All eyes will return to Manhattan as P Diddy's court case enters its second week.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ trial officially began on Monday (May 12) and last week his former partner Casandra Ventura, known professionally as Cassie, was questioned extensively about the rapper-producer.
Combs was arrested last September while he was in New York and was hit with a slew of charges, including racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.
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Combs has repeatedly denied all the charges against him and has pleaded not guilty.
Last week, we heard about Ventura and Diddy's complex, on-off 11-year relationship.
Old text messages between the pair were brought up, including texts where Ventura felt torn about participating in freak-offs.
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There were times she sounded eager to participate, but she later said they made her feel 'grimy' and 'dirty'.
She also talked about Diddy’s alleged drug use, including a supposed overdose at the Playboy Mansion in 2012, and said his behavior made her worry about her own safety.
Jealousy came up too: she admitted feeling insecure about Diddy’s relationships with other women, including Kim Porter,.
Ventura also alleged that Combs raped her at her Los Angeles home after she just told him she wanted to break off their relationship.
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"I just remember crying and saying no, but it was very fast," she said.
She went on to tell jurors she did engage in consensual sex on a subsequent occasion, explaining: "We'd been together for over 10 years. You just don't turn feelings off."
Diddy has denied the allegations and claimed everything was consensual.
What will happen in Diddy's trial this week?
The trial continues today (Monday May 19), where singer Dawn Richard, a former member of Danity Kane, is scheduled to continue her testimony.
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Last week, she recounted witnessing a 2009 incident where Combs allegedly assaulted Ventura, describing how he attempted to hit her with a skillet and later physically abused her, as per Pitchfork.
Richard also testified about being threatened by Combs afterward.
After, the prosecution is expected to call additional witnesses, including Ventura's friend Kerry Morgan and her mother.
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Three other women, identified in court documents as Victim-1, Victim-2, and Victim-3, are anticipated to testify in the coming days. Their identities remain confidential, and they will testify using pseudonyms, reports CBS News.
What Combs' attorney has said
In response to the news of Combs' arrest last year, his attorney Marc Agnifilo told UNILAD at the time: "We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
"Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children, and working to uplift the Black community. He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal.
"To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court."
The trial is expected to last around eight weeks. If convicted, Combs faces up to life in prison.
UNILAD has previously contacted representatives for Combs and Ventura for comment.
The trial continues.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
Topics: Cassie Ventura, Sex Trafficking, Diddy, Crime, Celebrity
Ellie Kemp