News

Casandra “Cassie” Ventura revealed disturbing allegations as she testified against Sean “Diddy” Combs during his sex trafficking trial on Wednesday. Ventura, who was in a relationship with Combs for 11 years before they split, spoke about the physical abuse she allegedly faced from the singer and presented graphic photos of her injuries to the court. Combs stood in front of his family members in court while his ex-girlfriend gave her testimony, Variety reported.

What did Cassie Ventura say about the injuries she allegedly sustained from Sean Combs?

Ventura said she sustained a swollen lip after being attacked by Combs at the InterContinental in Century City in Los Angeles. The jury, which is already reviewing surveillance video of the altercation from the hotel room, is also now looking at the photos Ventura presented in court on Wednesday. Ventura told the court that she went to her apartment after the altercation and showed her injuries to her friend Kerry Morgan. The singer said she spoke to police at that time, but she didn’t press charges or reveal Combs’ identity.

“I didn’t want to hurt him in that way,” Ventura said in court, per Variety. “I wasn’t ready.”

Continuing with her testimony, Ventura said Combs had another violent outburst shortly before the premiere of her 2016 movie, The Perfect Match. Presenting photos to the court, Ventura said she had a black eye, as well as bruises on her face and body, after being beaten by Combs at that time. The “Me & U” singer said she covered her injuries with makeup during her movie premiere and made sure her dress hid the bruises on her legs.

Ventura said Combs also abused her in 2013 before she performed at Drake’s OVO Fest in Canada. Combs allegedly forced his way into Ventura’s Los Angeles apartment the night before she left for the performance and abused her, leaving her with a gruesome eye injury that required stitches. Ventura said she still went to the performance after being attacked and covered her bruised eye with her hair.

What did Cassie Ventura say about the threats Combs allegedly made against her and Kid Cudi?

During her testimony, Ventura said Combs threatened her and Kid Cudi after learning about their relationship. Ventura said she started dating Cudi in 2011 while her relationship with Combs was falling apart. According to Ventura, Combs found out about her relationship with Cudi during a “freak-off,” a sex party that continues for days. After finding out about the relationship during the party, which was taking place at a hotel, Combs allegedly placed a wine corkscrew between his fingers and lunged at Ventura, saying his “eyes blacked out” and he was “super angry.”

As ABC reported, “Ventura told jurors that the freak-off sessions she participated in transformed into private pornography shoots for Combs, who would use the material as ‘blackmail’ if she disobeyed him.”

Per Variety, Ventura said she ran from the hotel at that point and called Cudi on a burner phone. After Cudi picked her up and took her to his house, Ventura said she went back to Combs’ home that night, hoping to resolve their issues. That’s when Combs allegedly threatened to hurt Ventura and Cudi. According to Ventura, Combs threatened to release the freak-off videos involving her. In a lawsuit she filed in 2023, Ventura added that Combs also threatened to “blow up Cudi’s car.”

What did Cassie Ventura say about the rape allegations she made against Sean Combs?

Ventura told the court that Combs raped her after they went out for dinner in 2018. The dinner, according to Ventura, was supposed to be closure after the pair decided to split up. According to Variety, Ventura said they had an enjoyable dinner, but Combs turned aggressive after taking her back to her Hollywood apartment.

“He raped me in my living room,” Ventura told the court. “I remember crying, saying no, but it was very fast.”

Ventura said she yelled “no,” but Combs ejaculated inside her, then got up and left. After Ventura confirmed to the court that she still had sex with Combs after the alleged rape, prosecutors asked her why she would do that.

“We had been together for over 10 years. You don’t just turn feelings off that way,” Ventura responded.

Although Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in 2023, accusing him of rape and physical abuse, the case was settled 24 hours later. On Wednesday, Ventura revealed that she received $20 million from the settlement.

She recounted how she began “spinning out” that February, admitting, “I didn’t want to be alive anymore.” During a night of severe PTSD flashbacks, she told her husband he “could do it” without her and attempted to walk into traffic, but he stopped her. Ventura sought trauma therapy and addiction rehab, eventually writing a book to process her pain and confront Combs, hoping he would “understand” the damage caused by his alleged abuse. After her attempt to share the book was dismissed, she filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, accusing him of rape and physical violence, which was settled within 24 hours for $20 million.

Explaining why she chose to testify publicly, Ventura told the court, “I’m here to do the right thing. I can’t carry this anymore … the shame, the guilt.”

