This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.
Cassie Ventura took the witness stand Tuesday to testify against her ex-boyfriend Sean Combs at his racketeering and sex trafficking trial.
She told the jury Combs controlled a lot of her life, from her career to the way she dressed, and became abusive as their relationship progressed. She then broke down on the witness stand as she described her participation in so-called "freak offs."
Ventura said she had just turned 22 when Combs first proposed these alleged marathon sex performances with male prostitutes that she said eventually “became almost weekly.” She said it would be impossible to remember participating in all of them.
The average length of a freak off was two or three days, Ventura said, during which she was awake, fueled by ecstasy, molly and cocaine that she said was given to her by Combs.
"Who decided when a freak off was over?" prosecutor Emily Johnson asked.
“Ultimately that would be Sean,” Ventura responded.
“Did you want to participate in every freak off?” Johnson asked.
“No,” Ventura answered. “I felt like it was all I was good for. It was disgusting. I felt humiliated. I didn’t have the words for how horrible I really felt.”
If she refused to participate, Combs “would be violent with me,” according to Ventura.
“Why did you not release another album during this time?” Johnson asked.
“You’re asking me?” Ventura responded in jest. “Plainly, the freak offs became a job where there was no space to do anything else but to recover and just try to feel normal again.”
Ventura said the alleged sexual encounters with prostitutes typically lasted anywhere from 36 to 48 to 72 hours. The longest one lasted four days, she said.
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
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