercial Voice]

And was she punched with full force or less than full force?

[Sean Combs]

He punched her hard.

[Ken Ruiz]

Richard also recounted a time a year later when she said she saw Diddy punch Cassie hard in the stomach. She said it happened when a group of them had been out having dinner at a restaurant in West Hollywood. She said other stars such as Usher, Neo and the record producer Jimmy Iovine were also at the restaurant.

[Sean Combs]

We were having a private conversation, and we were all sitting eating at the tables together. When I say we, I mean some of our other label and even some other celebrities were in the room and they were secretly arguing. And he punched her in the stomach. Sean Combs punched her in the stomach.

[Commercial Voice]

How, if at all, did Ms. Ventura respond when she was punched in the stomach?

[Sean Combs]

She immediately bent over, and then he told her to leave, because I could see him point out. And she went out and left the room.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

She said that Diddy and Cassie continued arguing on the way home in the car when he grabbed her by the neck and slapped her in the mouth. She said Cassie really wanted to have a career in music and modeling, but Diddy owned her and told her things would happen, quote, on his time.

[Sean Combs]

It was very much like, when I'm ready for you, you'll do it. And it was always, wait, wait, wait for her. Like, she had to wait her time.

[Ken Ruiz]

She said nobody challenged him or intervened when he was violent towards Cassie and he became angry when she interfered and told her to leave.

[Commercial Voice]

Specifically, what, if anything, do you recall Mr. Combs telling you, oh, man, stay.

[Sean Combs]

The fuck out of my relationship. You bitches are here to work, not be a part of my relationship. You motherfuckers don't know real work, man.

[Commercial Voice]

What, if any, threats would Mr. Combs.

[Sean Combs]

Make to you that we would pay for it? That was always, y' all are gonna pay for it or keep doing it.

[Ken Ruiz]

I.

[Sean Combs]

That kind of thing. It's always, you do this or else something bad will happen to you. It was always that, like a threat that if you didn't stay in line, there was consequences.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

She said Diddy and Harve Pierre, who was the president of Bad Boy Records, warned her that it would get, quote, dark and lonely if she did not listen.

[Commercial Voice]

What did you understand that when Mr. Pierre and Mr. Combs said, it gets dark and lonely?

[Sean Combs]

I had seen and witnessed brutality in a way that I had to believe that if the person that was supposedly in love with did what he did to her, what would he do to an employee? I imagine it would Be worse than that.

[Commercial Voice]

How did you respond to these threats?

[Sean Combs]

My thought was to be as kind as possible. Like, I tried to please. I saw what if you spoke out looked like. So I would often approach Mr. Combs, like, with softness and like, hey, how are you? It was always very much like, if I do it this way, I may well have a better chance than what the other way looked like.

[Commercial Voice]

Did you continue to try to intervene in Mr. Combs relationship?

[Sean Combs]

No. I made a decision that it would be best for the safety of myself to not interfere because I don't think she was ready to really do anything.

[Ken Ruiz]

She said she saw Diddy buy and take lots of different drugs and also saw him and his bodyguards carrying handguns both in the studio and at nightclubs. She said it made her frightened, but she admitted she had never seen him draw his gun or wave it around or load it. She said when she stopped working for him in 2011, he and Pierre warned her not to tell anyone about the abuse she had seen.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

She admitted she'd filed a civil lawsuit against Diddy last year, but claimed she had no idea how much money had been requested to settle it. She said she'd filed it because she'd been forced to work for days on end with no sleep, and she wanted compensation for that. And she ended her direct testimony by insisting that she was giving evidence against him for, quote, justice, not cash.

[Commercial Voice]

As a result of your Testimony here today, Ms. Richard, are you expecting any compensation?

[Sean Combs]

I'm expecting justice.

[Commercial Voice]

Are you Expecting any compensation, Ms. Richard, from your testimony? No.

[Ken Ruiz]

So then it was the defense's turn to cross examine Richard. Nicole Westmoreland is the lawyer who stepped up. She accused Richard of repeatedly changing her story, but she denied she'd given different accounts to prosecutors for the government than the one she'd given the jury.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Westmoreland took her back to the first time she allegedly saw Diddy attack Cassie in 2009. She pointed out that when she was interviewed by prosecutors, Ms. Richard told them Diddy had hit Cassie with the frying pan and later that he threw X at her and did not strike her with the pen.

