Cassie claims Diddy abused and blackmailed her

Cassie Ventura has claimed she was raped by Diddy at the end of her relationship with him.

The singer also told a New York court that she endured abuse at the hands of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs during the ‘freak-off’ sessions, and that videos of the episodes were later used as blackmail. Jurors in the case have watched videos of the sexual encounters with male escorts, which Cassie says Diddy demanded, paid for and recorded.

Cassie spoke about her relationship with musician Kid Cudi, saying that Diddy became violent when he found out about it.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs faces charges of racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has denied all charges. If found guilty, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

The trial continues on Thursday, where Cassie will be cross-examined by the defence.

Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty speaks to the BBC’s New York correspondent Nada Tawfik about the day in court.

A warning that this episode contains mention of suicide, descriptions of violence, drug use, sexual violence, including rape and graphic descriptions of sex.

The Diddy on Trial podcast is here to investigate the rumours, confront the theories, and give you the answers that you need.

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Presenter: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

Series Producer: Laura Jones

Sound Design: Mark Burrows

Senior Digital Producer: Matthew Pintus

Video Producer: Daniel Raza

Production Coordinator: Hattie Valentine

Editor: Clare Fordham

Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts

Assistant Commissioner: Will Drysdale

Commissioning Producer: Adam Eland

Commissioning Assistant Producer: Rechmial Miller