During Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial, Cassie Ventura’s mother took the stand briefly but provided a striking insight into the abusive and controlling dynamics of her daughter’s relationships with Combs over a span of more than ten years, both emotionally and financially costly.
After hearing conflicting testimonies from Combs’ former assistant David James, Regina Ventura shared her fears for her daughter’s safety during the period spanning 2007 to 2018 when Cassie and Diddy were intermittently together.
Regina Ventura recounted receiving an alarming email from her daughter shortly before Christmas in 2011, indicating that Cassie had ended her relationship with Combs and was involved with rapper/actor Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi), which displeased Combs, as noted by Judge Arun Subramanian and the jury.
The elder Ventura read a distressing message from Cassie, stating, “The threats that have been made towards me by Sean ‘Puffy’ Combs are that he is going to release 2 explicit sex tapes of me… He has also said that he will be having someone hurt me and Scott Mescudi physically.”
The case was initiated largely due to Cassie Ventura’s settled abuse and assault lawsuit against Combs for $20 million in November 2023, leading to the criminal charges against him, including racketeering and sex trafficking. If convicted, Diddy may face life imprisonment.
Regina testified that she felt “physically sick” after the email and was further alarmed when she saw Cassie’s bruises upon her return home for the holidays, allegedly from Combs. Concerned, she documented her daughter’s injuries with photographs.
The jury viewed these photos, and Regina expressed her fears regarding the sex tapes and Combs’ potential violence. She revealed that to placate Combs after Cassie began dating Kid Cudi, he demanded $20,000 from her parents, claiming it was to recoup money spent on Cassie. The Venturas secured a home equity loan to comply, only for the funds to be returned mysteriously.
