(NewsNation) — Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura will take the stand in the trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs, her ex-partner, who allegedly was caught on camera beating her in a hotel hallway in 2016.
Footage reportedly showing Ventura being assaulted by Combs has been allowed by the judge for jurors to watch. The hotel surveillance video has been called a “smoking gun” by legal experts.
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Cassie Ventura attend the ‘Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination’ Costume Institute Gala 2018 at Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, New York on Monday, May 7, 2018. (Laura Thompson / New York Daily News via Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 07: Cassie Ventura and Sean “Diddy” Combs attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter) -
Cassie Ventura, a longtime associate and former girlfriend of Combs, previously filed the civil suit that triggered the criminal investigation. -
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 27: Cassie (L) and recording artist Sean “Diddy” Combs attend the Clive Davis and Recording Academy Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons Honoring Jay-Z on January 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic) -
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 03: Music artist Cassie Ventura attends the VH1’s 3rd Annual “Dear Mama: A Love Letter To Moms” – Cocktail Reception at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on May 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images) -
Singer and model Cassie Ventura (L) and Rap mogul P Diddy (aka Sean Combs) arrive for the traditionnal Clive Davis party on the eve of the 60th Annual Grammy Awards on January 28, 2018, in New York. / AFP PHOTO / Jewel SAMAD (Photo credit should read JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 14: Singer-Songwriter Cassie attends Buttah Skin By Dorion Renaud Holiday Pop-Up on December 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage) -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 07: Cassie attends the 2022 CFDA Awards at Casa Cipriani on November 07, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic) -
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 19: Cassie backstage at Terminal 5 on May 19, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Cassie’s lawsuit against Diddy alleged rape, abuse
Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in 2023, alleging in New York federal court that he brought her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” when she was just 19 and he was 37. In the lawsuit, Ventura detailed a yearslong relationship that included beatings and rapes, saying that a pattern of abuse began as soon as the relationship started.
That lawsuit was settled out of court shortly after it was filed.
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.