Cassie Ventura testified Friday that Sean “Diddy” Combs was so jealous when he suspected her of “dancing” with R&B singer Chris Brown that he took her phone and other belongings.
Combs’ defense team has sought to portray his violence toward Ventura as motivated by jealousy and fueled by drugs—that it did not amount to coercion to participate in “freak-offs”—to counter the government’s allegations of sex trafficking. Combs is on trial facing federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Ventura, the prosecutors’ star witness and Combs’ on-again, off-again ex of 11 years, alleges that Combs raped and abused her for most of their relationship. Combs’ lawyers questioned her about his jealousy at length on Friday, including what happened when the disgraced mogul allegedly saw her “dancing” with Brown.
“Wasn’t there a time he found out you were dancing with another person in the entertainment industry and took your phone?” the defense asked during her cross-examination, according to the Inner City Press. When Ventura initially “didn’t recall,” Combs’ attorney reminded her: “It was Chris Brown.”
Ventura, currently eight months pregnant with her third child with husband Alex Fine, recalled the episode then, though she didn’t remember much “besides the fact that I wasn’t dancing with Chris Brown.”
Combs had thought that she had done so, however, prompting a jealous rage during which he took her belongings. Another, similar jealous incident over another man ended with Ventura’s mother calling the police, according to CNN.
Ventura said her mother called the authorities when she returned home without her phone but wasn’t asked further about what happened once police became involved. In addition to her phone, Ventura said Combs also took “my car, my passport,” as was the norm, she said, “when he was angry,” per more reports from inside the courtroom.
The court also heard testimony about Combs’ jealous rage over other men she dated, including rapper Kid Cudi—whose car she alleges Combs had blown up in his driveway—an unnamed NFL player, and Sinners star Michael B. Jordan. Ventura alleged Combs called the latter two to threaten them.
Brown wasn’t mentioned further in Ventura’s testimony Friday, but he’s also busy with his own legal troubles. He was arrested in London on Thursday on charges of grievous bodily harm stemming from a 2023 assault incident in the city. According to The New York Times, the singer was in London for his United Kingdom tour when he was arrested for the alleged assault. He’s been ordered to remain in custody until June 13, which is likely to affect his remaining June tour dates.
Ventura will finish her testimony in Combs’ sex-trafficking case on Friday.
Dawn Richards, a member of the 2000s singing group Danity Kane, which Diddy managed, is expected to testify next.
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