Cassie Testifies Against Diddy, Confirms $20M Settlement And Details Abuse

Cassie Ventura is no longer staying silent. On May 14, the 37-year-old singer and model took the witness stand in Manhattan federal court and revealed publicly for the first time that she received a $20 million settlement from Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2023. Her testimony comes as part of a sweeping federal trial in which Diddy faces charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and other serious crimes.

“Who paid you $20 million?” asked prosecutor Emily Johnson during the examination.

“Sean and his companies,” Cassie answered.

Cassie, born Casandra Ventura, filed her lawsuit under New York’s Adult Survivors Act last November, accusing the music mogul of rape, physical abuse, and coercion. Though the case was settled privately in less than 24 hours, it helped spark a larger federal investigation that eventually led to Diddy’s arrest in September 2024.

Now, she’s testifying as a key witness for the prosecution, and she’s not holding back. In her testimony, Cassie described a decade-long relationship marked by isolation, fear, and control. She told the court how Diddy allegedly used surveillance, threats, and explicit videos to manipulate her. According to her, the videos were recorded during forced drug-fueled encounters with male escorts — events he allegedly orchestrated and filmed to blackmail her.

One of the notable moments in court came when Cassie recounted the night she says Diddy raped her in 2018. She said she met him in Malibu, thinking it was a final, peaceful conversation. But when he drove her home afterward, she said he forced himself on her.

“I just remember crying and saying ‘no,’ but it was very fast,” she told the jury.

During her emotional testimony, Cassie also told the jury that she briefly dated Kid Cudi in 2011, but was forced to cut the relationship short out of fear for their safety.

At the time, Cassie said her relationship with Diddy was rocky, and she wasn’t in a good place emotionally. She found comfort in a connection with Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi. But things spiraled when Diddy found out.

According to Cassie, Diddy discovered an email from Cudi’s team about a toiletry bag, which sparked his rage. She described how he allegedly lunged at her with a wine opener gripped between his fingers.

“I just remember him putting a wine opener between his fingers and lunging at me,” she told the court.

Terrified, she ran off to a hotel and used a burner phone that she kept hidden from Diddy to call Cudi. Cassie said she went to his house briefly, but eventually decided to face Diddy and talk things through.

What followed, she said, was an explosion of violence and threats. When she arrived at his residence, Cassie claimed Diddy kicked her in the back with such force that she hit the floor. “I had a large bruise on my back and bruises on other places,” she told the jury. “He literally kicked me with the bottom of his foot.”

When she returned to her hotel room, she found it destroyed — clothes thrown everywhere, urine on the floor, and feces in the toilet.

Cassie also said that Diddy didn’t stop there. He allegedly threatened to harm both her and Cudi and even talked about blowing up the rapper’s car. “He mentioned when we were out of the country that Scott’s car would be blown up and he wanted his friends to see it,” she recalled.

Disturbingly, in 2023, Kid Cudi confirmed to The New York Times that his car did, in fact, explode in his driveway. Fearing what might happen next, Cassie said she ended things with Cudi to protect them both.

Diddy has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His legal team maintains that all the acts in question were consensual and that the women involved, including Cassie, willingly participated in what insiders allegedly called “Freak-Offs.”

The trial, which began on May 5, is expected to last several more weeks and could potentially involve more high-profile witnesses.