The mother of Cassie Ventura has revealed in court that she felt “physically ill” upon learning that Sean “Diddy” Combs had threatened to “release two explicit sex tapes” after finding out about her daughter’s relationship with someone else.
During her testimony on Tuesday, the seventh day of the trial, Regina Ventura stated that she initially struggled to comprehend an email sent by Cassie in December 2011, remarking, “The sex tape caught me off guard; [Diddy] was attempting to harm my daughter.”
The email detailed Combs’s intentions to release two explicit videos involving Cassie and that he would send someone to harm her and her boyfriend, rapper Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi.
Regina shared that the family took out a home equity loan and paid Diddy $20,000 to reclaim money he had allegedly spent on Cassie, out of anger due to her relationship with Cudi.
She noted that the money was returned within days.
As she testified, jurors viewed photographs of bruises on Cassie’s body, which Ms. Ventura claimed were taken when her daughter returned home for Christmas in 2011.
Regina’s time on the stand was relatively short, as the defense chose not to question her.
Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, who dated Cassie in 2011. Pic: Reuters
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs trial: Day 7 – As it happened
Prosecutors allege that Combs, founder of Bad Boy Records, coerced women into participating in prolonged, drug-fueled sexual performances labeled “Freak Offs” from 2004 to 2024, facilitated by his large entourage. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty.
The rapper faces five criminal charges: one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking through force, fraud, or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs and Cassie pictured in 2015. Pic: Reuters
Last week, the prosecution’s key witness, Cassie Ventura, who was in a relationship with Combs for over a decade, spent four days testifying.
The defense has attempted to show jurors the complexities of Combs’s relationship with Ventura, acknowledging his abusive behavior and substance issues while asserting that the sexual acts described by the prosecution were consensual.
Read more:
Everything you need to know about the Sean Combs trial
The rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
‘Diddy wanted our bodies to shine’
A male exotic dancer known as “The Punisher” also testified, stating that in the autumn of 2012, Cassie reached out to him to “create a sexy, erotic scene” for Diddy, using the pseudonym “Janet.”
Male exotic dancer Sharay Hayes, aka The Punisher. Pic: Reuters
Hayes indicated that he proceeded to have eight to twelve more encounters with the couple, engaging in sexual activities with Cassie while Diddy observed from a distance.
He described the hotel rooms as typically adorned with electric candles and sheet-covered furniture, noting that Cassie instructed him not to “acknowledge” her husband and to “try not to look at him or communicate in any way.”
He recounted that Diddy often wore a cap, obscuring his face, but he eventually recognized it was the famous rapper.
“The Punisher” mentioned utilizing a “significant amount of baby oil” during these performances, saying “[Diddy] wanted our bodies to keep shining.”
He later categorized the acts as “fetishistic,” claiming that while he believed Cassie was fully consensual, he did notice her occasionally sighing or wincing and frequently glancing at Diddy for cues.
Being compensated between $1,200 (£900) and $2,000 (£1,500) for each performance, he stated he was not contacted again after struggling to maintain an erection during one session.
He acknowledged that he never witnessed Diddy using drugs or any filming occurring during the performances.
Car park dispute with Suge Knight
David James, Diddy’s former personal assistant, also concluded his testimony, asserting that he never saw any physical violence between Cassie and his previous employer.
David James, Combs’s former assistant. Pic: Reuters
James, who was employed by Diddy for two years, revealed he left due to concerns for his “safety” after a parking lot altercation with rival label owner Suge Knight, which escalated when Diddy reportedly brought three handguns in an attempt to confront Knight and his entourage.
He also recounted an incident involving Diddy and his personal chef, Jourdan Atkinson, and mentioned that he refused to file a police report after being instructed by Diddy to claim “Chef Jourdan hit him first.”
The last witness to testify was a special agent involved in orchestrating the March 2024 raids on Combs’s Miami residence on Star Island.
Steve Gannon presented photographs of items seized during the raid, including sex toys, high heels, and loaded firearms, and described the use of an armored vehicle to breach the mansion’s gate while the family was away.
Combs has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn since September and could face a minimum of 15 years or potentially life in prison if found guilty.
The trial is expected to last for about two months.