The federal sex-trafficking trial of music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs wrapped its first full week on Friday, May 16, with a heated challenge to the credibility of the prosecution’s star witness, singer and former longtime girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Now more than 20 hours into her testimony, Ventura remained composed under continued cross-examination. But on Friday, the defense played a two-to-three-minute audio clip revealing a far more aggressive tone than she had displayed in court.
In the recording, Ventura is heard cursing and issuing repeated threats over a video she feared might be released, declaring, “I will kill you.”
The defense used the clip in an attempt to portray Ventura as unstable and her relationship with Combs as mutually volatile.
They also highlighted Ventura’s past drug use, noting that she currently takes medication related to her battle with opioid addiction.
Combs, 54, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including sex trafficking, racketeering, conspiracy, and transportation for prostitution. If convicted on all counts, he faces 15 years to life in prison.
Friday’s testimony also revealed new details about a memoir Ventura was preparing to write, titled The Dark Times — a name that echoes Combs’s own words at the BET Awards, where he thanked Ventura for “holding me down during the dark times.” Prosecutors argue the memoir title and related text messages support Ventura’s claims that she endured abuse while under Combs’s control.
In the courtroom, observers noted small but telling interactions. Ventura arrived in a navy pinstripe suit and was briefly glanced at by Combs as she entered.
The jurors, largely reserved in demeanor, have avoided eye contact with Ventura — with the exception of one who consistently scans the room, even locking eyes with reporters at times.
Judge and jury continue to manage a complex, emotionally charged trial. The judge remarked the proceedings were running “five minutes behind,” but lighter than usual. One juror gave a thumbs-up in response, prompting smiles in the courtroom.
The trial moves into its second week next week. The central question remains: will Ventura’s extensive testimony — and the defense’s effort to dismantle it — persuade the jury in a case that has already captivated the public?
