Cassie Ventura is preparing to testify in ex Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial, taking to the stand to shed light on horrific abuse allegations about her former partner.
The disgraced rapper is currently on trial in New York, on five charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution – he has denied all allegations against him, but could spend the rest of his life behind bars if convicted.
Much of the trial so far has focused on the 55-year-old’s romance with ex-girlfriend Ventura, with a shocking video of Combs appearing to physically assault the singer in a hotel in 2016 playing out on the first day in court.
The 38-year-old, who is currently eight-and-a-half months pregnant with her third child, is expected to take the stand later today, with his legal team issuing a bizarre request over her appearance in front of the jury.
According to reports, they have asked Judge Arun Subramanian if Ventura could be sat before the jury come in, ‘only because of her physical condition’ – a request that the prosecution objected.
As the relationship gets put under the microscope once more, here’s everything you need to know about the former couple, and the mom-to-be’s claims about her ex.
Who is Cassie Ventura?
Casandra Ventura was born in Connecticut in August 1986, and began her music career in 2004 under producer Ryan Leslie, who she dated between 2004 and 2007.
After releasing her lead single Me & U in 2006, which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, she caught the attention of Combs who signed her onto his Bad Boy Records label.
She went onto release her self-titled debut album in August 2006, which became her first and last album.
Over the years, she dropped several singles including, The Boys with Nicki Minaj and 2017’s Don’t Play It Safe.
Ventura officially left Comb’s label and struck out as an independent artist in January 2019, under her own label Ventura Music.
Speaking about the decision to leave Bad Boy Records, she said in 2021: ‘It’s so different. And I mean, even now I’m just in a different place in my life.
‘It’s the place to be, just to own your stuff and just… You could do whatever you want.
‘You could wake up tomorrow and be like, “Okay, I want to record four records. And then put them out and it’s mine. And what you going to say?”‘
In 2008, Ventura made her acting debut in as Sophie in Step Up 2: The Streets, before claiming roles in The Perfect Match in 2016, and as Haven Quinn in hit series Empire, in 2018.
Alongside music and acting, she commanded a successful modelling career, working with Calvin Klein, ASOS and Abercrombie and Fitch.
When did Ventura and Combs date?
Ventura dated Combs, on-and-off, for over 10 years between 2007 and 2018.
Their romance started shortly after she signed onto his label in 2007, when she was 21 and he was 39. At the time Combs had recently split with his partner Kim Porter with whom he shares four children.
They publicly confirmed their relationship years later, in 2012, when they appeared at Paris Fashion Week together.
Between 2012 and 2016 there were regular reports that the couple were engaged, which Combs always denied.
In 2016, the same year of the hotel incident, there were claims that they had gone their separate ways after a heated argument – something they later insisted wasn’t true.
They eventually called time on their romance two years later, with Ventura’s rep confirming in October 2018: ‘They are indeed no longer together and haven’t been for months.’
What were Ventura’s allegations against Combs?
In November 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of raping and physically abusing her during their relationship.
The lawsuit came with a rare trigger warning due to the extreme nature of the content, which included allegations that he ‘beat her, plied her with drugs and forced her to have sex with male prostitutes as filmed’.
It was claimed that Ventura ‘endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands’, and was raped ‘in her own home’ in 2018 after ‘she tried to leave him’.
She also accused him of controlling her career and personal life, including her medical records.
Combs vehemently denied the allegations, and they both settled the case the day after the documents were filed, with the terms being kept under wraps.
Ventura later told the public: ‘I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.’
What happened in the hotel in LA?
Months after news of their settlement emerged, brutal surveillance footage was obtained and published by CNN in 2024, appearing to show Combs assaulting Ventura and dragging her across the floor of the InterContinental Hotel in LA.
She could be seen walking towards the elevators of their hotel at the beginning of the clip, and he was filmed following her, before grabbing her and throwing her to the floor and kicking her multiple times.
In the wake of the footage, Combs offered an apology in which he said: ‘I was f**ked up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses.
‘My behavior in that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.
‘I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now.
‘I went and I sought professional help, started going to therapy, I’ve been going to rehab. I had to ask God for His mercy and grace.
‘I’m so sorry. But, I’ve committed to being a better man, each and every day.
‘I’m not asking for forgiveness, I’m truly sorry.’
Where is Ventura now?
Shortly after ending her relationship with Combs, Ventura met wellness consultant Alex Fine at the gym. They made their relationship official in December 2018.
In June 2019 Ventura announced she was expecting a baby girl with Fine. They went onto get married in September of that year.
In an interview with Vogue about their wedding, Ventura said: ‘As soon as I saw Alex, any nerves that I did have went away, and I just couldn’t stop smiling.’
They welcomed their first child, Frankie Stone, in December of that year. In March 2021 they had their second child, Sunny.
Taking to Instagram earlier this year, she announced that she is expecting her third child with the MobLands actor.
Alongside black-and-white photos unveiling her baby bump for the first time, as daughters Sunny and Frankie embraced her, she simply wrote: ‘🤰🏽💙 #3.’
In March, she shared the news that they are set to welcome a baby boy to their brood.
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