If it were possible, Cassie’s testimony on Day 3 of the Diddy sex trafficking trial is even more disturbing and graphic than her description of the freak off parties the day before.
Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, 37, just delivered cringeworthy accounts of the long-term emotional fallout and physical ramifications from participating in a multiplicity of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ debaucherous and surreptitious parties.
Cassie suffered urinary tract infections and mouth sores from Freak-Offs
Cassie, who is 8 months pregnant, sat on the witness stand while her husband, Alex Fine, watched her testimony inside the courtroom. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson asked Cassie about the medical maladies and issues she experienced, according to Page Six.
“I had a lot of stomach issues and gastrointestinal issues from taking drugs,” Ventura, 38, testified, according to CNN and Page Six, which are providing the play-by-play account of the testimony. Cassie also said the Freak-Offs would give her “frequent” urinary tract infections due to the “back-to-back” sex sessions. She also said she had mouth sores from constantly giving the escorts oral sex.
“I was doing a ‘Freak-Off’ with an infection,” Cassie added, “It was just a mess.”
Continuing with her testimony, Cassie indicated “[It was] really painful for a long time. I actually can’t believe I dealt with that.”
Cassie often blamed herself
She did make Diddy aware of her pain and ailments, with Diddy telling Cassie: “I need you to go to the doc.”
But the parties continued, and so did Cassie. “I took the blame for things. I just didn’t understand why he was saying sorry about something that happened many times.”
Cassie detailed the long lists of drugs she took to cope
The “Me and U” singer and former model also detailed what she did to self-medicate against the depression and overwhelming feelings of emptiness after she was allegedly coerced to partake in Freak-Offs without relent.
“I’d take opiates. I wanted to feel numb,” Cassie testified. “We’d get massages, I.V. fluids. The chef would cook us something.”
As the years went on, Cassie’s intake of illicit drugs expanded, along with the different types of narcotics, including ecstasy, marijuana, ketamine, GHB (the “date rape drug”) and mushrooms.
“I couldn’t imagine myself doing any of that without having some sort of buffer or a way to not feel the way it really was, which was emotionless and sex with a stranger who I didn’t want to have sex with.”
Cassie testified that Diddy beat her up frequently
In addition to the abject humiliation from participating in the Freak-Offs, Cassie testified that Diddy beat her on multiple occasions, often in front of the male escorts. She added that Diddy would often verbally humiliate her in front of other people.
Prosecutors showed a text message dated Jan. 7, 2017, where Ventura told Combs “Nothing good comes out of FOs anymore,” referring to the “Freak Offs,” according to CNN. She also said Diddy battered her like Tina Turner was during her first marriage.
“You treat me like you Ike Turner,” she wrote.
Cassie said Diddy humiliated her in front of others quite often
When asked for clarification, Cassie testified that Combs was extremely abusive, physically and mentally, and controlling.
“I mean, he was actually physically abusive. He put me down a lot. As much as I was built up, I was put down quite a bit,” she said in court, according to CNN. “It’s also the just sheer embarrassment, like how he treated me in front of other people.”
Note to reader: If you or someone you know is affected by the issues raised, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