[Ken Ruiz]

But Richard claimed she'd simply, quote, done her best to remember. She said she tried to, quote, erase the memories from back then because it was a bad time for her. She said the environment was volatile and hard to work in. But she denied that she told multiple different stories about what happened. Here's the spiky exchange between the two, which starts with Wesmoreland.

[Commercial Voice]

Would you agree with me that it's been hard for you to keep your story the same in reference to this egg incident?

[Sean Combs]

No, I wouldn't agree with that.

[Commercial Voice]

You would agree that you told multiple different stories, though?

[Sean Combs]

No, I would agree that I told it to the best of my recollection, and it was as close as I could give it.

[Commercial Voice]

To the best of your recollection? You have about four different recollections on what may have happened that day.

[Sean Combs]

No, I don't.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Westmoreland also pointed out that she was interviewed by prosecutors three times, and at no interview had she mentioned that Diddy had made a death threat towards her to stay quiet. Ms. Richard claimed notes of the interviews must be wrong.

[Commercial Voice]

You didn't tell the federal government that Mr. Combs told you people go missing?

[Sean Combs]

I told him exactly what my recollection of that event was.

[Commercial Voice]

So your recollection that day was that Mr. Combs didn't threaten you by telling you that people go missing.

[Sean Combs]

He threatened me and said people go missing.

[Ken Ruiz]

She agreed that she'd been upset when Diddy broke up Danity Kane and Dirty Money and that even though she was scared of him, she'd repeatedly asked him to sign her as a solo artist. She also admitted, quote, sporadically contacting him because Kaleno wanted to get Dirty Money back together, but she insisted she was still a success without him.

[Commercial Voice]

You would agree that you felt like Mr. Combs ruined your career not once, but twice?

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Commercial Voice]

And then Mr. Combs had the audacity to not sign you as a solo artist. You felt like that?

[Sean Combs]

Yeah, I don't care about that.

[Commercial Voice]

You didn't care?

[Sean Combs]

Yeah. Whether he signed me.

[Commercial Voice]

Music is your dream.

[Sean Combs]

Yes.

[Commercial Voice]

And you've been trying to succeed at it for a long time. I did succeed at it in the past.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Now, something to note, Karen, is that Diddy appeared a bit frustrated with his lawyer after she was done with the cross examination. And there was a hot mic moment where he appeared to be asking his lawyer why they did not bring up an interview. It's unclear which interview he was referring to. The next witness to be called was Cassie's former best friend, Carey Morgan. She's 39 and from Buffalo, New York. She was questioned by another of the prosecutors, Meredith Foster. Morgan told the jury that she first met Cassie on a modeling gig in 2001 when they were still in high school. She was 16 and Cassie was 15. She said they became best friends, but fell out in 2018 and no longer speak. She said this was because Diddy assaulted her and Cassie took his side.

[Ken Ruiz]

She admitted that she'd been subpoenaed to give evidence. She said she hadn't wanted to come to court because she had, quote, moved on with my life and away from all these people and their problems. Foster asked her to think back to when she and Cassie first met. She said they had been close friends for three years when they decided to move into an apartment in Manhattan together in 2004. From then on, they did everything together, she said. She described Cassie as confident and fun. She said she worked really hard as a model and didn't drink much and never took drugs. But in 2006, she said Cassie recorded a song called Me and you'd, which, quote, exploded.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Now, Karen, we know that it was a year later, when Cassie was 19, that she started dating Diddy. Morgan said that this was when they started taking drugs. She said he would give them ecstasy and marijuana, which they all took when they went out to nightclubs to party. She said that at first she liked Diddy. She thought he was extremely generous. They hung out with his entourage and became friends with his staff and bodyguards and had a lot of fun together. But she also said there was a lot of chaos around him and that he was a flawed person. She described him as an intimidating and strong presence. And she said that over time, she realized he would get moody. She said she saw him get aggressive and upset. Instead of having fun, she said he would talk down to Cassie and criticize her looks, her behavior and who she spoke to.

