Sean “Diddy” Combs demanded that his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura‘s mother pay him $20,000 so he wouldn’t release sexually explicit tapes of her, Regina Ventura testified on Tuesday.
Cassie’s mother testified as part of Combs’ federal sex trafficking trial, where she recounted how she felt “physically sick” when she received an email from Combs requesting the money in 2011, per NBC News. Combs’ sudden desire to “recoup money” he’d spent on Ventura, who was 25 years old at the time, came after the singer began dating another rapper, Kid Cudi (real name Scott Mescudi) during a break in their relationship.
“I did not understand it, the sex tape threw me,” Cassie’s mom told the court. “He was trying to hurt my daughter. He wanted $20,000 because she was having a relationship with Scott Mescudi.”
The alleged blackmail was presented by the prosecution as evidence of Combs’ coercion techniques, which they argue included physical violence and threats to release material from his archive of taped sexual content.
Regina Ventura said “the only way” she could get the money to pay Combs was to get a home equity loan. She and her husband then wired the $20,000 from their joint account to Bad Boy Records, as Combs’ assistant had requested. She testified she followed through not only to prevent the sex tapes from coming out, but also because she was “scared about my daughter’s safety.”
Cassie Ventura testified that the ex-mogul made a frequent habit of physically assaulting her, and other witnesses testified to having witnessed Combs hit Ventura in front of them and in public places. Regina Ventura said that when she finally found out that Combs had been violent with her daughter, she took photos because “she was bruised and I wanted to make sure we memorialize it.”
Without explanation, Combs returned the money to the Venturas after a few days. To this day, Ventura testified she doesn’t know why he gave it back.
After her mother wired Combs the money, Ventura made a protective move of her own, claiming that she ended her relationship with Mescudi following multiple threats from Combs. She cited “too much uncertainty if we continued to see each other,” when she testified last week, because “Sean said he was going to hurt the both of us.” Weeks later, Mescudi’s car exploded in his driveway. Both Ventura and Mescudi claim Combs was behind explosion.
Combs’ defense declined to ask Regina Ventura any further questions following her testimony. Mescudi is expected to testify in the trial later this week.
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