The Albany Gazette - Combs's ex Cassie to face intense defense questioning

Ventura, the singer widely known as Cassie, told jurors over two days that Combs raped, beat and forced her into drug-fueled sex parties over the course of their more than a decade together, excruciating testimony that now subjects her to a grilling from defense lawyers.

Combs's lawyers indicated they would seek to emphasize that Ventura took drugs of her own free will, and behaved erratically and even violently herself.

While Ventura's relationship with Combs was complicated and included domestic abuse, the defense said in opening statements, it did not amount to the sex trafficking he is charged with.

"Being a willing participant in your own sex life is not sex trafficking," said defense lawyer Teny Geragos earlier this week.

Combs, 55, was once one of the most powerful figures in the music industry, but is now incarcerated on charges of sex trafficking and leading an illegal sex ring that enforced its power with crimes including arson, kidnapping and bribery.

Ventura is the case's star witness: over two days of testimony, the now 38-year-old described Combs as controlling and willing to wield his wealth and influence to fulfill his desires.

She gave vivid accounts of coercive sex parties -- she participated in hundreds, she testified -- and violent beatings that will underpin much of the prosecution's case against the music industry figure, who is alleged to have used violence and blackmail to manipulate women over many years.

- 'Humiliating' -

Heavily pregnant with her third child, Ventura told jurors in a measured tone -- but sometimes through tears -- how she was forced to engaged in "freak-offs" with Combs and male escorts, sometimes engaging in days-long sex performances directed by the music mogul.

She described how in 2018, as she and Combs were breaking up, he raped her in her living room.

And she testified that her time with the artist left her with post traumatic stress disorder, drug addiction and suicidal thoughts.

The drugs were a "buffer" to withstand the "humiliating" and often-filmed sexual encounters, she said.

In a graphic hotel surveillance clip from March 2016 shown to jurors Monday, Tuesday and again Wednesday, Combs is seen brutally beating and dragging Ventura down a hallway.

The prosecution played portions of the footage while Ventura was on the stand.

When asked why she didn't fight back or get up, Ventura answered simply that curled up on the ground "felt like the safest place to be."

Following the hotel assault, Ventura was forced to attend the premiere of her movie "The Perfect Match" days later while covered in bruises, the jury heard as they were shown photographs of the actress with Combs at the event.

Ventura said she wore sunglasses to conceal a black eye.

Combs's defense team insists while some of his behavior was questionable, it did not constitute racketeering and sex trafficking. He denies all counts.

Ventura's testimony is expected to last at least until the end of the week, and trial proceedings are anticipated to continue well into the summer.

(D.Sanchez--TAG)