NEW YORK— Casandra Ventura, the R&B vocalist and star recognized just as Cassie, started affirming Tuesday in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking test.
The songs magnate is billed with utilizing his standing as an effective exec to push females– consisting of Cassie– right into violent sex-related experiences and ending up being fierce if they declined. He has actually begged innocent. Cassie filed a claim against Combs in 2023 declaring years of rape and misuse. The match was resolved within hours, yet was adhered to by lots of comparable lawful insurance claims and touched off a criminal examination.
Here’s what you require to find out about the 38-year-old celebrity witness:
A skilled entertainer
A vocalist, star, professional dancer and version, Cassie’s specialist aspirations started in teenage years, when she authorized to the top-tier skill and modeling firm Wilhelmina. Her songs job introduced quickly after that, when she left her home state of Connecticut for New York City, where she authorized with supervisor Tony Mottola and very first satisfied Combs.
Cassie is maybe best recognized for the 2006 hit solitary “Me & & U, “which safeguarded the No. 1 place on the Signboard Hot R&B/ Hip-Hop tunes graph and No. 3 on the Signboard Hot 100 all categories graph. It was licensed platinum by the Recording Market Organization of America (RIAA). The Ryan Leslie-produced track was the lead solitary of her only workshop cd, launched by Combs’ Poor Young Boy Records, and was self-titled. She left the tag in 2019.
As a star, she showed up in numerous tv and movies jobs consisting of Fox’s “Realm,” “The Perfect Suit” and “Spenser Confidential.” She made her acting launching in 2008 in “Tip Up 2: The Streets” and added the track “Is It You” to its soundtrack.
She’s shown up in a variety of video too, consisting of Wiz Khalifa’s “Roll Up” and Mario’s “Simply A Close friend 2002.”
Although she never ever launched her long-teased student cd, at the same time factor tentatively labelled “Electro Love,” she did go down a couple of tracks: the R&B- pop “Authorities Lady” with Lil Wayne, “Have To Be Love” with Combs, and “Allow’s Obtain Crazy” with Akon. And in 2012, Nicki Minaj touched her for an attribute on “The Boys” from Minaj’s “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded– The Re-Up.”
Cassie is additionally a better half and a mommy. She wed individual fitness instructor Alex Penalty in September 2019. Their very first little girl, Frankie Rock Penalty, was birthed that very same year and they invited their 2nd little girl, Sunny Cinco Penalty, in 2021. She is presently expecting with their 3rd kid, a child.
The Combs’ connection
Cassie satisfied Combs in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37. He authorized her to his Poor Child Records tag and, within a couple of years, they began dating.
In her 2023 civil claim, Cassie declares Combs entraped her in a “cycle of misuse, physical violence, and sex trafficking” for greater than a years, consisting of raping her and requiring her to participate in sex acts with male sex employees. Combs resolved the claim the following day.
In Might 2024, CNN broadcast video clip that revealed Combs striking Cassie in resort corridor in 2016. The video clip very closely mirrored an attack explained in her claim, which stated Combs had actually currently punched her that evening, and she was attempting to leave the InterContinental Resort in Los Angeles when he woke and followed her. In the video, a guy that seems Diddy, putting on just a towel, punches Cassie, kicks her, and tosses her on the flooring. The claim declares Combs paid $50,000 to hide the video clip at the time.
Later, Combs excused the attack on Cassie in his very first actual recommendation of misdeed given that the stream of claims started.
To name a few points, Cassie declares Combs raped her when she attempted to leave him and frequently punched, kicked and defeated her, triggering injuries consisting of swellings, ruptured lips, shiners and hemorrhaging.
She additionally declares that Combs was associated with exploding competing rap artist Child Cudi’s vehicle when he found out that Cudi was passionately thinking about her, and she declares that Combs lacked his home with weapons when he found out that Suge Knight, a competing manufacturer, was consuming close-by.
On the very first day of Combs’ sex trafficking test, a witness, Daniel Phillip, stated he was an expert pole dancer that was paid $700 to $6,000 to make love with Cassie while Combs enjoyed and provided guidelines, with the very first experience in 2012.
Phillip informed jurors that he quit meeting the pair after he saw Combs toss a container at her and afterwards drag her by her hair right into a room as she shouted.
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AP author Mike Sisak added to this record.
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