Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, the government’s star witness, took the stand today for the first day of cross-examination and faced questioning by Sean "Diddy" Combs’ $10 million defense team.
She previously spent two days detailing the alleged physical, emotional, and sexual abuse she says she endured during her decade-long relationship with the disgraced rap mogul.
At the center of Combs’ defense today was the claim that Ventura was never coerced into participating in "freak offs," as she testified earlier. The defense pointed to text messages, including one Ventura sent to Combs in 2009 that read, “I’m always ready to freak off lolol.” Ventura remained composed and held her ground when confronted with the explicit messages. She testified that she eventually began to feel Combs was exploiting her.
Combs’ defense team is expected to continue cross-examining Ventura through Friday morning.
Follow Crime Stories with Nancy Grace for the latest testimony in rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-trafficking trial