Diddy’s defence team has tried to establish that the so-called ‘freak-offs’ - sexual encounters in which Cassie Ventura would have sex with male escorts while Diddy watched - may have been consensual. It’s been the first day of Cassie’s cross-examination by one of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ lawyers. Anna Estevao asked Ventura about the more loving side of the pair's time together, after she testified over the last two days about alleged violence and abuse.Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty speaks to the BBC’s Madeline Halpert about Cassie’s cross examination and gets the latest legal analysis from criminal defence attorney Shaun Kent.A warning that this episode contains descriptions of violence, sexual violence, including rape and graphic descriptions of sex.The Diddy on Trial podcast is here to investigate the rumours, confront the theories, and give you the answers that you need. We also want YOU to be part of the conversation. Have you any questions about the case? Heard a theory that doesn’t sit right with you? Get in touch now via WhatsApp: 0330 123 555 1.Presenter: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty Series Producer: Laura Jones Sound Design: Mark Burrows Senior Digital Producer: Matthew Pintus Video Producer: Daniel Raza Production Coordinator: Hattie Valentine Editor: Clare Fordham Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland Commissioning Assistant Producer: Rechmial Miller
Full Episode
BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Hello and welcome back to Diddy on Trial from BBC Sounds with me, Anushka Matanda-Doughty, here at the Federal Courthouse in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Just a warning, this episode contains descriptions of violence, sexual violence, including rape, and graphic descriptions of sex.
Cassie Ventura has been in the courtroom behind me all day answering questions from Sean Diddy Combs' defence lawyer. She was Sean Combs' partner for more than a decade and she's been the prosecution's main witness for this case.
Now remember, after making her testimony yesterday, Cassie wasn't allowed to receive any advice from the prosecution before facing questions from the defence, whose aim it is to pick holes in what she said. But before we dig into the detail, I wanted to just take a moment to tell you a bit about who's been coming into the court to watch the trial this week.
In the US, federal court proceedings are generally open to the public. It means you've got journalists like me, but then you have social media influencers, people referring to themselves as citizen journalists, and then everyday ordinary Americans who are simply interested in finding out what's been going on.
There was one moment where a lady had to be escorted out of one of the overflow rooms after shouting her disgust in the direction of the TV monitor, which was showing a live feed of the courtroom. She shouted that Cassie was going to go into labour on the stand. And outside the courtroom, Diddy's supporters had been playing his music non-stop.
Sean Diddy Combs is accused of sex trafficking, transportation for prostitution and racketeering with conspiracy. He denies all the charges and says he's never sexually assaulted anyone, man or woman, adult or minor. If found guilty, he could end up spending the rest of his life behind bars. It's 4pm and it's the end of the day.
And I'm here with Madeleine Halpert, who's been inside the court digitally reporting for the BBC in New York. Madeleine, how did the cross-examination begin today?
There's been a lot of starting and stopping today. So it began this morning. They were supposed to start yesterday, but they decided in the end to push it to today. And we started going through Mr. Combs and Cassie Ventura's relationship. So we started with the early days. There was some going back and forth in terms of time periods, but just kind of
establishing actually the the love in their relationship and the passion that was there they were trying to show that other side of things we've heard a lot about the abuse but today was kind of at least at the beginning was more focused on why they were together and why she fell in love with him and when they said to cassie things like you were in love with him right you were in love with him for 11 years how did she respond to those kind of questions she did not deny loving him there were these
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