If you’ve been tuned into the news at all in the last two years, you’re likely already aware of the looming trial of rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs. The Bad Boy Records founder is currently being held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center amid his trial on federal charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. As discovery and pre-trial motions have played out, hundreds of alleged victims have come forward to share their own private tales of encounters with Diddy, painting a picture of a serial abuser. The rapper has been denied bail on numerous occasions, and deemed a potential flight risk in the months leading up to the trial, while his incarceration has served as a near-constant source of tabloid news.

Those curious about the status of Diddy’s trial should be sure to read ahead, as we’ll outline all of the key information in the massive legal case. It should be noted that Combs has denied any and all wrongdoing and has not yet faced a conviction for any of the alleged misconduct. With no further preamble, let’s dive right in and parse through the latest updates on Diddy’s ongoing legal battles.

Combs’ reign in the entertainment industry took a sharp turn in late 2023

(Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Though Diddy has been a massive public name for decades, his legal troubles didn’t begin until late 2023. In November of that year, the rapper’s former girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, filed a lawsuit in a New York court, accusing him of physical abuse and sexual assault. The case was settled privately just a day after it was filed, though many onlookers consider it to be the beginning of the end for the mogul’s illustrious career.

Shortly after this suit was thrown out, Diddy was accused of sexual assault, racketeering and breach of contract by his producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones. Jones’ filing stemmed from Diddy’s apparent failure to compensate him for work done on the latter’s 2023 project The Love Album: Off The Grid. Jones also alleged that Diddy had coerced him into helping to procure sex workers for a series of off-shore yacht parties, including one where Diddy and others allegedly groped and sexually harassed the producer.

From there, Diddy’s luck continued to run thin. Homeland Security agents raided Combs’ properties along both coasts in March of 2024, citing an ongoing investigation into an alleged sex trafficking operation. In doing so, the federal agents uncovered multiple firearms, including a pair of AR-15 rifles with defaced serial numbers, per the New York Times. They also found a now-infamous stockpile of more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil. These supplies, and others, are said to have been utilized during Diddy’s so-called “freak-off” events. Such events are rumored to have included live sex shows, illicit prostitution and attendance from some of the entertainment industry’s biggest names.

Following Cassie’s bombshell allegations, when was Diddy arrested?

Just two months after the coordinated Homeland Security raid, a shocking surveillance video was released, which seemed to show Combs punching, kicking and dragging Cassie Ventura through the halls of the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. Per CNN, Diddy publicly apologized for his actions in the video, originally filmed in 2016.

In a now-deleted social media post, the rapper stated, “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… But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

Unfortunately for Combs, it seems that federal agents were not convinced that his misconduct was relegated to the past, as the rapper was arrested on Sept. 16, 2024 in connection with the raids from the spring. Since then, Diddy has been incarcerated while awaiting trial. During his incarceration, Combs became the subject of a series of additional civil and criminal suits dating back to the early 1990s.

An attorney by the name of Tony Buzbee has taken on numerous clients as part of a growing case against Diddy, and claims to have received thousands of calls from other potential victims. If Buzbee is to be taken at his word, the total number of civil suits to be brought against Diddy could clock in at over 300 victims, not counting those allegedly assaulted by the mogul in states where the statute of limitations has expired.

What is racketeering?

After Diddy was arrested, a number of fans took to the net to question the federal charges levied against him. While most understood the sex trafficking offenses as they relate to the freak-off events, many people took issue with the racketeering charges. Generally speaking, racketeering is defined as a set of multiple illegal activities, carried out with the intent of generating a commercial profit, which have been disguised as legitimate business deals.

This typically might refer to the kind of mob activity you might see in an episode of The Sopranos. In the case of Diddy specifically, these charges refer to his alleged use of his record label and other business deals to transfer cash for violent crimes, fraud, bribery and extortion.

The primary law which regulates these crimes is known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO for short. RICO charges are often brought against numerous parties at once for their involvement in a sweeping criminal conspiracy. This makes the charges against Diddy fairly unusual, as the federal government has not arrested anyone else in connection with Diddy’s case.

What was the embattled mogul’s plea deal?

As reported by NBC, Diddy rejected a plea deal from federal prosecutors before his trial. Though the exact details of the plea deal have not been released to the public, accepting the deal would have resulted in a marginally lighter sentence. Crucially, this deal would require Diddy to plead guilty to some number of charges, despite his firmly-held stance that he is an innocent man. Had he accepted the terms, the rapper could have effectively skipped the entire trial by jury process and accepted a direct sentence of prison time, parole or added community service. Given the nature of his alleged offenses, however, it seems likely that he would remain behind bars for some years no matter what terms the plea bargain contained.

What’s happening in Diddy’s courtroom so far?

