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The jury in Sean Combs’ sex trafficking and racketeering case has zeroed in on Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s testimony surrounding two key “freak-off” dates that prosecutors claim are clear-cut examples that Combs sex trafficked the R&B singer.
On Tuesday, during the second day of deliberations, jurors asked for three different portions of testimony from Ventura, including events surrounding the InterContinental Hotel incident in March 2016 in which Combs was captured on video kicking, stomping, and dragging Ventura back to their hotel suite during the middle of a freak-off.
They also asked for Ventura’s testimony regarding the couple’s trip to the Cannes Film Festival in May 2012. Ventura alleged that during a days-long fight, Combs kicked her off a yacht without her passport, dug his nails into her during a movie’s premiere and taunted her during a flight by playing her freak-off videos that Ventura believed she had deleted.
“We landed in New York, ended up going to a dinner, and he wanted to have a freak-off, so we had a freak-off,” Ventura testified, adding she agreed because “at that point, whatever was going to make him not be angry at me and threatening me, I was willing to do.”
Jurors also asked for Ventura’s testimony, if any, about her interactions with Daniel Phillip, one of the male entertainers who testified at trial. The jury asked to review Phillip’s testimony about his alleged freak-offs with Ventura and Combs at the Essex Hotel in New York.
Phillip said he met the couple at the Essex Hotel at least twice for freak-offs. “Out of nowhere” during one encounter, Ventura began yelling “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” before Phillip overheard “what sounded like she was being slapped … slammed around the room,” he said. A nearly naked Combs then stormed out of the hotel room, and Ventura leaped into Phillip’s arms, “shaking” and “terrified,” he said.
The requests suggest the panel is zeroing in on two of the key freak-offs that federal prosecutors Christy Slavik and Maurene Comey highlighted in their closing arguments and rebuttal last week. Prosecutors said they were clear examples Ventura was coerced through threats and physical violence. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking Ventura, as well as four other felony counts against him.
While it wasn’t clear why jurors specifically requested more information related to Phillip’s testimony about the Essex Hotel —prosecutors did highlight Phillip when listing out three alleged examples of Ventura being sex trafficked.
In 2013, Phillip testified that he was summoned to Ventura’s New York City apartment when he claimed Combs flew into a rage and attacked Ventura. The music mogul was set off, Phillip alleged, when Combs called for Ventura to join him in the bedroom and she told him to wait a second. Suddenly, a liquor bottle flew past Ventura’s head and shattered against the wall. “Bitch, when I tell you to come here, you come,” Phillip said Combs seethed, allegedly dragging Ventura into the room by her hair. He claimed he heard what sounded like Combs beating Ventura while she screamed sorry.
Moments later, Phillip said the couple emerged from the room and Combs wanted to continue the freak-off, despite Ventura looking like she did not want “to continue doing anything.” Phillip said he was unable to maintain an erection and Combs dismissed him. “I do not remember them handing me money,” Phillip said. “I probably wouldn’t have taken that anyway.”
On Tuesday afternoon, after parsing out certain sections of the relevant testimony, the parties sent over excerpts of the transcripts to the jury.
This is the third time jurors have sent back questions or made certain requests during their deliberations. On Monday, within an hour of being sent back to the jury room, the foreperson informed U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian that one juror wasn’t willing to follow the judge’s instructions. Towards the end of the day, they sought clarity on what qualified as drug distribution.
As the verdict looms, Combs appears to be in good spirits. At one point Tuesday morning, Combs turned around and saw his mother Janice in the second row, apparently looking concerned. “Just relax,” he told her moments before he was led out of the room. “It’s gonna be alright Mom. I love you.”
About an hour later, Combs returned to the courtroom for the reading of the jury’s note and noticed Dana Tran, the mother of his youngest daughter, seated next to Janice. The two exchanged smiling hellos, and then Tran pointed to her recently updated hairstyle. “Looks good. Love it,” Combs mouthed.