[Ken Ruiz]

She said Diddy would bombard her with messages when he couldn't get ahold of Cassie himself, sometimes calling up to 50 times in a row. And like Richard, she told the jury that she also saw Diddy attack Cassie. She said she witnessed him slapping and hitting her on several occasions, but two times stuck in her mind. She said the first incident took place in the master bedroom of his home in la. There she saw Diddy push Cassie and that she was, quote, pretty sure he hit her as well. She said she and Cassie managed to run away into the street. They hid by a neighbor's house, lying flat on the ground for up to half an hour while Diddy and one of his security guards scoured the neighborhood for them.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Another time, she saw Diddy hit Cassie when they were all on vacation in Jamaica in January 2013. She said she, Cassie and Diddy had been drinking when Cassie left to go to the bathroom. She said a few minutes later, Diddy went after her because he thought she'd been gone too long. And the next thing she knew, Cassie was screaming. This exchange, which begins with Foster, has been voiced by Actors.

[Commercial Voice]

And how would you describe her scream? Like guttural, like terrifying. What did you see next after you heard her screaming? So I heard her screaming and went to the hallway. The hallway was extremely long, and they were coming out of the master bedroom, and he was dragging her by her hair on the floor.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

She said she ran inside to get her bag and then saw Diddy and Cassie outside.

[Commercial Voice]

I saw him push her to the ground and she hit her head on the brick. How did you see Ms. Ventura react after she hit her head on the brick? She didn't move. And how was her body positioned? She fell on her side. Her hands were kind of out. She was just, like, loose fetal position. Were her eyes opened or closed? Closed.

[Sean Combs]

And what, if anything, was she saying when she was in that position?

[Commercial Voice]

Nothing. What went through your head when you saw that? I thought she was knocked out. How long did she not move for? I would say, like, 20, 30 seconds. What happened next? Sean and I were yelling at each other, and while we were arguing, she got up and ran into, like, a wooded area barefoot.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

She said she and Diddy jumped in a golf cart each to try and find her. Not long after that, Cassie came running out of the woods and she picked her up. She said they hid from him in a ditch for what felt like hours before eventually returning to the house.

[Ken Ruiz]

Foster also asked her about the time Diddy assaulted Cassie in the now infamous Intercontinental Hotel attack. She said she was there when Cassie came home with a black eye. She said Diddy arrived half an hour later and was banging on the door with a hammer.

[Commercial Voice]

How did you feel when you heard this? I was terrified. And how did Cassie appear? Numb. She was just sitting on the couch. She wasn't doing anything. I was freaking out, and she was just like. She didn't care if he came in and killed her, she said.

[Ken Ruiz]

Afterwards, she encouraged Cassie to call the police about the abuse, but she didn't want to. She also said she told her to leave him, but Cassie told her she couldn't.

[Commercial Voice]

Why did she say she couldn't? Because of her job, her car, her apartment. He controlled everything. She would have lost all of her livelihood.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Morgan also told the jury about the attack, which led to the end of her friendship with Cassie. She said she'd been staying at her house in Hollywood in 2018 when Diddy arrived and started accusing Cassie of cheating. Now we know that by this time, Cassie had started dating her personal trainer, Alex Fine, who later went on to become her husband.

[Commercial Voice]

Cassie and I were listening to her music. She got up to go to the bathroom, which was by the front door. And Sean had come in. I guess he had a key. And she didn't know she saw him come in and she locked herself in the bathroom. And I was in the living room and he came up behind me and choked me. And then when I got away, he boomeranged a wooden hanger on my head. How did he choke you? I'm not sure. I had finger marks on my neck. So what type of hanger did he hit you with? A wooden hanger.

[Ken Ruiz]

She said she vomited after the attack, which left her with a concussion. And around a month later, she met Cassie at a pizza restaurant where she agreed to sign an NDA in exchange for $30,000. But she told the jury Cassie wasn't happy at the meeting. She claimed she told her she was, quote, milking it and over exaggerating. And she hasn't spoken to her since. We'll be right back after this. Ladies.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

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[Commercial Voice]

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[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

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[Ken Ruiz]

So Hermania, when we recorded Friday's episode last week, Cassie was still being cross examined by Diddy's lawyer, Anna Estevo. Her testimony was really emotional and there were several key features that we thought it was worth bringing to you in case you haven't caught up with everything in the news report.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

So to recap, Cassie is the prosecution's star witness. She says that from the age of just 22, Diddy coerced her into taking part in hundreds of drug fueled sex parties. She says she did so at first to make him happy and later because she was worried he would turn violent or leak video footage of these sex sessions on the Internet if she refused. However, what Estevo tried to do in her questioning was to show that nobody forced her to take part in these freak offs and to demonstrate that in fact she was a willing participant. The lawyer highlighted several text message exchanges between them which she said suggested Cassie was the one initiating these freak offs. As late as 2016 and 17 towards the end of of their relationship. She also highlighted texts in which Diddy offered to cancel the sex session if she wasn't up for it. As he put it was quote heading in the wrong direction. The jury was shown one particular text she sent him in 2017 in which she suggested role playing during a freak off. Her words have been voiced by an actor.

