Cassandra Ventura, widely recognized by her stage name Cassie, testified in court regarding her past relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. Her account shed light on troubling aspects of their time together, particularly the so-called “freak off” parties that have become central to the prosecution’s case.
Authorities believe these controversial parties were where unlawful acts may have taken place. Diddy was arrested in New York in September of last year and now faces serious charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking through force, deception, or coercion. He has firmly denied all accusations.
On May 13, the day after opening statements, Cassie described the disturbing dynamics of these parties.
She testified that the “freak offs” involved voyeuristic encounters in which Diddy would hire escorts and instruct her to engage in sexual activity with another man while he watched and gave directions, according to the BBC.
Though she said she felt uncomfortable, Cassie admitted she went along with it out of love and a desire to please him. Eventually, however, these events began to take over her life.
Describing their intensity, she said: “The freak offs became like a job. There wasn’t time for anything else. It would take days just to recover.”
When asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson how much time was typically devoted to these events, Cassie replied: “The longest one lasted four days. They would take up large portions of my week.”
She also spoke about what she described as abuse within the relationship. According to Cassie, Diddy’s behavior was unpredictable, and his mood swings often led to physical and emotional harm.
She recounted: “It affected me deeply. One moment I was being hit in the face. There was also mental abuse—he’d demand I change how I spoke or how I looked.”
This testimony follows the emergence of surveillance footage from 2016 that appeared to show Diddy assaulting Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway, adding further weight to her allegations.