Cassie Ventura, actress, singer, and ex-girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs, recently did just that. In her moving letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, she implored him to think about her and other victims’ stories as he prepares to sentence the music mogul. In her letter, Ventura unapologetically painted a picture of the psychological damage from their toxic, ten-year-long romance. She uncovered horrifying cases of brutality, intimidation, and sexual assault.
Ventura’s letter comes in the wake of her extensive testimony during Combs’ trial, where she recounted her harrowing experiences over four days. She filed her first civil lawsuit against Combs in 2023, returning with even more troubling allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. The case was settled in record time.
In her letters, Ventura portrayed Combs as getting more violent and controlling as their relationship progressed. She said he threatened to kill her if she ever crossed him. He made her participate in drugged-up sex orgies that he referred to as “freak-offs.”
“I still have nightmares and flashbacks on a regular, everyday basis, and continue to require psychological care to cope with my past,” Ventura wrote, highlighting the lasting effects of the trauma she endured.
Ventura was scared that Combs would take action against her and other women who spoke out against his oftentimes abusive behavior. She thought this would be the case unless such a man faced adequate punishment.
“My worries that Sean Combs or his associates will come after me and my family is my reality,” she wrote. “I have in fact moved my family out of the New York area and am keeping as private and quiet as I possibly can because I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his abuse at trial.”
The former couple’s tumultuous relationship has been at the forefront of media coverage since Ventura’s allegations surfaced. In her thoughtful letter, she made it clear that the courtroom was witness to overwhelming evidence of Combs’ dangerous acts. Surveillance video played during the trial showed him kicking and stomping her as she attempted to flee one of the “freak-offs” in 2016.
She still remembers that moment in detail. The whole courtroom watched videos of Combs kicking and beating her as she attempted to flee the scene of a bizarre accident in 2016. Dozens of millions of people watched this footage, witnessing the aftermath, my body tossed to the ground, my hands above my head, my body curling into a fetal position to guard myself from the most brutal punches.
In Ventura’s case, she argued that the jury cannot appreciate the extent of the coercive environment she was subject to. She pointed to the significance of Judge Subramanian’s acknowledgment of the realness of her experience as a victim.
The jury really had a hard time wrapping their heads around the reality of what I went through. They did not realize I did freak offs because of the power and control the defendant had over me. His sentence needs to reflect the truth of this evidence and my lived experience as a victim. She asserted.
Additionally, Ventura took issue with Combs’ defense attorneys’ assertions that he has reformed and wants to mentor other people.
“His defense attorneys claim he is a changed man, and he wants to mentor abusers,” she stated. As someone who has benefited from authentic mentorship, this is disgusting — he is lying! I understand the devil in disguise. He was a predator, a pimp, a trafficker, an abuser, and aggressor.
As sentencing day draws near, Ventura can’t help but feel excited. She hopes that Judge Subramanian will honor the courage she and other victims showed in coming forward with their stories.
It is my sincere hope that your sentencing decision will show these victims how strong they were to come forward against Sean Combs, she wrote. “I hope that your decision considers the many lives that Sean Combs has upended with his abuse and control.”
