NEW YORK 鈥� Sean "Diddy" Combs' former girlfriend Casandra Ventura, the star prosecution witness at his sex trafficking trial, testified on Tuesday that the rapper and hip-hop mogul forced her into repeated drug-fueled sex parties he organized, undermining her career.
Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known as Cassie, said she began taking part in Combs' parties known as "Freak Offs" over more than a decade to please him, and continued because he blackmailed her with videos of the encounters.
鈥淭he 'Freak Offs' became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again," Ventura told jurors in Manhattan federal court.
She said performances could last up to four days, with Combs giving her drugs to keep her awake and being preoccupied with how she looked.
鈥淚f I wasn't doing my nails, I was getting a tan," Ventura said. "After a while that wears down on you, on your confidence and self worth." She said a 10-album contract she signed with Combs' Bad Boy record label in 2006 yielded only one album.
Ventura held back tears as she recalled the only parts of the "Freak Offs" she enjoyed were times she was alone with Combs, but that he often changed during the encounters.
"His eyes were black," she said. "The version that I fell in love with was no longer there."
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
If convicted on all counts, he faces a minimum 15 years in prison and could face life behind bars.
The trial began on Monday, and could last two months. Combs is being housed in a Brooklyn jail when not in court.
Defense lawyer Teny Geragos conceded to jurors on Monday that Combs had a bad temper and jealousy problems, but that his conduct wasn't criminal.
Combs' lawyers have said prosecutors wanted to criminalize his "swingers" lifestyle, where he and his girlfriends invited other men to join them for sex.
"This case is about voluntary choices made by capable adults in consensual relationships," Geragos said.
Ventura said she began dating Combs in her early 20s, in what she thought was her "first real adult relationship." She said she loved him at the time and wanted to make him happy.
Now 38, Ventura said Combs changed as time passed, as he began frequently beating her, and leaving her with black eyes and bruises all over her body.
鈥淗e would bash my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head if I was down," Ventura said.
Ventura said her "Freak Offs" began when she was 22. She said she didn't want to do them, but was afraid of making Combs angry.
"He was a scary person. He could be very violent," she said.
Ventura also said Combs controlled much of her life and career.
"Control was everything, from the way that I looked to what I was working on that day, who I was speaking to," she said.
Prosecutors have said Combs used his music industry clout to bend victims to his will and keep them silent about his abuse.
On Monday, they introduced a widely-seen video broadcast on CNN last year, showing Combs beating Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
Combs, wearing only a towel, was shown throwing Ventura to the ground and kicking her in a hallway when she tried to leave. He apologized after the video first aired.
Marc Agnifilo, Combs' lead lawyer, has said the video depicted the aftermath of a dispute over infidelity.
At a hearing on Friday, he said Ventura had a history of domestic violence, signaling he may use it during cross-examination to undermine her credibility.
Ventura filed a civil lawsuit in November 2023 accusing Combs of rape and serial sexual abuse. They settled after one day.
Jurors may hear testimony from two or three of Combs' other female accusers, and former employees who prosecutors say helped arrange and cover up Combs' criminal conduct.
Ventura married personal trainer Alex Fine in September 2019. They have two daughters, and Ventura is pregnant.