[Cassie Ventura]

The game starts at 10pm no texting after this. Create a character that you will be that is nothing like who you really are and so will I. Different name, different occupation, different style of dress, different background story. We cannot break character until 8am when you see me, I am no one you have ever met before. I am not Cassie. You are not sean, puff, diddy, Mr. C, etc. LOL. Example, pilot, doctor, author, professor, or whatever you decide. We do not know each other. Then it goes on with this game.

[Ken Ruiz]

But Cassie insisted her messages were just words by that point. She claimed that by that stage she was only really interested in sex with Diddy, not the male escorts as well. She said the roleplay text was simply her trying to rekindle their romance because they were spending so much time with escorts.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Now, Karen, we have heard a lot about Cassie and Diddy taking drugs from some of the other witnesses today. And Cassie has admitted they were a main event in their relationship. She even said they called each other get high partners. She said they both became dependent on opiates or painkillers which they took to come down from all the ecstasy and MDMA they took to stay awake during the freak offs. Here's Estevo again.

[Commercial Voice]

When you were having freak offs, he was also consuming lots of substances, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yes, we both were.

[Commercial Voice]

At least as much as you were.

[Cassie Ventura]

Yeah.

[Commercial Voice]

And likely more.

[Cassie Ventura]

I don't know.

[Commercial Voice]

And he would also have to take time to recover from those freak offs, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yes.

[Commercial Voice]

Sometimes the recovery would take some time, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yep.

[Commercial Voice]

And sometimes you got IV drips to help recover.

[Cassie Ventura]

Yep.

[Commercial Voice]

And during this time he was still running all of his companies, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yes.

[Commercial Voice]

And still attending board meetings, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

To my knowledge, yes.

[Commercial Voice]

And still traveling all over the country in the world, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yep.

[Commercial Voice]

And would you say that he was a high functioning addict?

[Cassie Ventura]

I would say he was an addict.

[Commercial Voice]

What was he addicted to? Success. What substances was he addicted to?

[Cassie Ventura]

I think it varied over the years. It depended on what he was taking. I don't know exactly.

[Commercial Voice]

Was he addicted to opiates at a point?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yes.

[Commercial Voice]

How do you know that he was addicted to opiates?

[Cassie Ventura]

Because he told me.

[Commercial Voice]

There were points in your relationship when he was heavily dependent on opiates? Right?

[Cassie Ventura]

We both were.

[Ken Ruiz]

Cassie admitted Diddy overdosed on painkillers at the Playboy Mansion and had to go to the hospital in February 2012, around the same time that Whitney Houston died. She said they were both always trying to come off opiates and they even flew to Cancun together to take a plant medicine band in the US to help them. But they inevitably relapsed soon after returning.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Estevo suggested Diddy's bad moods and temper flared when he was trying to come off the opiates, and Cassie admitted he had, quote, blacked out on drugs and alcohol when he assaulted her in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in March 2016. She also said he did not like her taking drugs without him or with her friends and could become, quote, pretty explosive if he thought she had taken some from his stash.

[Ken Ruiz]

Stavel also spent time highlighting to the jury how the couple's relationship was blighted by suspicions of infidelity and jealousy from the beginning. She showed the court an email Cassie sent just a few weeks into their relationship in October 2007. In it, she said she had fallen hard for him, but also outlined her insecurities and suggested Carey Morgan was, quote, a better fit for him than her. Here's an extract that was read to the court.

