Musician Cassie Ventura recall a federal court that Sean “Diddy” Combs experienced an opioid overdose during a party at the Playboy Mansion in 2012. She described this event as part of a broader trend of substance misuse and troubling behavior throughout their decade together.
Ventura testified that Combs ingested a potent, unidentified opioid that night, necessitating a hospital visit. This overdose followed a “freak-off,” a term they used to describe sexually charged parties that frequently involved drugs and male sex workers. Per Ventura, Combs would oversee and engage in the activities, often pleasuring himself while observing.
A toxic combination of coercion and addiction
On the third day of her testimony, Ventura depicted Combs as someone deeply mired in addiction, manipulation, and aggression. She stated that they both regularly consumed painkillers and opioids, primarily to alleviate the stress and physical effects of the so-called freak-offs.
“He was addicted,” Ventura shared with the court, noting that while they spoke about wanting to quit, they would frequently fall back into old habits. She explained that their drug use often stemmed from Combs‘ anxiety about becoming lost in “the matrix,” their euphemism for being too inebriated to function at the parties.
Inside an oppressive relationship
The defense sought to undermine Ventura’s reliability by introducing flirtatious and sexually charged messages exchanged between her and Combs. However, Ventura was adamant that her actions were largely driven by coercion and fear. “It felt like a job,” she explained when asked about her continued involvement in these events.
Ventura further discussed Combs‘ reactions to her previous relationships with celebrities like Kid Cudi and Michael B. Jordan, indicating that such connections would incite jealousy and violent behavior.
Now married and expecting her third child, Ventura has become the main witness for the prosecution in a case alleging Combs of sex trafficking, racketeering, and managing his entertainment business as a crime syndicate. Combs has denied all accusations and entered a plea of not guilty.
As the cross-examination wraps up, developments in the case are ongoing in federal court.