It’s the second week into Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial, during which some of his former assistants, ex-girlfriends, associates, and escorts have dropped some bombshells in their testimonies.
Combs, who was arrested from a New York hotel in September last year, stands accused of exploiting his celebrity status to create a sex crime ring involving drug-fueled sex parties dubbed ‘freak offs’ through the use of force, threats and violence, all of which he denies.
The rapper denies all the charges against him (MEGA/GC Images)
The trial kicked off earlier this month with a heartbreaking testimony form his former long-term girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, who dated Diddy between 2007 and 2018.
She took to the stand and alleged that the rapper was physically abusive, addicted to drugs and coerced her participation into the so-called ‘freak offs’ which involved her having sex with male escorts.
Jurors were also shown photographs taken by law enforcement from the night of Combs’ arrest, which included baby oil, lubricant, medication, and drugs (MDMA and ketamine).
Meanwhile, George Kaplan, a former assistant to the star, claimed he was asked to set up ‘freak off’ hotel rooms with a specific set of supplies.
Now, a manager in a swanky Los Angeles hotel has come as the next to testify in Combs’ trial.
The former couple dated for more than a decade (Thaddaeus McAdams/Getty Images)
Frédéric Zemmour, the general manager of L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills, allegedly read out notes about the VIP hotel guest from records, one of which stated: “ALWAYS spills candle wax on everything and uses excessive amounts of oil.
“Likes the room HOT! Please set thermostat to 75 degrees.”
Cassie also similarly testified that Combs would want a ‘freak off’ room to be set up with scented candles mixed with oil and that she would be required to heat up the oil.
The manager further alleged that Combs would book rooms under different names, like ‘Ryan Lopez’ or ‘Frank Black,’ the latter of which was also found written on a pill bottle when cops raided his hotel room.
A pill bottle reportedly found in Combs’ hotel room had ‘Frank Black’ written on (Department of Justice)
However, staff allegedly knew the music mogul’s identity and would ensure he was in certain rooms.
Zemmour also claimed there were instructions for hotel staff to mark the room ‘out of order’ after the guests left ‘for deep cleaning’.
At one point, Combs reportedly got a fine of $500 for ‘large deposits of candle wax’ on the furniture.
The hotel manager did not face cross-examination from Combs’ defense.
The trial continues.
If you want friendly, confidential advice about drugs, you can call American Addiction Centers on (313) 209-9137 24/7, or contact them through their website.
Featured Image Credit: John Shearer/Getty
Topics: Cassie Ventura, Celebrity, Court, Crime, Diddy, Hollywood, US News
Liv Bridge
Cassie reveals Diddy’s shocking text messages in court on the day she ran away from ‘freak off’ party in hotel
Cassie has taken to the stand during the third day of Diddy’s trial
Warning: This article contains discussion of domestic violence which some readers may find distressing
Cassie Ventura has revealed the alleged text messages Diddy sent her the day she ran away from a so-called ‘freak off party’ in a hotel.
The rapper, real name Sean Combs, is currently on trial after being charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.
Ever since the musician was arrested at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, New York last September, he has maintained his innocence.
After the opening remarks on Monday (May 12), Cassie has taken to the stand to be questioned by the prosecution, including being asked about ‘freak off’ parties.
Cassie has taken to the stand once more on Wednesday (Emma McIntyre/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
Explaining ‘freak-offs’, Cassie said they were ‘sexual encounter[s] called voyeurism’ where Combs would watch her have sex with another man.
A CCTV video that had been made public last year was shown to jurors, which appeared to show Combs attacking her inside a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
Cassie has testified in court on Wednesday (May 14) that after the incident she was sent a series of texts from Combs in which he repeatedly demanded that she call him.
The messages from Diddy read:
“Call me”
“Yo pls call me”
“I got six kids”
“Pls call me”
“Yo pls call Im surrounded”
“Call me”
“For my kids help”
Cassie later said to the court how she responded to the messages by asking to ‘put the robe on’, adding that ‘he was running around in a towel, and I was just looking out’.
Cassie and Diddy pictured together at the 2018 Met Gala (John Shearer/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)
After the 2016 footage was released to the public, Cassie’s legal team hit out against Combs’ claim that it was edited.
Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, told the Daily Mail: “It’s not surprising Diddy would make a disingenuous argument to exclude the disturbing video from being shown to the jury in the upcoming trial.
“I am confident that the video fairly and accurately represents what happened, will be admitted into evidence, and that Combs will be held accountable for his depravity.”
After the disturbing footage was made public, Combs took to Instagram to apologize to Cassie.
He wrote: “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.
“I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he added. “I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.
Featured Image Credit: Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Topics: Cassie Ventura, Diddy, Crime, US News
Callum Jones
Shocking text messages between Cassie and Diddy reveal disturbing impacts ‘freak off’ parties allegedly had on her body
Cassie has detailed in court the impact these alleged ‘freak off’ parties had on her body
Text messages between Diddy and Cassie Ventura shared in court have detailed the ‘disturbing’ impact these alleged ‘freak off’ parties had on her body.
Diddy, real name Sean Combs, is currently on trial after being charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion in 2024.
Ever since Combs was arrested at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, New York last September, he has maintained his innocence.
Once the opening remarks were heard on Monday (May 12), the rappers ex-girlfriend took to the stand to be questioned by the prosecution, including being asked about ‘freak off’ parties.
Explaining ‘freak-offs’, Cassie said they were ‘sexual encounter[s] called voyeurism’ where Combs would watch her have sex with other men.
And in court on Wednesday (May 14), Cassie explained the alleged physical toll these ‘freak off’ parties had on her.
Cassie has detailed the impact these ‘freak-offs’ allegedly had on her body (Emma McIntyre/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)
Cassie said she took ketamine during these alleged gatherings as it allowed her dissociate from the sex acts she didn’t want to be involved in.
She told the court she did several drugs at a time and wouldn’t eat or sleep because of these alleged ‘freak off’ parties.
Cassie went on to state she had gastrointestinal issues, sores in her mouth and frequent urinary tract infections (UTIs) during her time with Diddy.
Despite having ‘painful’ infections, Cassie claims Combs still forced her to take part in the ‘freak-offs’. Cassie even said she would be involved in multi-day ‘freak-offs’, which would lead to her having to seek massages and IV fluids to help recover.
The 38-year-old testified in court that when Combs wanted a ‘freak-off’, he would push until he got one.
On Cassie’s 29th birthday, for example, she wanted to go out with friends to celebrate – she was instead forced to take part in a ‘freak-off’, the singer claimed in court.
Earlier on in proceedings, Cassie recalled what happened when she was first introduced to these so-called ‘freak-off’ parties.
Diddy and Cassie pictured together in 2018 (John Shearer/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter)
“I remember my stomach falling to my butt,” she said. “Just the nervousness and confusion… I had just turned 22.”
Ventura claims it involved hiring an escort and Combs would watch her with another man while directing them, as per the BBC.
She told how she didn’t want to be involved, but ultimately did so because she ‘loved him [Combs] very much’ and ‘wanted to make him happy’.
Ventura added: “The freak offs became a job. There was no time to do anything else but do them then try to recover. The longest was four days, significant periods of time.”
This comes after CCTV video footage that had been made public last year was shown to jurors, which appeared to show Combs attacking Cassie inside a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
She claimed that after the incident, she was sent a series of texts from Combs in which he repeatedly demanded that she call him.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.
Featured Image Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty
Topics: Diddy, Cassie Ventura, Crime, US News
Callum Jones
What Cassie’s life is like now after 10-year relationship with Diddy amid shocking details from ‘freak off’ parties
Cassie’s life has certainly been eventful since her split from Diddy some some seven years ago
Cassie Ventura’s life has changed quite a bit since her split from Diddy, so what is the singer’s life like now amid the rapper’s trial?
Diddy – whose real name is Sean Combs – was arrested and charged with racketeering and sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion last year after being detained at the Park Hyatt hotel in Manhattan, New York.
The rapper has denied all allegations made against him.
After the opening remarks by both prosecution and defence were delivered on Monday (May 12), Cassie, as she’s more commonly known, took to the stand on Tuesday (May 13) to detail how Combs allegedly would ‘punish’ her during their relationship.