After Combs’ initial arrest back in September 2024, his trial was scheduled to kick off the following May. This allowed both sides to prepare their statements, parse through a mountain of discovery data and establish arguments that align with court precedents. On Monday, May 12, jury selection finally concluded, allowing the courts to proceed with the trial. The jury panel is composed of a 12-member grouping with eight men and four women.

Opening statements also took place on May 12, with the prosecution leaning heavily on the infamous InterContinental video and discussing the terms of Diddy’s relationship with Cassie over the years. According to the previously mentioned report in the New York Times, the state’s case will rest on the notion that Combs has constructed an elaborate web of criminal conspiracies over the past two decades, which include kidnapping, trafficking, forced labor, bribery, witness intimidation and even arson.

Combs’ on-camera abuse of Cassie is the first of many examples prosecutors plan to employ in order to outline an ongoing pattern of behavior. If convicted, Diddy could spend the rest of his life behind bars. Although the soon-to-be mother of three has been called as a witness for the state, Diddy’s legal team aims to negate any connection between their tumultuous relationship and the other charges the rapper is facing.

Multiple employees and former employees of Combs have also been tapped to appear as witnesses, though the full state witness list has not been publicly released. Los Angeles Police Officer Israel Florez took the stand as the state’s first witness, according to CNN, before testifying that he responded to a “woman in distress” call during the 2016 InterContinental incident.

Unpacking the trial’s opening statements

As stated, most of the opening statements made by the prosecution were focused on convincing the jury that Diddy has built a carefully constructed criminal empire over the course of the last several decades. Per a report from CNN, Assistant US Attorney Emily Johnson argued that Combs instructed his employees to carry out a series of illegal acts on his behalf, tantamount to criminal racketeering.

In court, Johnson articulated, “Together they agreed to commit different crimes, kidnapping, arson, distributing drugs to other people, exploiting employees for labor.” While presenting these arguments, Johnson highlighted dozens of text messages exchanged by Diddy and his staff, as well as a number of explicit videos from the multi-day freak-off events. She concluded that Diddy “called himself the king and expected to be treated like one.”

In contrast to the state’s damning testimony, Diddy’s defense team argued that the music mogul is a complicated, emotional and flawed man. However, as attorney Teny Geragos stated in response to the InterContinental footage, “Domestic violence is not sex trafficking.” Geragos conceded that the freak-off video footage contained uncomfortable-to-watch material. However, she argued that the sex acts caught on camera were all consensual in nature, and “not based on coercion.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Diddy ever propose to Cassie?

Outside of the now-infamous Intercontinental Hotel video, Diddy and Cassie’s relationship was a known fixture in the entertainment industry for a number of years. The couple, who first began seeing each other in 2007, had an on-again, off-again romance through to 2018. Throughout that time, they collaborated on songs, appeared arm-in-arm at numerous red carpet events, and sparked a number of engagement rumors. Despite these rumors, there is no concrete evidence ever to suggest that Diddy ever proposed to Cassie Ventura. Just a year after their eventual break-up, Cassie married personal trainer Alex Fine.

How many kids does Cassie have?

Cassie and Diddy never had any children together. Still, Cassie is a mother of two, and has a third child on the way, according to a February 2025 Instagram post. All three of Cassie’s children have been fathered by her husband, Alex Fine. The couple share two daughters, Frankie and Sunny. The name and gender of their next addition have not yet been revealed to the public.

How much is Diddy worth now?

As you can imagine, the entire legal saga Combs has faced over the last two years has been extremely taxing on his finances. Diddy has lost numerous business deals due to the fallout from these controversies and has been forced to sell off some assets to protect the reputation of his brand partners. The rapper was once rumored to have a net worth of over $1 billion, though today, he touts an estimated $400 million in total, per Newsweek. While this number is still quite impressive, it’s expected that his ongoing legal defenses and upcoming civil suits will put a heavy drain on Diddy’s funds.

Casandra “Cassie” Ventura took the stand Tuesday morning to testify against her ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs, in his sex trafficking trial in New York. In her explosive testimony, she described years of physical and psychological abuse during their on-and-off 10-year relationship.

Halle Bailey has been granted a restraining order by a Los Angeles judge against her ex-boyfriend, rapper and YouTuber DDG, following several alleged violent incidents, including one that happened in front of their 1-year-old son, Halo.

The rapper must now stay 100 yards away from her, Complex reported.

Here’s everything Bailey is accusing the rapper of and his response to the order.

Court documents detail several instances of alleged physical and verbal abuse

Bailey and the rapper, whose real name is Daryl Dwayne Granberry Jr., were together from 2022 and broke up in October. According to court documents, there have been “multiple acts of physical violence” since their split, The Independent reported.

