Warning: This article contains allegations of sexual harassment and domestic violence which some readers may find distressing
A legal expert has explained why they think the prosecution is using the 2016 hotel surveillance video as evidence in court against Diddy.
The music producer's ex-girlfriend, Cassie, has returned to court after testifying yesterday (13 May) about Sean Combs' 'freak offs', which would 'last up to four days'.
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The R&B singer, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, has claimed that she was in an abusive, drug-fuelled, relationship with Combs, who allegedly forced her to have sex with escorts.
It comes after prosecutors wrote in the 14-page indictment that 'freak offs were elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded'.
Cassie first met Diddy in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37. They started dating a few years later after he signed her to his Bad Boy Records label.
She sued him in 2023 and alleged years of abuse, but the suit was settled one day after it was filed.
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A year later, a 2016 video of Combs allegedly punching, kicking, and dragging Cassie in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel was shared by CNN.
"I take full responsibility for my actions in that video," the music mogul said in a public apology at the time.
Footage from the incident has been shown to the court throughout Cassie's testimony, and a legal expert claims this has been deliberate.
CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig has suggested that the video has been shown multiple times to 'support her credibility'.
"Because it’s so visceral. Because if you’re a juror or a normal person, when you see that video the violence becomes so real," Honig explained.
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"One, they’re supporting Cassie Ventura’s credibility because what’s she’s saying the jury doesn’t need to take it at her word, they can see it in the video.
"And the second thing, they’re using Cassie Ventura to narrate that video because it tells you a lot but it doesn’t tell you everything."
The analyst said that 'if you can have one of the participants explaining exactly to the jury what’s happening, that’s going to capture their attention and that’s going to mutually bolster the witness and the video at the same time'.
Testifying on the stand today (14 May), Ventura said her friend was at her apartment when she got home from the hotel altercation.
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"She was super upset, she had seen both black eyes and busted lips before," Cassie said, revealing that her friend went and called the police.
She added: "I answered a couple of questions but when they wanted me to say who I was talking about, I would not. So they left."
The singer, who is eight months pregnant, said she 'wasn’t ready' to speak about what happened because 'in that moment, I didn’t want to hurt him that way. It was just too much going on'.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Alternatively, if you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Diddy, Cassie Ventura, Crime, US News, Celebrity
Anish Vij