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The Sun
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Love Island's Ben in catfishing nightmare as his identity is stolen for sex website
LOVE Island's Ben Holbrough had his identity hijacked – with his Instagram pictures used on a male escort website without his permission. The taxi driver, 23, who fans have called to be axed from the villa, finally managed to get the profile, which used a fake name, removed. 5 It features a topless picture of Ben in a swimming pool along with snaps of him in a suit at a racecourse. A source said: 'Ben was shocked to be told that a website he knew absolutely nothing about was using his images. 'He and some of his friends tried to have this profile removed. He was really upset to learn that someone was using his Instagram pictures, especially with many of them taken on his holidays. 'Ben explained the situation to the Love Island team during casting. It has been a really stressful time.' A bio on the website read: 'Hey ladies, I'm Lewis (London based). I believe that good company and a good connection is unbeaten. 'I'm an open minded and confident individual, who wants to turn them nerves into excitement. Whether it's a sit-down meal, getting wine and dined at the end of a long week, going out and partying and everything in between – I'm here to make sure of a good time.' Users were invited to 'message for rates', with 'Lewis's' statistics listed as 6ft 3in, aged 27 and based in London. The 'services' included: 'Outcall, dinner/drinks date, day out, shopping trips, weekend away/holiday, go out nightclub/events and full body massage.' It added: 'I'm flexible and always up for listening to your ideas and what you enjoy doing… 'Please only message me on WhatsApp, you'll always get a reply! Seething Love Island fans slam 'vile' Ben and demand he's axed in public vote after explosive row with Yasmin 'Please note, female bookings only.' Ben sparked outrage on last night's show as he rowed with Yasmin Pettet, 24, and cruelly slammed her. In a brutal put down, he told her: "You're lucky Shea even picked you. To be fair, I think you're lucky you're even in here now to be fair. "No one rated you when you were in here let's say. You've only come out your shell because you're in a couple with me." 5 5 5 As she walked away, Ben shouted to the rest of the villa: "Eh, she's made content for the next three weeks lads." After watching what could be one of the most hard-to-watch arguments in Love Island history, fans took to social media to slam Ben in droves. Writing on X - formerly known as Twitter - one fan wrote: "Ben resorting to insults. Immature. Bye Felicia." A second claimed: "Ben is the type to only respect women he finds attractive. Nasty piece of work," along with a puke emoji. "I don't think Ben did himself any favours in the chat," noted a third viewer. Love Island 2025 full lineup Harry Cooksley: A 30-year-old footballer with charm to spare. Shakira Khan: A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. Megan Moore: A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. Alima Gagigo: International business graduate with brains and ambition. Tommy Bradley: A gym enthusiast with a big heart. Helena Ford: A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. Ben Holbrough: A model ready to make waves. Megan Clarke: An Irish actress already drawing comparisons to Maura Higgins. Dejon Noel-Williams: A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. Aaron Buckett: A towering 6'5' personal trainer. Conor Phillips: A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro. Antonia Laites: Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. Yasmin Pettet: The 24-year-old bombshell hails from London and works as a commercial banking executive. Emily Moran: Bombshell Welsh brunette from the same town as Love Island 2024 alumni Nicole Samuel. Remell Mullins: Boasts over 18million likes and 500k followers on TikTok thanks to his sizzling body transformation videos. Harrison Solomon: Pro footballer and model entering Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Giorgio Russo: The 30-year-old will be spending his summer in the sun, potentially his sister Alessia's successful tournament at the Euros in Switzerland. Departures: Kyle Ashman: Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. Sophie Lee: A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. Blu Chegini: A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa. Malisha Jordan: A teaching assistant from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who entered Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Shea Mannings: Works as a scaffolder day-to-day and plays semi-pro football on the side. Caprice Alexandra: The 26-year-old bombshell owns a nursery in Romford. Poppy Harrison: The bombshell broke up with her boyfriend after finding out she would be in the villa Will Means: The fourth fittest farmer in the UK according to Farmers' Weekly in 2023 entered the villa as a bombshell
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: SDNY to rest Tuesday; defense not calling witnesses
