NEW YORK, NY – MAY 01: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs aka Puff Daddy (L) and Cassie attend the “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garcons: Artwork Of The In-Between” Costume Institute Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Artwork on Could 1, 2017 in New York Metropolis.
Mike Coppola/Getty Pictures for Individuals.com
cover caption
toggle caption
Mike Coppola/Getty Pictures for Individuals.com
Two individuals near singer Cassie Ventura testified within the federal trial of Sean Combs this week. Ventura’s mom, Regina Ventura, and her former greatest pal, Kerry Morgan, each advised the courtroom what they noticed throughout Ventura’s practically 11-year relationship with Combs.
Prosecutors allege that Combs wielded his energy throughout the music and leisure industries to manage Ventura’s private {and professional} life. They are saying he regularly beat the singer and coerced her into extremely orchestrated, drug-fueled sexual performances involving male escorts. Combs allegedly filmed the encounters and blackmailed Ventura with the footage. The hip-hop mogul faces fees of intercourse trafficking, transportation for prostitution and racketeering conspiracy. Combs’ protection attorneys admit there was violence within the relationship, however they are saying Combs didn’t visitors or coerce Ventura into something.
Throughout her testimony final week, Cassie Ventura advised the courtroom that in December 2011, she and Combs have been on a break and she or he was seeing the rapper Scott Mescudi, in any other case referred to as Child Cudi. Combs allegedly grew to become enraged when he came upon; Ventura testified Combs kicked her within the again and threatened to launch sexually specific movies of her. Combs additionally allegedly threatened to have associates bodily hurt Ventura and Mescudi whereas he was touring overseas. Ventura testified that she wrote up an e-mail detailing Combs’ threats and despatched it to her mom and one in all his staff. She then flew dwelling to spend the vacations along with her household.
On Tuesday (Could 20), Ventura’s mom took the witness stand. She confirmed that she acquired that e-mail from her daughter and testified that Combs “demanded” cash from her household. “He was going to wish $20,000 to recoup cash he had spent on [Cassie] as a result of he was offended she was relationship Scott Mescudi,” Ventura mentioned.
Regina Ventura advised the courtroom that she and her husband took out a house fairness mortgage to be able to pay Combs. She testified that she acquired e-mail directions from Combs’ bookkeeper for the right way to wire the cash to a Unhealthy Boy Leisure account, and she or he complied. “I used to be scared for my daughter’s security,” she mentioned.
Inside 4 to 5 days, the cash was returned to Regina Ventura’s checking account. She mentioned she by no means communicated with Combs concerning the $20,000.
Throughout her testimony, Regina Ventura mentioned that her daughter confided in her about Combs’ bodily abuse for the primary time in December 2011. She testified that she took pictures — which have been proven to the jury — of bruises on her daughter’s physique that resulted from Combs’ violence. Combs’ protection didn’t cross-examine Regina Ventura, citing no additional questions on the finish of her testimony.
On Monday (Could 19), Kerry Morgan took the witness stand. She advised the courtroom that she and Cassie Ventura met whereas they have been each working as fashions in 2001, and upon graduating highschool, they moved in collectively in Manhattan. Morgan mentioned that when Cassie started relationship Combs, she typically noticed her pal being yelled at, talked right down to and criticized by her boyfriend. “She misplaced her confidence large time,” Morgan mentioned. “She misplaced her spark.”
Morgan mentioned she witnessed Combs slap or push Cassie a number of occasions all through the connection, and she or he described two particular situations of violence that she mentioned stood out above the remaining. The primary allegedly passed off at Combs’ dwelling in Los Angeles, the place Morgan mentioned she noticed Combs push and hit Ventura; she mentioned the 2 mates then fled Combs’ home and hid below a next-door neighbor’s entrance steps whereas Combs and his safety looked for them.
Morgan testified that the second incident passed off in Jamaica in 2013, the place they have been on a bunch trip. She mentioned whereas Cassie was utilizing the toilet, Combs grew to become offended that she was taking too lengthy and got down to discover her. Morgan then allegedly heard “guttural” screams and ran to the corridor to seek out Combs dragging Cassie outdoors by her hair. Exterior, she allegedly managed to stand up and Combs then pushed her onto the bottom, the place she hit her head on bricks. Morgan testified she believed Cassie was “knocked out,” however her pal later bumped into the woods barefoot. Morgan mentioned that when she discovered Cassie, the 2 hid in a ditch for what felt like hours whereas Combs searched the property for them.
Throughout cross-examination, Combs’ protection legal professional Marc Agnifilo requested Morgan about jealousy, infidelity and drug use in Combs’ relationship with Cassie Ventura. He confirmed pictures of Morgan, Cassie and Combs attending events and occasions like Burning Man, a week-long pageant they went to collectively a number of occasions — and emphasised whether or not that was a enjoyable interval for Morgan and Cassie. Morgan responded that she and Cassie did have good occasions all through the time Cassie dated Combs, however that she typically felt her pal was higher off leaving the connection. Morgan mentioned that each time she expressed this to Cassie, her pal would inform her she couldn’t depart as a result of Combs “managed every thing.”
Morgan additionally mentioned she was one in all Cassie’s solely mates who was not an affiliate or worker of Combs. She testified that she reduce all ties with Cassie in 2018, after Combs choked and hit Morgan on the pinnacle with a wood hanger at Ventura’s house. Throughout cross-examination, protection legal professional Agnifilo doubled down on how the friendship fell aside. “I draw the road at bodily abuse,” Morgan advised the courtroom.
Morgan mentioned she suffered dizziness, vomiting and a concussion following the alleged assault, and she or he went to an pressing care clinic for therapy. She employed a lawyer to succeed in out to Combs in anticipation of a lawsuit, however finally didn’t file one. A few month after the assault, Cassie Ventura allegedly gave Morgan $30,000 to signal a non-disclosure settlement and they didn’t converse once more. Throughout cross-examination, Morgan mentioned she believes Combs made the fee. “The cash didn’t come from her,” Morgan advised the courtroom. “She was the in-between.”
Earlier within the week, the singer Daybreak Richard — who has a pending civil lawsuit towards Combs — testified that she additionally witnessed Combs hit, choke, punch and drag Ventura by the hair a number of occasions. Richard labored with Combs from 2004 to 2011, first as a member of the group Danity Kane – which debuted on Combs’ actuality tv program Making the Band – and later alongside Combs within the electrosoul trio Diddy – Soiled Cash. Richard’s civil lawsuit is constructed on her personal private {and professional} experiences with Combs, however her testimony through the legal trial was centered on what she witnessed between Combs and Ventura. Throughout cross-examination, Combs’ protection legal professional, Nicole Westmoreland, honed in on a number of discrepancies in Richard’s recollection of occasions.
For the primary week and a half of the trial, the prosecution has painted an in depth image of how Combs allegedly wielded energy over Cassie Ventura, and the way he used that energy to fulfill his personal sexual wishes towards her will. Following Ventura’s personal testimony, the federal government has referred to as a number of witnesses to theoretically corroborate most of the claims she made concerning the abusive and controlling nature of the connection, typically referring again to situations that she mentioned on the stand. Prosecutors have additionally referred to as two male escorts to testify in reference to the prostitution fees. One former worker of Combs, a private assistant named David James, took the stand this week to explain his time working for the mogul from 2007 to 2009 — the prosecution is anticipated to name extra of Combs’ employees within the coming weeks to be able to lay the groundwork for the racketeering cost.
