In a tense and emotionally charged day in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial, jurors were played a disturbing audio recording that revealed just how high the stakes were behind the scenes of the alleged abuse. The recording, introduced by the defense on Friday, May 16, featured Cassie Ventura—Combs’ former partner and a central figure in the prosecution’s case—furiously confronting a man who claimed to have a video of one of the so-called “Freak Offs.”
In the 2014 audio clip, Ventura can be heard saying, “You’re lying about my f—ing life. I want to kill you, cut you up, and put you in the f—ing dirt,” followed by an even more chilling line: “I’m going to kill you, and then he’s gonna kill you again… Be my brother and tell me what you saw.” The threats, raw and unfiltered, suggest not only desperation but also the looming fear of exposure—something Ventura testified Combs was obsessed with preventing.
These “Freak Offs,” as Ventura has described in her testimony, were coercive sex acts allegedly orchestrated by Combs, often involving male sex workers. Ventura claims she was forced to participate and that one such encounter may have been secretly recorded. She said she immediately reported the possibility of a recording to Combs, who allegedly promised to “take care of it”—further reinforcing the atmosphere of control and manipulation that she says defined their relationship.
While the defense introduced the recording seemingly to cast doubt on Ventura’s credibility or mental state, the prosecution has used it to highlight the deep trauma, fear, and high-stakes secrecy surrounding the alleged abuse. The audio also supports Ventura’s consistent claims that Combs wielded surveillance, threats, and manipulation to maintain dominance and silence dissent.
Now heavily pregnant and nearing the end of her emotional testimony, Ventura’s voice has remained at the center of the case. Though Combs has pleaded not guilty to all charges, including sex trafficking and racketeering, the courtroom drama continues to peel back the veil on the dark, hidden dynamics of power and celebrity.