This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing. This is week seven of testimony in the trial of Sean "Diddy" 23, 12:51 PMJury reviews Combs' alleged texts about escorts, 'freak-offs' Through a combination of text messages, travel records, hotel receipts and other records, the prosecution showed the jury what they argue were the logistics involved in the alleged arrangements made for male escorts for Sean Combs to participate in sexual encounters.'Hey in NYC have entertainment for after midnight?' Combs wrote in a text message to a woman at a male escort service.'Will be there in ten mins with the cash,' one of Combs' bodyguards wrote in a message to 'Jane,' a former Combs girlfriend who testified under a pseudonym. "Jane" messaged back: 'OK great. Room 508. Do you have a key?' The jury was shown invoices from hotels where prosecutors said the alleged sexual encounters occurred. The jury saw one bill for $2,490.17 from the Trump International Hotel from a stay there in September one audio message, Combs allegedly said, 'There's no more baby oil.'The jury was shown records from 'Jane's' travel, including a car service and a Jet Blue flight arranged by a woman who handled travel for jury also was shown messages about IV fluids Combs and 'Jane' received to help them recover from the sexual encounters. 'Extra Benadryl,' Combs' former assistant, Brendan Paul, said in a text message. The IV drip also included sodium chloride, B12, zinc, vitamin C and amino acids, according to the messages presented by jury also saw a text to Combs from his then-chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, from September 2023. 'Next time you leave when you're randomly partying you have to tell us. Can't just uber lit with a guest. That's when bad s--- happens. You know this,' the message said. 'Puff, seriously that is reckless.'Combs responded in part, 'I love you to death, but you have to stop.'Federal prosecutors said they were able to identify more than 40 arranged sexual encounters with male escorts -- referred to at various times during testimony as 'freak-offs,' 'hotel nights' or 'wild king nights,' depending on the witness -- that allegedly took place between 2021 and 2024, including one prosecutors say happened just weeks before Combs' arrest in September 2024. Combs has maintained that all encounters were consensual. Jun 23, 10:15 AMSean Combs likely won't testify in his own defense Given that the defense said this morning that it will rest its case without calling witnesses, that likely implies that Sean Combs will not testify in his own is likely that Judge Arun Subramanian will ask Combs at some point to formally confirm the jury at Combs' trial is now seeing sexually explicit videos depicting him, his former girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane,' and a male Security Investigations Special Agent Joseph Cerciello, a summary witness for the government, testified that he reviewed 'multiple hours' of explicit videosFederal prosecutors said they were able to identify more than 40 arranged sexual encounters with male escorts -- referred to at various times during testimony as 'freak-offs,' 'hotel nights' or 'wild king nights,' depending on the witness -- that allegedly took place between 2021 and 2024, including one prosecutors say happened just weeks before Combs' arrest in September 2024. Combs has maintained that all encounters were consensual. The jury was shown video excerpts along with travel records, hotel invoices and money transfers collected during the investigation. Federal prosecutors are hoping to convince jurors that the sexual acts depicted in the videos were the result of alleged coordinated criminal activity by Combs, his chief of staff, his assistants, his travel manager, his finance people and his bodyguards, all of which Combs has denied. Jun 23, 9:16 AMProsecution expects to rest Tuesday; defense not calling witnesses Federal prosecutors said Monday that they now expect to rest their case on Tuesday once special agent Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations concludes his defense said it plans to rest without calling any witnesses, only submitting some the revised schedule, the judge will hold a charging conference Wednesday followed by summations on Thursday. Jun 23, 8:39 AMProsecution expected to rest their case today Federal prosecutors in New York expect to rest their case against Sean "Diddy" Combs today, relying on the testimony of nearly three dozen witnesses and hundreds of exhibits to try to prove their contention that the hip-hop impresario ran a criminal conspiracy that trafficked women and transported final witness for the prosecution, Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations, walked the jury through reams of travel records, hotel invoices and money transfers that prosecutors hope will convince the jury that Combs and his associates trafficked his ex-girlfriend, who testified earlier under the pseudonym 'Jane.'Combs' former assistant, Brendan Paul, who was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony, previously told the jury that he bought and carried drugs for Combs. Paul was arrested in March 2024 for cocaine possession while aboard a private plane with Combs.'Was the cocaine yours, Mr. Paul?' prosecutor Christy Slavik asked.'No,' Paul testified in response.'Whose cocaine was it?' Slavik followed up.'Mr. Combs,' Paul drug charges against Paul were dropped last year after he completed a pre-trial intervention criminal enterprise Combs is accused of operating committed drug offenses, according to federal prosecutors. Combs has conceded that he used illicit drugs but has denied running a criminal enterprise. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the government's also told the jury that Combs wanted his assistants to 'move like SEAL Team Six' and anticipate his every need. He testified that it was part of his job to buy a pound of marijuana every two months and to procure a powdery mix of ketamine and molly, known as tusi, that was 'dyed pink for the aesthetic.'Paul further testified that he set up hotel rooms for so-called "freak-off" sexual encounters, which he knew as 'wild king nights,' stocking items like lubricant and baby oil. The jury saw photos of the items arranged in Combs' Los Angeles cross-examination, Paul testified that he never noticed 'Jane' being hesitant or apprehensive about participating in what she called 'hotel night' sexual prosecutors rest their case, defense attorneys have said their case will likely take a day or two to present. Jun 23, 5:05 AMRead updates from week 6 Click here to catch up on everything from the sixth week of the Sean Combs trial. Click here to read the rest of the blog.