[Cassie Ventura]

We've only really had one week of each other just together, and I could say that it's been the best and worst. I've never felt so loved, safe and empowered since we've come together. When I'm with you, I feel like I'm your woman and no one else is. I feel protected when I'm in your arms and so comfortable that I can sleep and not worry about anything. You are one of the sweetest, most sincere people I've met in a long time, and I cannot express enough how grateful I am that you've chosen to be a part of my life. I don't want to rush things, but I can't help but sit with you and dream up a beautiful future together. Who knew I'd fall so fast? You make me feel like I can do anything and that's real. On the other hand, you're constantly wary of me. I'm sneaky. I never seem to make the right decisions to you. I'm a spoiled brat. I'm dramatic, disrespectful. Maybe Carrie would have been the better one to go after since I've witnessed more than once you realizing that she's way better fitting for you than I am.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Cassie also admitted she was jealous of Kim Porter and upset that he spent every holiday with her and their children. She agreed. She felt disappointed that he would not integrate her into his family life or allow her to form relationships with his kids. Here's another text she sent him after seeing pictures of Kim and him together on social media in 2013.

[Cassie Ventura]

I've been at the edge of tears all week. I don't think that you sympathize with my feelings. I understand you feeling like you need to protect your children, but after a while, for what it's like, for what? They've never known you and Kim to be together. Unless there's something that I don't know about. They were babies when we started dating. The more time that goes by, the harder it is to understand I'm here ready to be that woman, and I'm in a constant fight because you won't ever allow it. This isn't what I want. I can't become that woman this way. I'm bracing myself for pictures that are going to break my heart. That's where my head is at.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Estevo asked her if she found it all, quote, a little heartbreaking.

[Commercial Voice]

It could be because it seemed as if he was in a family unit with Kim and his children and without you, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yeah.

[Commercial Voice]

And you wanted to be a part of his family, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Seven years of my life at this point, yeah.

[Commercial Voice]

You didn't just want to be part of his sexual fantasy, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Correct.

[Ken Ruiz]

Around this time, the court heard Cassie also discovered Diddy was conducting an affair with another woman called Gina Hyun. Although he repeatedly denied dating Gina, she said his infidelity led to arguments and caused them to break up and spend time apart. Esteavo asked Cassie about how this infidelity made her feel.

[Commercial Voice]

You were particularly upset because Mr. Combs made it seem as if you were in a monogamous relationship sometimes, right? Yes. At least that's what he expected of you, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yes.

[Commercial Voice]

So it seemed hypocritical to you that he would date other women but simultaneously expect you to only be in a sexual relationship with him, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yeah.

[Commercial Voice]

And if he learned, or suspected, rather, that you were in other relationships with other men, he became insanely jealous, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yeah.

[Commercial Voice]

Far more jealous than you, in fact, I would say. And he had a bad temper, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

He did.

[Commercial Voice]

And he reacted poorly, Right. To information that he didn't like, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Yeah, I guess you could say that.

[Commercial Voice]

And he did not like it when he suspected that you were seeing other men, right?

[Cassie Ventura]

Correct.

[Commercial Voice]

When he suspected you were seeing other men, that is when he lost his temper, Right.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

One of the times, she agreed that Diddy was furious when he found out she was dating Kid Cudi during one of those breaks in December 2011 because he didn't like the fact that she had cheated on him with someone else in the music industry. He also suspected she was dating Michael B. Jordan in the fall of 2015. At that time, Cassie had discovered Diddy was dating Gina again and broke it off again.

[Ken Ruiz]

Cassie said his refusal to end it with Gina was the final nail in the coffin for their relationship in August 2018. Here's an extract of a text she sent him saying as much around that.

[Cassie Ventura]

Time I promised myself I wouldn't be with you anymore if you did that to me again. You lied to me. You wanted me to be a machine and forgive you every time. She never went away.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

She admitted that after he allegedly raped her, she met and had sex with him again. But after he said publicly that Kim Porter was his soulmate following her death in November 2018, Cassie said she never saw him again. However, she did say she did later receive a series of affectionate text messages congratulating her on her marriage. She said she was surprised by them because he'd finally written, quote unquote, all the things she had wanted to hear for a long time. Here's what he I pray for a.

[Sean Combs]

Day that I can sit down with you and let you know all the things that I've reflected on. You were there for me throughout everything. You were my ride or die and I've got nothing but love for you always. My heart is filled with joy to know that you don't hate me and I hope you're taking care of you. Also, I thank God for the time that we had together and you're one of the greatest women in the world and don't ever forget that.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

Thank you so much for tuning into the Trial of Diddy. Thank you Karen, for filling in for Kayla Brantley, who will be back with us for Friday's episode.

[Ken Ruiz]

Thank you Hermania. Thanks for having me.

[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

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[Commercial Voice]

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[Hermania Rodriguez Poleo]

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