In a federal courtroom, the testimony of Cassandra Ventura, also known as Cassie, was presented in the trial of Shaun Diddy Combmes, a music mogul and the founder of Bad Boy Records. The testimony was a detailed account of her 10-year relationship with Combmes, which included allegations of abuse, manipulation, and sexual exploitation.

Cassie testified that she met Combmes in 2006 when she was signed to his record label, Bad Boy Records. She was 21 years old at the time, and Combmes was 38. She said that their relationship started out as platonic, but it soon became romantic.

Cassie testified that Combmes was controlling and manipulative, and that he would frequently hit her and drag her by the hair. She said that he would also take away her phone and laptop as a form of punishment. Cassie said that Combmes would often tell her what to wear, how to do her hair, and how to act in public. She said that he would also control her finances and her career, and that he would use her success as a way to control her.

Cassie also testified that Combmes would force her to participate in what he called “freakoffs,” which were private gatherings where he would hire escorts to perform sexual acts with her while he watched and recorded the entire event. She said that these freakoffs were abusive and degrading, and that she felt like an object being heavily objectified by men. Cassie said that Combmes would also force her to have sex with him even when she didn’t want to, and that he would use drugs and alcohol to control her during these encounters.

Cassie testified that she tried to end the relationship multiple times, but Combmes would threaten to release the videos of the freakoffs if she did. She said that he also threatened to harm her and her family if she left him. Cassie said that she was afraid of Combmes and that she felt trapped in the relationship.

Cassie testified that she eventually left Combmes in 2018, but that he continued to harass her and threaten her even after their relationship ended. She said that he would send her threatening messages and that he would show up at her home uninvited. Cassie said that she was afraid for her safety and the safety of her family.

Cassie testified that she eventually filed a civil lawsuit against Combmes in 2023, which resulted in a settlement of $20 million. She said that she filed the lawsuit because she wanted to hold Combmes accountable for his actions and because she wanted to help other women who may have been victims of similar abuse.

Cassie’s testimony was a powerful and emotional account of her experience with Combmes, and it painted a disturbing picture of a man who was allegedly abusive, manipulative, and exploitative. Her testimony was a key piece of evidence in the trial, and it helped to shed light on the darker side of Combmes’s life and career. It also served as a reminder of the importance of holding abusers accountable and of supporting survivors of abuse in their efforts to seek justice.