Sky News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
P Diddy trial latest: Sean Combs 'assault' video shown in court as star witness Cassie restarts evidence
15:55:59 Court shown pictures of 13 escorts who took part in freak offs Yesterday, Cassie Ventura told the court she had a film premiere coming up around the time of the hotel incident, which happened on 5 March 2016. A photo of her and Combs from a premiere is now shown in court. She says she has a lot of make-up on covering bruises on her face. She says she thought at the time that the rapper was "sick" to think that it was okay to do that to her and wanted him to stay away. This photo below is one that comes up on news agencies but it is not clear exactly which picture was shown to jurors. The court is then shown photographs of 13 escorts who took part in the freak offs that have been described throughout the trial. Ms Ventura told the court yesterday that these sex sessions with male escorts could last for hours - with the longest going on for four days - and that Combs liked to "direct" them as he watched and masturbated. Ash, Tommy, Jake, Greg and Jonathan are among the names of the escorts being shown in court, jurors are told, but Ms Ventura does not remember all of them. She tells the court that she contacted these men, "based on who Sean wanted - that was my job, it was expected of me by Sean". Asked if she had sex with all the men, she says yes. She's not sure if they were all paid, she adds, but those who were were paid with Combs's money. 15:36:16 Diddy lied and told Cassie he had been arrested after hotel 'assault', court told Jurors are shown text messages exchanged by Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura on 5 March 2016, after the alleged attack at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. The court also sees a photo of Ms Ventura wearing dark glasses and a hoodie. "That is me with a fat lip," she says. The lawyer asks why she is wearing sunglasses, and she tells the court she had a black eye. Yesterday, she told the court that Combs hit her during a freak off at the hotel. In the text exchange detailed in court, Combs tells Ms Ventura to "call me now", and then again asks her to call, saying "the cops are here". Ms Johnson asks what Ms Ventura's reaction was to this. She says she wanted to be alone and didn't care at that time. Combs told her he was "getting arrested", but this wasn't true, the court hears. Police did go to her apartment, and Ms Ventura says she answered a few questions, but did not say who she was talking about as she didn't want to hurt Combs. She says there was "too much going on, it was a lot". Asked if she wanted to protect him, she replies: "Yes, of course." Jurors hear that Combs went to her apartment later on. Ms Ventura says there was "chaos" outside the door - "kicking, yelling and banging". 15:21:22 Hotel 'attack' video shown in court - with Combs dressed in socks and towel Prosecutor Emily Johnson resumes her questioning of singer and model Cassie Ventura, who is the key witness for the case against Sean Combs. The pair were in an on-off relationship for about 10 years from 2007-2008 and yesterday Ms Ventura told the court he had subjected her to years of physical and psychological abuse through "freak offs" with male escorts, when Diddy would watch on as she had sex with them. Ms Johnson asks her if there were ever times when she tried to fight back and she says yes, mainly in the earlier stages of their relationship. Jurors are now being directed once again to the incident at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. Footage of Combs running down a hotel hallway and then appearing to beat Ms Ventura outside a lift - wearing only socks with a towel around his waist - has been played in court. The video was first made public in May 2024. Ms Ventura said yesterday that she was trying to leave a freak off when Combs caught up with her. Now, she tells the court that during the incident he threw a vase. "I just remember it coming towards me," she says. "It hit the wall." She says Combs was yelling her at her but she doesn't remember his exact words. Watch: Diddy apologised when hotel video was made public last year 14:52:01 Cassie walks in to court without looking at Sean Combs Both Sean Combs and star prosecution witness Cassie Ventura are in the courtroom, and the jury is also being brought in. For the second day in a row, Ms Ventura, 38, walks into the courtroom without looking towards her former partner at the defence table. She is wearing a light grey dress with a jacket. Combs, 55, is wearing a grey sweater over a white shirt. 