NEW YORK (AP) — The R&B singer Cassie is back for more cross-examination Friday by the defense team for ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Prosecutors allege that the hip hop mogul used his fame and fortune to orchestrate an empire of exploitation, coercing women into abusive sex parties. His lawyers argue that all the sexual acts were consensual, and although he could be violent, he never veered into sex trafficking and racketeering. Combs has pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Defense attorney Anna Estevao has made Cassie read out loud from messages expressing desire for the drug-fueled group sex she previously testified left her traumatized. Estevao also suggested that by exposing Combs’ sexual behavior in a lawsuit, it was Cassie who ended Combs’ career, not the other way around.
Prosecutors implored the judge overnight to make the defense wrap up its questioning in time to allow for prosecution follow-ups on Friday, citing concern for Cassie’s “health and safety” and the potential for a mistrial if she goes into labor with her third child.
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Cassie is questioned about her treatment in 2023
Estevao noted that the women’s center offered treatment for sex addiction, sexual compulsion and love addiction — and she asked Cassie if she was treated for any of these things during her weeks-long stay.
Cassie said she was not — but that she did undergo neurofeedback therapy: “They hook your brain up to a machine and you watch something and it regulates your brain waves.”
She said she underwent it five or six times or about once a week during her stay, and that she believed it was to help her process trauma.
Cassie said she also underwent “EMDR” therapy to process trauma — and gave an example of recalling a traumatic moment when you couldn’t escape a room, but through therapy are able to experience what it’s like to escape the room.
Jurors hear Cassie in 2013 pleading not to make sex video public
Jurors heard a recording of a distressed Cassie screaming at a friend who said he had seen a video of performing sex acts.
In the recording, made by Cassie in 2013, the man claimed to have the video on his phone. Cassie is heard pleading to see the video and then threatening to kill him if it became public.
“I’ve never killed anyone in my life, but I will kill you,” Cassie told the man, punctuating her threats with profanity.
Cassie acknowledged in her testimony that Combs subsequently made efforts to keep the video private.
Cassie told Combs after LA hotel attack: ‘I’m not a rag doll’
Defense attorney Anna Estevao resumed her cross examination Friday with questions related to the March 2016 recording of Combs attacking Cassie at the elevator bank of a Los Angeles hotel. In it, Combs can be seen slinging Cassie to the floor, kicking her and dragging her into a hotel hallway.
Estevao had Cassie read aloud a text message in which she complained that Combs was out of control from drugs and alcohol that day. In the message, Cassie told Combs: “I’m not a rag doll. I’m somebody’s child.”
Through text messages read aloud to the jury, Estevao then showed that Combs and Cassie were expressing love to one another again just days later as they tried to recover from the hotel attack. Cassie told Combs in one text: “We need a different vibe from Friday.”
Cassie said Combs was wary of her dating or giving attention to other men, even during breaks in their decade-long relationship. The hip-hop star took her phone from her on numerous occasions, including when he found out she was dating a football player and when she suspected her of dancing with the singer Chris Brown. Cassie didn’t name the player and denied dancing with Brown.
Defense agrees not to show Combs’ ‘God in my heart’ video
The judge has tried to clear the way for jurors to be brought in on time for what was hoped to be Cassie’s last day on the witness stand.
One item in dispute: A recording Combs made when he went to rehabilitation after a March 2016 attack on Cassie at the elevator bank of a Los Angeles hotel.
Prosecutor Emily Johnson said the video showed Combs “wandering through nature” as he spoke of “religion and God.” She described it as an effort by Combs’ lawyers to seek sympathy from the jury.
On the video, Combs says he has “God in my heart.” The judge watched it and then decided the argument was moot because the defense agreed not to show the video to the jury.
Prosecutors want the judge to force Cassie’s cross examination to end Friday
Their complaints include:
1. The defense will have had multiple more hours to question Cassie than the government took in its direct examination.
2. A defense lawyer asked questions stemming from civil lawsuits against Combs rather than the criminal case, for example by asking her if illegal substances were in the baby oil used during their “freak-off” sex parties.
3. Considerable time was lost making Cassie read lengthy text message chains out loud, even though they contained sexually explicit content or expressions of love.
4. The defense effectively sandbagged prosecutors by turning over 400 exhibits at the last minute that might be used during the cross examination, thereby losing time on discussions about the evidence.
Prosecutors tell judge the defense is trying to ‘filibuster’ its cross-examination
A day after an attorney for Combs claimed that prosecutors purposely delayed calling Cassie to testify so that the defense would have less time to cross examine her, prosecutors shot back in a letter to the judge overnight.
Prosecutors said it seemed defense lawyers were intent on forcing Cassie to return to the witness stand on Monday so that Combs could review transcripts over the weekend and help them prepare additional questions for her.
They also raised the risk of a mistrial if Cassie is required to return Monday but instead goes into labor with her third child over the weekend.
What to know Friday:
5. What are the charges against Combs? He faces one count of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs denies all the allegations and has pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
6. Where are we at in the trial? Prosecutors spent two days questioning Cassie, their star witness, about Combs’ abusive behavior. Defense lawyers are seeking to portray Cassie as a willing participant in his sexual lifestyle, and say that while he could be violent, nothing he did amounted to a criminal enterprise.
7. Why isn’t there a livestream? Under federal court rules, no photos or video of the trial will be allowed. Courtroom sketches are permitted.
Key moments from Thursday’s testimony
Messages between Combs and Cassie — both romantic and lurid — were the focus of the fourth day of testimony in a Manhattan courtroom. Defense attorney Anna Estevao read what Combs wrote, while Cassie recited her own messages about her participation in marathon encounters with sex workers, called “freak-offs.”
8. In August 2009, Combs asked when she wanted the next encounter to be, and she replied “I’m always ready to freak off.” Two days later, Cassie sent an explicit message and he replied in eager anticipation. She responded: “Me Too, I just want it to be uncontrollable.” Later that year, however, she also sent Combs messages that she was frustrated with the state of their relationship and needed something more from him than sex.
9. In a 2017 text message, Cassie told Combs: “I love our FOs when we both want it,” using the initials of freak-off. On the stand, Cassie explained: “I would say loving FOs were just words at that point.”
10. Cassie complained at one point that jurors weren’t hearing the full context of the messages the defense was highlighting, saying, “There’s a lot we skipped over.”
11. Combs’ attorney presented Cassie with sexual texts she sent before a 2016 encounter at a Los Angeles hotel, where Combs was caught on surveillance video kicking and dragging her in a hallway. Cassie said she wanted to get the encounter over with, in order to keep Combs happy and avoid a scene ahead of movie premier she was attending days later.
▶ Read more about Cassie’s testimony Thursday