“Throughout our relationship,” Bailey notes in the documents, “Daryl has been and continues to be physically, verbally, emotionally, and financially abusive towards me. I am seeking orders to protect myself and our son Halo from his ongoing abuse.”

The court documents detail the allegedly violent incidents, including one in January where things got heated as the former couple was working out a visitation schedule for their young son at Bailey’s home, Complex reported.

Bailey was putting Halo into his car seat when Granberry got upset and asked her to get out of his car. He called her a “b***h” multiple times in the process, The Independent reported.

“The next thing I knew, things got physical between us,” Bailey said in the documents. “We fought each other, wrestling and tussling. At one point, Daryl was pulling my hair. He then slammed my face on the steering wheel, causing my tooth to get chipped. I then stopped fighting back as I was in a lot of pain.”

Photos of Bailey’s chipped tooth and bruises on her arms were included in the documents.

According to TMZ, Bailey was in pain and crying, and even though the physical fighting stopped, she was still unsure about Halo’s safety. She stayed in Granberry’s car and rode with him and the young boy to the rapper’s house. Bailey claims she told Granberry’s family what happened, and after they assured her that they’d take care of Halo, she left the home “hysterical.”

A few days later, Granberry returned to Bailey’s home. Bailey told the rapper that she and Halo were sick, and she wasn’t comfortable with the young boy leaving the house. Bailey claims that Granberry became verbally abusive, smashed her Ring camera, and took off with Bailey’s phone.

Granberry allegedly drove off, threw her phone out of the window, and yelled, “Go get it b***h.” Bailey claimed that’s when she decided to file a police report. She also noted in the documents that she has the Ring camera footage that will corroborate her story.

DDG took to social media around that time and claimed Bailey was keeping Halo from him and hadn’t seen their son in months.

Halle Bailey claims the rapper broke into her house in March and made Brent Faiyaz accusations

Court documents also recount a March incident during which Granberry went to Bailey’s home without her permission when the singer was not there. The rapper allegedly went to her bedroom and texted her a picture of her empty bedroom.

“Now I know what you’ve been on, lol,” he wrote with the image.

Bailey was pushed over the edge more recently when, while on vacation with Halo and her sister Chloe Bailey in St. Lucia, Granberry texted her several social media posts that claimed she was on the getaway with singer Brent Faiyaz.

Bailey responded and shut down the accusation.

“Not with any man out here. I wouldn’t do that, I have Halo … please let me enjoy my Mother’s Day in peace. I hope you are okay and feel better soon,” she wrote.

In addition to staying away from her and Halo, Bailey asked the judge to stop Granberry from villainizing her on social media, The Independent reported.

“Whenever he wishes to cause upset, he starts bad-mouthing me to his several millions of fans,” she said in the documents. “He claims I am withholding our son and that I am with other men. As a result, I then receive threats and hate on social media.”

The judge granted the order and is allowing Bailey to take Halo to Italy for two months as the singer shoots a movie there, TMZ reported. Granberry has also been ordered not to have any weapons in his possession.

DDG appeared to find out about the order during a livestream

According to Complex, Granberry found out about the order during a livestream with Adin Ross on Tuesday. In a clip of the livestream, the rapper appears confused as Ross calls Bailey’s claims “fake allegations.”

A hearing has been scheduled for June 6, and the judge will have the option to extend the order for up to five years, The Independent reported.

The family of Karmelo Anthony, the teenager who was charged with the murder of one of his peers, believes he’s innocent.

The high schooler is planning on claiming self-defense after he was accused of fatally stabbing 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a track meet.

Karmelo Anthony’s family supports his innocence

“I believe the Anthony family feels that, yes, Karmelo Anthony is innocent of this, and they are going to support Karmelo Anthony in this entire process and get him prepared,” Dominique Alexander, a representative for the family, told NewsNation in an interview.

Anthony was arrested on the scene. He admitted to the crime and claimed self-defense during his arrest. The stabbing occurred after both him and Metcalf were allegedly involved in an altercation. 

The teenager was released from detention and placed on house arrest after his bond was reduced from $1 million to $250,000 by a judge. Anthony’s family started a support fund that has raised over $500,000, according to the news outlet.

“This fund was created to support their family, to help them relocate, to pay for legal expenses, and I could tell you those funds are being used properly,” Alexander said. 

Karmelo Anthony still plans on claiming self-defense 

“Any loss of life is a tragedy,” Alexander said. “Any child that loses his life is a tragedy, no matter the circumstance.”

The representative for the family added that Anthony’s self-defense claim should be taken seriously. He likened the situation to the case of Kyle Rittenhouse, a teenager who killed two people and injured another at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest and who was acquitted after pleading self-defense.