14:36:08 Court is now in session Today's hearing has started and the lawyers are involved in some legal discussion with the judge before questioning begins again. Cassie, 38, will return to the witness stand shortly to continue answering questions from the prosecution. This is expected to be followed this afternoon by cross-examination from Anna Estevao, who is one of the defence lawyers for Sean Combs. 14:19:33 Defence requested yesterday to limit explicit material in open court Before yesterday's hearing got under way, lawyers for Sean Combs asked Judge Arun Subramanian to carefully edit what kind of explicit material is shown in open court, saying much of it amounts to pornography. "There is no aspect to any of the videos the government is looking to put into evidence that is not adult pornography - that is what it is, people who are nude having sex or about to have sex," defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo said. "It's a privacy issue and it's pornography, what would the press do with it if they had it?" Robert Balia, an attorney for news organisations covering this trial, said that "our preference is for videos to be shown in open court" "Testimony is not a substitute for this videos," Mr Balia said. "The people in the press should be able to see justice being done and to see if these people were being coerced." 14:08:17 Cassie's husband arrives at court Singer Cassie is due to continue giving evidence today. While she is likely using a more private entrance to the court, as we haven't seen her arriving or leaving, her husband Alex Fine has been pictured heading into the building to support her. Cassie, 38, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, is eight months pregnant with their third child. 13:55:19 In pictures: Cassie's lawyer and Diddy's family arrive at court in the rain With day three set to begin within the next few hours, we're starting to see more activity outside the court in New York. Sean Combs's family have arrived, huddling under umbrellas. Douglas Wigdor, who is Cassie's lawyer, has also arrived, while people are also waiting in the rain to make their way in. 13:43:46 What Diddy is on trial for Sean "Diddy" Combs faces five felony charges: Racketeering conspiracy Two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion Two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution The hip-hop producer was initially charged with three offences - racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Two extra counts - one each of sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution - were added earlier in April. Combs denies all charges. Racketeering broadly means engaging in an illegal scheme or enterprise, and the charge falls under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO) in the US. According to the US justice department's definition of RICO statute, it is also illegal to "conspire to violate" the laws. The indictment against Combs alleges that between 2008 and 2024, he "led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in sex trafficking, forced labour, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes", the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York said following his arrest in September. 13:28:35 What happened on day two of the trial? In the courtroom in Manhattan yesterday, Sean Combs, 55, listened on as his chief accuser began her testimony. Ahead of day three of the case, let's take a look at what happened yesterday: Cassie, 38, who is eight months pregnant, told the jury how Diddy was violent to her over the course of their relationship, giving her black eyes and bruises; She said she was 22 and her "stomach churned" when Diddy proposed a "freak off", a sexual encounter with a third party; She gave graphic details of these drug and drink-fuelled encounters, saying Diddy would watch on masturbating, make her describe what was happening and record videos as she had sex with strangers; The freak offs later became a job, she said, taking priority over her music career; Towards the end of her evidence, she discussed how Combs wished to have baby oil at freak offs with bodies "glistening, so we applied it every five minutes". Cassie also gave more details about her relationship with Diddy, saying she was 19 when she signed a deal with his label Bad Boy Records. He was 36 at the time; Cassie, who became tearful at points during her testimony and stroked her belly, said Combs made her feel "special"; Combs kissed her on her 21st birthday, she said - which she hadn't wanted to happen. She later became comfortable with him and found him "charming", but "polarising".
