Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs stands accused of sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution charges, and his trial is now underway.
The court is hearing that Diddy allegedly forced women into drug-fuelled ‘freak off’ sex parties that could last for days. He also allegedly physically attacked those who tried not to take part.
Other charges include arson against a rival’s car, beating up a number of women, as well as dangling someone from a balcony, kidnapping, bribery, and obstruction of justice.
His former partner Cassie Ventura is expected to be a central witness in the trial. Footage has previously emerged of Combs attacking her and throwing her around in a hotel corridor.
Ventura is expected to provide testimony that Combs pressured her to take drugs and have sex with male escorts, as well as first-hand accounts of the aforementioned parties.
Here’s a closer look at who Cassie Ventura is and her involvement in the case.
Who is Cassie Ventura?
Cassie Ventura is an American singer, dancer, actress, and model, born in Connecticut. She’s best known as Cassie, which is the name she publishes music under.
Cassie was ‘discovered’ by Combs and signed her to a joint venture with his own record label, Bad Boy Records, with which she released her 2006 debut single, ‘Me & U’.
In 2010, she also released the single ‘Must Be Love,’ which featured Diddy.
After that, Cassie also pursued an acting career, appearing in various music videos, as well as playing Sophie Donovan in ‘Step Up 2: The Streets’.
In 2015, she returned to music with a second album, also produced by Combs. She released more singles each year, until Cassie broke up with Diddy in January of 2019 and left Bad Boy Records at the same time.
Who is her husband Alex Fine?
In September 2019, Cassie married her personal trainer Alex Fine, just nine months after ending her relationship with Combs.
The couple have two daughters together, born in December 2019 and March 2021 respectively, with a third child on the way, as announced on February 19, 2025.
Fine owns his own fitness company, with celebrity clients including Jennifer Aniston, Mark Wahlberg, and cast members from Riverdale and Outer Banks. He also used to work as Combs’ personal trainer, as well as Cassie’s.
He has been publicly supportive of Cassie throughout her lawsuit and the current trial, appearing in court to support Cassie ahead of her testimony.
Fine has taken to social media in the past to defend Cassie and slam Combs, including a 2024 post following an apology from Diddy after footage was released of him assaulting Cassie.
“I want my kids and every kid to live in a world that’s safe for women and girls, protects them and treats them as equals,” Fine wrote. “To the women and children, you’re not alone, and you are heard.”
How long were Cassie and Diddy together and a complete background of their relationship?
Cassie and Diddy were together for 12 years, from 2007 to early 2019. The relationship blended personal and work, with Combs ‘discovering’ Cassie and his record label publishing her first two albums, as well as a host of singles.
Ventura alleges a number of charges of abuse that are relevant to the ongoing trial. On November 16, 2023, she filed a lawsuit against Combs, with allegations that he subjected her to a decade-long "cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking."
Filed in the Federal District Court in Manhattan, the lawsuit comes under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law which allows people who say they were victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits after the statute of limitations has expired.
Ventura alleged that the abuse began when their relationship started in 2007. Specific instances include a 2018 rape after she tried to end the relationship, as well as multiple instances of domestic violence.
Combs denied the allegations and, one day after the lawsuit was filed, both legal parties for the pair announced they had reached an out-of-court agreement to resolve the case, the details of which were not made public.
In May 2024, CNN obtained and published a video of Combs grabbing Ventura, where he is seen throwing her to the ground, punching and kicking her. Combs would go on to issue a video apology for the incident.
Full list of allegations revealed
Combs has been detained in a Brooklyn jail since September. Now the trial is underway, the 55-year-old has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges, as well as pleading not guilty to a number of civil charges.
If convicted on all counts, the signer could face between 15 years to life in prison.
The specific charges that Combs is facing are:
- Racketeering conspiracy
- Sex trafficking/kidnapping
- Arson
- Bribery
- Transportation to engage in prostitution
- Sexual assault
- Rape
- Domestic abuse