“Whatever uproar it wants to create, Kyle Rittenhouse displayed, this was self-defense. And all my correlation is, is that if Kyle Rittenhouse said self-defense, Karmelo Anthony has the rights to self-defense,” Alexander said.

Urania Wilson, the mother of Caleb Wilson, a Southern University and A&M College student who died due to alleged hazing while pledging, recently graduated from college.

This Mother’s Day weekend was bittersweet for Urania, as one of her stops was at Southern University at New Orleans. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the HBCU, which had commencement ceremonies over the weekend. The outlet posted a video of the moment she graced the stage. In the video, she holds a cutout sign of her late son’s face to honor his life.

Support pours in for Caleb Wilson’s mother after powerful graduation moment

Those in attendance gave her a standing ovation and cheered her on. The general public also rallied behind her in the comments section of post that shared the recording. 

“This is the definition of turning your pain into a purpose, God bless her!” one person wrote on social media.

“She’s coming for y’all Just wait and see… I love that for her 👏🙌🔥,” another person wrote.

“As someone who just graduated last weekend with this same degree I’m in tears for her!!!! 😭🖤 I know Caleb was right there with here walking across that stage!!” someone else wrote.

Arrests made in fatal hazing case as family pushes for legislative reform

In March, news broke that her son Caleb died during the new member intake process of the Greek fraternity Omega Psi Phi. As Blavity reported, those allegedly responsible for his passing are Caleb McCray (23), Kyle Thurman (25) and Isaiah Smith (28). The three men were arrested the following month for the roles they played in the off-campus hazing ritual that led to the 20-year-old’s death. Additionally, the three men were expelled from their chapters of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. 

McCray, who allegedly punched Caleb in his chest multiple times, after which the victim appeared to fall and have a seizure, per the arrest warrants, is charged with felony criminal hazing and manslaughter. The latter two are facing prosecution for felony criminal hazing.

According to the Gordie Center, over 100 people have lost their lives due to hazing activities in the United States since January 2000. And 76% of hazing-related deaths were connected to fraternities, per data gathered from Hank Nuwer’s Unofficial Hazing Deaths Database Clearinghouse.

In response to the tragic incident, Caleb’s family has partnered with Louisiana State Rep. Delisha Boyd, the lawmaker behind the Caleb Wilson Act, a bill designed to prevent hazing.

Daniel Phillip was the first witness to testify at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ trial that began on Monday.

The 41-year-old male escort — who was hired by Diddy and had a relationship with him and then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, testified that he was paid between $700 and $6,000 to engage in sex with Ventura disgraced hip-hop mogul watched.

What we learned about Daniel Phillip’s relationship with Cassie and Diddy

Not only did Phillip claim that the sex sessions would last for hours, he also said that he once overheard Diddy physically assault Ventura in a separate room at the Jumeirah Essex House Hotel, Variety reported.

“I could hear what sounded like him slapping her. She was screaming, ‘I’m sorry! I’m sorry!’” Phillip said. Combs told Ventura, “Bitch, when I tell you to come, you come now. Not later.”

When asked why he didn’t intervene in the alleged violence Diddy inflected upon Ventura, he said, “In my mind … if I tried to do something I might lose my life,” he added. “My thoughts were, [Combs] was someone with unlimited power. … My life was at risk.”

As Variety wrote of one part of Phillip’s testimony, “When asked why he continued to meet up with Combs and Ventura, he told the courtroom that he considered Ventura a friend and wanted to ‘check up’ on her. Plus, he feared that if he aggravated Combs, he might be in danger.”

Other revelations that Daniel Phillip shared on the stand

During the first session, Phillip said it took a while before he recognized Diddy since he was wearing a bandana that covered his face from the nose down, according to Variety. It wasn’t until Phillip heard Diddy’s voice that he recognized him.

Phillip alleged that condoms were rarely ever used during his sexual encounters with Ventura. He also recounted a time when Ventura asked him to urinate on her.

“He was always sitting in the corner masturbating,” Phillip said about Combs, per Variety.

On a couple of occasions, Phillip said Diddy videotaped the sessions and had a photo taken of his driver’s license before telling him it was “just for insurance, just in case.”

“I understood it to be he was threatening me,” Phillip said.

As evidence of Diddy’s alleged abuse toward Ventura, prosecutors played footage showing Diddy assaulting Ventura at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles for the jury, which consists of eight men and four women.

Why did Trump grant white South Africans refugee status? Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe sent a letter to members of the church and said that about two weeks ago, the federal government “informed Episcopal Migration Ministries that under the terms of […]