Sky News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
P Diddy trial latest: Rapper 'made me apply baby oil every five minutes during freak offs', Cassie tells court
20:28:21 Combs had to 'approve' escorts, court hears Prosecutor Emily Johnson asks Cassie Ventura about the requirements for escorts. "A black male," she replies. She says she used different websites to find sex workers, under Sean Combs's direction. A text from an escort agency, sent in June 2012, is detailed in court. It includes a photo of a white male, the court hears, and a message saying he is "ready to go". Ms Ventura says Combs had to "approve" the escorts himself. "I showed the photos to Sean to see if he was interested. If he wasn't interested I would tell them 'no' and ask for someone else," she says. "Sean had to approve." She tells the court she never contacted escorts independently, but would do so when the rapper asked her. She would tell them "this is my husband's fantasy", the court hears, "and this is what I like to do to please him". Combs and Ventura were in an on-off relationship for about 10 years from around 2007-08, but were not married. 19:56:57 'Combs made us apply baby oil every five minutes' Cassie Ventura is still answering questions about the "freak offs" she says Sean Combs coerced her into. She tells the court in Manhattan that they took place at Combs's homes as well as at hotels, which she lists, in cities including New York, Los Angeles and Miami, usually in small suites. Rooms would be booked under pseudonyms such as Frank Black and Frank White, the court is told. Ms Ventura goes on to talk about Combs's wishes to have baby oil at the freak offs and says staff would often bring them supplies of oil and also lubricant and condoms. She says Combs wanted baby oil to be heated with hot water and he wanted it to "be glistening, so we applied it every five minutes". The rapper "choreographed" the encounters, she says. Ms Ventura describes one occasion at a hotel in Beverly Hills, where she says there was a pool "filled" with baby oil. Combs told her to get in, she says, but it was "such a mess". However, she tells jurors, "if Sean wanted it to happen, that was what was going to happen". Prosecutor Emily Johnson asks her to describe the state of a room after a freak off, and Ms Ventura tells the court there was candle wax and oil "all over the place". Ms Ventura tells the court the hip-hop mogul expected her to take part in freak offs even when she was on her period, and describes one occasion when both he and a male escort urinated on her. She says this was "disgusting" and she felt "humiliated". When Combs was charged in September 2024, the government's indictment said about 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant had been seized from the rapper's homes in Miami and Los Angeles when they were raided in March 2024. You can read more about Combs's arrest and indictment here: 19:15:26 Cassie tells court she was 'awake the whole time, no sleep' during days-long freak offs Prosecutor Emily Johnson returns to the "freak offs" that have come up throughout Sean Combs's trial. These were sexual encounters involving male escorts, the court has heard, and could last for several hours or even days. Cassie Ventura says Combs mentioned voyeurism to her within the first few months of their relationship, describing it as a fantasy to see her having sex with another man. She tells the court the rapper taught her about the swinging "lifestyle" of switching partners. She says she was shocked at first but did not want to upset him, so agreed to try it. The court hears again that she was 22 when Combs first proposed a freak off. Asked about the first escort they had an encounter with, Ms Ventura says she does not know his name, but that he was paid to entertain, dance and have sex with her. She says she had been drinking and taken ecstasy, and was wearing a masquerade mask and platform heels. "I was high so I didn't feel much," she says. "Did this really happen to me? I didn't know what was going to happen after that, if we were going to do it more frequently. I said yes to more, I didn't want to make him upset or angry." Escorts were paid thousands of pounds, she says, and "every freak off was directed by Sean". Ms Ventura tells jurors these encounters became weekly and consistent and that she was "awake the whole time, no sleep", despite them sometimes lasting several days. Drugs kept her awake, she says. Asked if she wanted to take part in the freak offs, Ms Ventura replies: "No, I felt pretty horrible about myself, I felt disgusting, I felt humiliated. "I didn't have the words to show how horrible I felt. I couldn't talk to anyone about it." She says Combs's "eyes would go black, the version I knew of him was no longer there". 