Cassie and Diddy’s relationship
Combs and Ventura met in 2005 when he was 37 and she was 19. Combs signed her to his Bad Boy Records label and they started dating a few years later.
But their relationship was very much a turbulent once according to Cassie, who claimed in court Combs would take away her things to ‘punish’ her.
Cassie has returned to the stand and testified on Wednesday (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
She also alleged that he would ‘would take the car away, the house, jewelry’, as well as her laptop and phone.
After an on-and-off relationship, the couple separated in 2017.
What Cassie’s life is like now
Since splitting from Diddy, Cassie married person trainer Alex Fine, after the pair met in a gym back in 2018.
Soon after announcing they were an item in December of that year, Cassie confirmed the couple were expecting their first child together.
And not long after that, Fine got down on one knee and proposed.
“I knew that Alex was designing a ring, but I honestly wasn’t expecting a super elaborate proposal because we already had the wedding date set, but he planned such a beautiful experience for me,” Fine previously told Vogue.
Cassie and Alex Fine have two children together (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for 1/ST)
Cassie and Fine tied the knot in 2019, less than a year after they went public with their relationship.
“I felt really relaxed during the ceremony,” Cassie added to Vogue. “As soon as I saw Alex, any nerves that I did have went away and I just couldn’t stop smiling.”
Cassie has welcomed two children with Fine, and another is on the way as Cassie confirmed in February the couple are expecting their third child together.
“There aren’t words to describe how grateful I am that I get to do this life with you! The laughter and pure joy that I get to experience with you is beyond any of my dreams and manifestations,” Cassie wrote on Instagram.
Featured Image Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
Topics: Cassie Ventura, Celebrity, Diddy
Callum Jones
Cassie’s mom claims Diddy wanted $20,000 for their ‘freak off’ sex tape in emotional testimony
Regina Ventura took to the stand on Tuesday during the trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Cassie Ventura’s mom has made a series of allegations about her daughter’s ex boyfriend, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
Diddy and Ventura dated on-and-off for over a decade, over which she claims she was physically and sexually abused by the rapper.
Taking to the stand during Diddy’s ongoing trial, Ventura detailed claims about the drug-fulled sex parties — famously referred to as ‘freak offs’ — and how she’d reportedly take ketamine to get through them.
On one occasion, Ventura claimed she ran out of one of their freak off parities in a hotel because it turned violent.
Now, Ventura’s mother, Regina Ventura, has testified against her daughter’s former partner.
While on the stand, Ventura’s former relationship with fellow musician Kid Cudi was referenced and how Diddy was supposedly enraged about her dating someone else in the music industry.
Regina Ventura, Cassie’s mom, has testified against Diddy (John Lamparski/Getty Images)
As a result of his jealousy, he reportedly demanded $20,000 from Ventura’s mom for a sex tape with the Honey 3 actress in it.
“I was physically sick,” Regina Ventura claimed, as per The Independent. “I did not understand it, the sex tape threw me. He was trying to hurt my daughter.”
Regina said she proceeded to take out a loan to be able to pay off Diddy and stop the tape’s release. She allegedly wired the cash over to him, but said it ended up back in her account a few days later.
The matter was allegedly never discussed between the pair again.
Ventura’s mom also spoke of the photographs she took of the bruising she saw on her daughter when she visited mother’s home in Connecticut for the holidays in 2011.
“She was bruised and I wanted to make sure we memorialize it,” Regina said of the pictures that have been shown to the jury. “I was scared for my daughter’s safety.”
Cassie Ventura and Sean Combs dated for over a decade (Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)
Marc Agnifilo, Diddy’s lead counsel, declined to cross examine Regina, says The Washington Post.
As well as Ventura’s mom, Diddy’s ex assistant David James has testified today.
James was one of several former employees of the rapper expected to give evidence, as prosecutors try to prove that Diddy for two decades used threats and violence to control employees and associates, and commit crimes.
He was a personal assistant for Diddy from 2007 to 2009, and told the court about a job that seemed to come with increasing perils until he realised his life was in danger and left, with notice, after he claims he was forced to drive a car in which an angry Diddy sat in the back seat with three handguns on his lap.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence 24 hours a day to the national domestic violence helpline on 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) 24/7. You can find a list of local resources here.
