‘I Felt Trapped’: Cassie Ventura’s Words Echo Beyond the Courtroom Walls

In a packed Manhattan courtroom, Cassie Ventura did something that should never have been necessary—she testified against Sean “Diddy” Combs, the man she says abused her for over a decade. Her words, soft-spoken yet deeply devastating, shook the courtroom and the internet alike. But as graphic and overwhelming as her story is, it’s also painfully familiar to survivors of coercive control and domestic violence.

Cassie Ventura says Diddy beat her too many times to count

Testifying while eight months pregnant, Ventura calmly walked to the stand, refusing to look at Combs. According to reporters from NBC News, Yahoo!, and PEOPLE, she recounted years of alleged abuse that included violent beatings, emotional manipulation, and threats. “Too many to count,” she said when asked how often Combs had hit her.

One of the most harrowing incidents occurred in 2016 at an L.A. hotel, captured by surveillance footage and shown in court. The video showed Combs attacking Ventura, kicking and dragging her in a hallway. She testified that she fled the hotel in an Uber, then texted Combs: “I have a black eye and a fat lip. You are sick for thinking it’s okay to do what you’ve done. Please stay away from me.”

Freak-offs, control, and blackmail: What Cassie Ventura endured

The prosecution introduced a disturbing pattern they called “freak-offs”—days-long, drug-fueled sex sessions orchestrated by Combs and often recorded without Ventura’s full consent. According to TODAY, the New York Times, and NewsNation, Ventura testified that she would take ketamine to dissociate from the acts. Combs would often direct what happened in the room, masturbating as he gave instructions.

Sometimes, the abuse escalated even further. According to PEOPLE, Ventura testified that she was forced to participate in sex during her period and subjected to degrading acts like being urinated on. “There is not a whole lot of control you have with two men standing over you peeing,” she said. “I thought it was obvious I didn’t want to do it.”

The emotional and physical toll on Cassie Ventura

Throughout the testimony, Ventura detailed the lasting impact of the years she spent under Combs’ control. She described developing an addiction to opioids, which she used to numb herself from the physical and emotional trauma. The aftermath of the freak-offs included urinary tract infections, mouth sores, dehydration, and intense fatigue.

“I didn’t want to feel what was going on in my mind and life,” she testified.

She also described the fear of blackmail, telling the court that Combs threatened to release sexually explicit videos if she disobeyed him. “I feared for my career. I feared for my family. It’s horrible. It’s disgusting. No one should do that to anyone.”

The 2013 assault that left her with a permanent scar

According to Deadline and Yahoo!, Ventura recounted a 2013 incident in which Combs threw her against a bedframe for not packing quickly enough for a music festival. The blow left her with a gash above her eyebrow, which required plastic surgery. She texted Combs a photo of the injury with the caption: “So you can remember.”

He responded, “You don’t know when to stop. You pushed it too far and continued to push. Sad.”

Cassie Ventura’s testimony is a reckoning—one that can’t be ignored

Across her testimony, Ventura returned to a key theme: survival. She said she often complied to keep Combs from getting angry. Ventura said she went along with freak-offs because she didn’t know what “no” could turn into. In the outside world, she wore sunglasses and makeup to red carpets to hide bruises. She loved him. She feared him.

In describing this complexity, Ventura is doing what many survivors are often forced to do alone: explain the nuances of staying, of enduring, of trying to survive under impossible conditions.

As Tamara Holder, a women’s rights attorney, told NewsNation: “She helps the jury understand coercive control—the idea that you love someone who abuses you, and how you can’t escape the imbalance of the power dynamic.”

This is bigger than one man, or even one survivor. Cassie Ventura’s voice carries the weight of many.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.