18:51:16 Cassie: 'Guns came out here and there. I always felt it was a scare tactic' Ms Ventura recalls how Combs would sometimes take away her electronics, cars and other possessions as a form of punishment. "He would take the car away, the house, jewellery," she tells the court. "The physical things didn't matter, I just wanted his approval." She says Combs would personally take things, or members of his staff or security team would. Asked how long this would be for, she says it depended on what she was being punished for. Prosecutor Emily Johnson goes on to ask her about safes at Combs's properties. Ms Ventura, 38, says she had access but not frequently. There was always cash, she says, and jewellery, "sometimes tapes from cameras", as well as guns. She says Combs, 55, had guns in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Alpine, New Jersey, and that there were occasions when she saw the weapons outside the safes, "laid out by security". Ms Ventura describes an occasion when she handled one of Combs's guns, saying she was in downtown Los Angeles and high "on mushrooms". She says she was handed a gun to hold in her bag, but was "freaking out" worrying it would fire. "The guns came out here and there. I always felt it was a little bit of a scare tactic," she says. 18:35:55 Combs told Cassie she looked 'too Mexican' Prosecutor Emily Johnson asks Cassie Ventura if Sean Combs made comments about her physical appearance during their relationship. The former couple were together on and off for about 10 years from 2007-2008. She says comments ranged from her looking "too Mexican" to her hair looking "bad". Ms Ventura tells the court her nails needed to look a certain way - white or with a French manicure during the "freak off" sexual encounters we have heard about throughout the trial so far - and that her appearance was "very important" to the rapper. Some days he wanted her to be "really sexy", others "like a tomboy", she adds. "He was just very involved." Ms Ventura tells the court they also had discussions about breast implants and that he would comment on her working out and keeping in shape. "Definitely my self-worth took a hit during the entirety of the relationship," she says. Ms Ventura also speaks being managed as a singer by a man called James Cruz. She says he told her that he was doing it with "one hand tied behind his back", and that everything had to go through Combs. 18:17:00 Court back in session The judge and jurors are back in the courtroom in Manhattan, New York. Cassie Ventura, who was in a relationship with Sean Combs on and off for about 10 years, is back on the stand and set to continue giving evidence. Earlier, she told the court how "freak offs" with the rapper and male escorts became like a job, with one lasting four days, and that Combs was often violent throughout their relationship. 18:13:38 Cassie did not look at Combs as she walked to the witness stand Today's proceedings should get under way again shortly, with singer Cassie Ventura continuing her evidence. The musician, who is eight months pregnant, has been emotional at times while answering questions from prosecutor Emily Johnson, wiping away tears and occasionally rubbing her belly. When she entered the courtroom for the first time, Sean Combs turned to get a look at his ex-partner - but she did not look at him, walking straight to the witness stand. 18:05:27 Scene outside court as Diddy's six children come and go By Martha Kelner, US correspondent in New York This is the scene outside court as Sean Combs's children come and go in a black people carrier van, accompanied by at least a couple of bodyguards and what seems to be their own documentary crew. Six out of seven of his children have been in court (the seventh is still a toddler), though his 18 year old twin daughters did leave during some particularly graphic evidence yesterday. Watch his family arrive earlier today here: 17:45:01 A look inside the room with court sketches of Cassie and Diddy While the court is on lunch break, we can bring you some sketches from inside. Unlike in some US court cases, cameras are not allowed inside to record this trial because it is a federal case. Instead, we have to rely on sketches to get a sense of what things look like in court - and some of them are now starting to come in. These drawings from court artist Jane Rosenberg shows Cassie being sworn in as Sean "Diddy" Combs watches on. And earlier the artist captured Sean Combs signalling love to family members supporting him in court. 17:31:03 Cassie: 'Freak offs became a job - and longest lasted four days' The court has now taken a break for lunch. Before this, Cassie Ventura was asked questions about Sean Combs visiting her at home unannounced, which she says happened a lot. Asked how she would feel about this, she told jurors it would depend on his mood. "It was a stomach in knots moment," she says, as she "didn't know what was going to come of the visit". She also talked about the "freak offs" again, saying they "became a job" and there was "no space to do anything else". She said they involved taking drugs and drinking, and having sex with strangers, and that the longest lasted for four days. "Staying out for days on end, taking drugs and drinking, having sex with a stranger," she said. "They would be 36, 48, 72 hours, the longest one was four days." Ms Ventura said she recorded hundreds of songs despite only releasing one studio album and one mixtape. The "freak offs" took priority over her music career, she said. "Sean decided I could not release another album," she told the court. After the break, Ms Ventura will continue her evidence from 6pm UK time.
