• R&B singer Cassie testifies against Sean 'Diddy' Combs for alleged rape and abuse.
• Combs faces serious charges including racketeering, sex trafficking, and coercion.
• Cassie recounts traumatic experiences, including threats of violence and public humiliation.
• Explicit messages exchanged between the two were highlighted during the trial.
• The case has drawn extensive media attention, with multiple women alleging similar abuse from Combs.

Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, testified in a Manhattan federal court that Sean "Diddy" Combs raped her when she attempted to end their long-term relationship, after years of physical and sexual abuse where Combs threatened to release degrading videos of her. In her poignant accounts, she described how Combs forcibly entered her apartment in Los Angeles and assaulted her, leading her to live in fear of his violent response and the impact on her career, as detailed in the testimony and court records presented this week, according to Channel News Asia, HuffPost, and SFGate.

During her fourth day on the witness stand, Cassie read aloud explicit text messages exchanged with Combs, which the defense team used to argue that Cassie willingly participated in Combs' so-called 'freak-offs'—drug-fueled sexual encounters with male sex workers that allegedly lasted for days. While Cassie initially expressed enthusiasm in her messages, she later testified that coercion and violence made her feel trapped in the relationship, according to Los Angeles Times and Africa News.

Cassie's testimony detailed various incidents of physical abuse, including a severe attack in a hotel in 2016, which was captured on video. She revealed that after the assault, she told Combs, “I’m not a rag doll. I’m somebody’s child,” underlining the emotional and psychological toll of their relationship. Combs, who is incarcerated and faces significant prison time if convicted, denies all charges and maintains that the sexual encounters were consensual, according to SFGate and Los Angeles Times.

Throughout the cross-examination, Cassie remained composed, although her ordeal was apparent as she recounted her experiences and responses to Combs' behavior. The trial also highlights broader issues of abuse within high-profile relationships, as other women have come forward with similar allegations against Combs, activists emphasize the importance of addressing the systemic problem of sexual exploitation in the entertainment industry, according to Channel News Asia and Los Angeles Times.