In a Manhattan courtroom, the federal sex trafficking trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs captivated the nation as R&B singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s testimony revealed a ten-year relationship with a history of control and abuse. One of the most unsettling accusations: a 2013 assault that stemmed from an attempt by Ventura to go see Drake’s OVO Fest in Toronto, an incident that highlights the dynamics of power central to this case. During its course, it’s not Combs’ legacy that hangs in the balance—it’s the music business’ reckoning with its dark side.
Ventura, now 38 and pregnant with her third child, took the stand in May 2025, her voice steady yet emotional as she recounted the 2013 incident. She told prosecutors that Combs, enraged by her intention to attend Drake’s annual OVO Fest, stormed into her home.
“He tried to attack me,”
she testified, describing how he threw her onto a bedframe, leaving a gash above her eye that required …