Sky News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
P Diddy trial latest: Cassie testifies against rapper - 'he made us apply baby oil every five minutes during freak offs'
20:28:21 Combs had to 'approve' escorts, court hears Prosecutor Emily Johnson now asks Cassie Ventura about the requirements for escorts. "A black male," she replies. She says she used different websites to find sex workers, under Sean Combs's direction. A text from an escort agency, sent in June 2012, is detailed in court. It includes a photo of a white male, the court hears, and a message saying he is "ready to go". Ms Ventura says Combs had to "approve" the escorts himself. "I showed the photos to Sean to see if he was interested. If he wasn't interested I would tell them 'no' and ask for someone else," she says. "Sean had to approve." She tells the court she never contacted escorts independently, but would do so when the rapper asked her. She would tell them "this is my husband's fantasy", the court hears, "and this is what I like to do to please him". Combs and Ventura were in an on-off relationship for about 10 years, but were not married. 19:56:57 'Combs made us apply baby oil every five minutes' Cassie Ventura is still answering questions about the "freak offs" she says Sean Combs coerced her into. She tells the court in Manhattan that they took place at Combs's homes as well as at hotels, which she lists, in cities including New York, Los Angeles and Miami, usually in small suites. Rooms would be booked under pseudonyms such as Frank Black and Frank White, the court is told. Ms Ventura goes on to talk about Combs's wishes to have baby oil at the freak offs and says staff would often bring them supplies of oil and also lubricant and condoms. She says Combs wanted baby oil to be heated with hot water and he wanted it to "be glistening, so we applied it every five minutes". The rapper "choreographed" the encounters, she says. Ms Ventura describes one occasion at a hotel in Beverly Hills, where she says there was a pool "filled" with baby oil. Combs told her to get in, she says, but it was "such a mess". However, she tells jurors, "if Sean wanted it to happen, that was what was going to happen". Prosecutor Emily Johnson asks her to describe the state of a room after a freak off, and Ms Ventura tells the court there was candle wax and oil "all over the place". Ms Ventura tells the court the hip-hop mogul expected her to take part in freak offs even when she was on her period, and describes one occasion when both he and a male escort urinated on her. She says this was "disgusting" and she felt "humiliated". When Combs was charged in September 2024, the government's indictment said about 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant had been seized from the rapper's homes in Miami and Los Angeles when they were raided in March 2024. You can read more about Combs's arrest and indictment here: 19:15:26 Cassie tells court she was 'awake the whole time, no sleep' during days-long freak offs Prosecutor Emily Johnson returns to the "freak offs" that have come up throughout Sean Combs's trial. These were sexual encounters involving male escorts, the court has heard, and could last for several hours or even days. Cassie Ventura says Combs mentioned voyeurism to her within the first few months of their relationship, describing it as a fantasy to see her having sex with another man. She tells the court the rapper taught her about the swinging "lifestyle" of switching partners. She says she was shocked at first but did not want to upset him, so agreed to try it. The court hears again that she was 22 when Combs first proposed a freak off. Asked about the first escort they had an encounter with, Ms Ventura says she does not know his name, but that he was paid to entertain, dance and have sex with her. She says she had been drinking and taken ecstasy, and was wearing a masquerade mask and platform heels. "I was high so I didn't feel much," she says. "Did this really happen to me? I didn't know what was going to happen after that, if we were going to do it more frequently. I said yes to more, I didn't want to make him upset or angry." Escorts were paid thousands of pounds, she says, and "every freak off was directed by Sean". Ms Ventura tells jurors these encounters became weekly and consistent and that she was "awake the whole time, no sleep", despite them sometimes lasting several days. Drugs kept her awake, she says. Asked if she wanted to take part in the freak offs, Ms Ventura replies: "No, I felt pretty horrible about myself, I felt disgusting, I felt humiliated. "I didn't have the words to show how horrible I felt. I couldn't talk to anyone about it." She says Combs's "eyes would go black, the version I knew of him was no longer there". 18:51:16 Cassie: 'Guns came out here and there. I always felt it was a scare tactic' Ms Ventura recalls how Combs would sometimes take away her electronics, cars and other possessions as a form of punishment. "He would take the car away, the house, jewellery," she tells the court. "The physical things didn't matter, I just wanted his approval." She says Combs would personally take things, or members of his staff or security team would. Asked how long this would be for, she says it depended on what she was being punished for. Prosecutor Emily Johnson goes on to ask her about safes at Combs's properties. Ms Ventura, 38, says she had access but not frequently. There was always cash, she says, and jewellery, "sometimes tapes from cameras", as well as guns. She says Combs, 55, had guns in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Alpine, New Jersey, and that there were occasions when she saw the weapons outside the safes, "laid out by security". Ms Ventura describes an occasion when she handled one of Combs's guns, saying she was in downtown Los Angeles and high "on mushrooms". She says she was handed a gun to hold in her bag, but was "freaking out" worrying it would fire. "The guns came out here and there. I always felt it was a little bit of a scare tactic," she says. 18:35:55 Combs told Cassie she looked 'too Mexican' Prosecutor Emily Johnson asks Cassie Ventura if Sean Combs made comments about her physical appearance during their relationship. The former couple were together on and off for about 10 years from 2007-2008. She says comments ranged from her looking "too Mexican" to her hair looking "bad". Ms Ventura tells the court her nails needed to look a certain way - white or with a French manicure during the "freak off" sexual encounters we have heard about throughout the trial so far - and that her appearance was "very important" to the rapper. Some days he wanted her to be "really sexy", others "like a tomboy", she adds. "He was just very involved." Ms Ventura tells the court they also had discussions about breast implants and that he would comment on her working out and keeping in shape. "Definitely my self-worth took a hit during the entirety of the relationship," she says. Ms Ventura also speaks being managed as a singer by a man called James Cruz. She says he told her that he was doing it with "one hand tied behind his back", and that everything had to go through Combs. 18:17:00 Court back in session The judge and jurors are back in the courtroom in Manhattan, New York. Cassie Ventura, who was in a relationship with Sean Combs on and off for about 10 years, is back on the stand and set to continue giving evidence. Earlier, she told the court how "freak offs" with the rapper and male escorts became like a job, with one lasting four days, and that Combs was often violent throughout their relationship. 18:13:38 Cassie did not look at Combs as she walked to the witness stand Today's proceedings should get under way again shortly, with singer Cassie Ventura continuing her evidence. The musician, who is eight months pregnant, has been emotional at times while answering questions from prosecutor Emily Johnson, wiping away tears and occasionally rubbing her belly. When she entered the courtroom for the first time, Sean Combs turned to get a look at his ex-partner - but she did not look at him, walking straight to the witness stand. 18:05:27 Scene outside court as Diddy's six children come and go By Martha Kelner, US correspondent in New York This is the scene outside court as Sean Combs's children come and go in a black people carrier van, accompanied by at least a couple of bodyguards and what seems to be their own documentary crew. Six out of seven of his children have been in court (the seventh is still a toddler), though his 18 year old twin daughters did leave during some particularly graphic evidence yesterday. Watch his family arrive earlier today here: 17:45:01 A look inside the room with court sketches of Cassie and Diddy While the court is on lunch break, we can bring you some sketches from inside. Unlike in some US court cases, cameras are not allowed inside to record this trial because it is a federal case. Instead, we have to rely on sketches to get a sense of what things look like in court - and some of them are now starting to come in. These drawings from court artist Jane Rosenberg shows Cassie being sworn in as Sean "Diddy" Combs watches on. And earlier the artist captured Sean Combs signalling love to family members supporting him in court. 17:31:03 Cassie: 'Freak offs became a job - and longest lasted four days' The court has now taken a break for lunch. Before this, Cassie Ventura was asked questions about Sean Combs visiting her at home unannounced, which she says happened a lot. Asked how she would feel about this, she told jurors it would depend on his mood. "It was a stomach in knots moment," she says, as she "didn't know what was going to come of the visit". She also talked about the "freak offs" again, saying they "became a job" and there was "no space to do anything else". She said they involved taking drugs and drinking, and having sex with strangers, and that the longest lasted for four days. "Staying out for days on end, taking drugs and drinking, having sex with a stranger," she said. "They would be 36, 48, 72 hours, the longest one was four days." Ms Ventura said she recorded hundreds of songs despite only releasing one studio album and one mixtape. The "freak offs" took priority over her music career, she said. "Sean decided I could not release another album," she told the court. After the break, Ms Ventura will continue her evidence from 6pm UK time.
