-
Yangon's furtive party scene belies junta claims of normality
-
Tehran says no final decision as Trump touts imminent deal
-
South Korea defeat Czechs to make strong World Cup start
-
Shakira and protests as World Cup kicks off in Mexico
-
Science fiction? Musk's lofty SpaceX goals unrealistic, skeptics say
-
Asia stocks up, oil down on Mideast deal hopes
-
'Battery on wheels': Sweden powers homes with EVs
-
From cage fights to the White House, UFC marches into mainstream
-
Happy Birthday Mr. President: Trump to turn 80 with cage fight
-
Blues face uphill task in Hurricanes Super Rugby semi
-
Mideast war helps electric motorbikes boom in Africa
-
Pope ends Spain visit with migrant meetings
-
Ex-Tottenham owner sells art collection in blockbuster auction
-
Displaced families bury Hezbollah dead in temporary graves
-
Lightning's Kucherov wins Hart Trophy as NHL MVP
-
Marsch says wanted 'responsibility' of leading Canada in home World Cup
-
Co-hosts Mexico kick off World Cup with dramatic victory
-
Taylor Swift becomes youngest woman in Songwriters Hall of Fame
-
Aguirre says Mexico beat cramps and stage fright in World Cup opener
-
Japan captain Endo out of World Cup, ends international career
-
Iran's World Cup players take to the training pitch
-
Antarctic Peninsula sees record high June temperatures
-
Mexico beat South Africa to kick off World Cup
-
Police, protesters clash outside maiden World Cup match in Mexico
-
US stocks rally, oil prices fall as Trump calls off fresh Iran strikes
-
Alisson unfazed by doubts over Brazil heading into World Cup
-
Pulisic 'ready to battle' Paraguay in US World Cup opener
-
Trump claims 'great' deal with Iran, signing expected in Europe
-
UN experts, MSF condemn crackdown on women by Afghan morality police
-
SpaceX to make historic IPO that could make Musk a trillionaire
-
First leather bag made from T-Rex cells fails to sell at Paris auction
-
Drones, lone wolves, rowdy fans: US security officials ready for World Cup
-
Trump cancels Iran strikes, touts imminent deal
-
Ethiopia claims Tigrayan forces preparing offensive against govt
-
Spiky disciplinarian Mourinho can restore order at Real Madrid
-
Why Real Madrid are gambling on Mourinho return
-
Mourinho named Real Madrid coach on three-year deal
-
Shakira and Burna Boy warm up spectators in World Cup opening ceremony
-
Spurs will 'keep swinging' with Knicks on brink of NBA title
-
Scuffles at Mexico's World Cup fan zone as thousands jostle for entry
-
Trump says canceling Iran strikes, flags possible deal
-
Visa rejection dashes World Cup hopes of Ivory Coast and Senegal fans
-
Willis has no regrets risking England career with Bordeaux return
-
Yamal, Williams train ahead of Spain's World Cup opener
-
El Nino is back, but its effects vary widely
-
Stocks rebound, oil wobbles as traders weigh Iran, rates outlook
-
Van Aert dominates sprint on Tour de France warm-up race
-
World Bank lowers global growth forecast on Iran war impacts
-
Bangladesh clinch first-ever ODI series win over Australia
-
First leather bag from T-Rex cells to be auctioned in Paris
Sean Combs's ex Cassie says he coerced her into 'disgusting' sex ordeals
Sean "Diddy" Combs's former partner Casandra Ventura told jurors at the music mogul's sex trafficking trial Tuesday how he subjected her to "disgusting" and "humiliating" drug-fueled, marathon group sex sessions.
Ventura also detailed beatings and abuse at the hands of Combs in bombshell testimony that underpins much of the prosecution's case against the music industry figure, who is alleged to have used violence and blackmail to manipulate women over many years.
Ventura, who is visibly pregnant, said of the so-called "freak-off" sex parties that she was "just in love and wanted to make (Combs) happy -- to a point I didn't feel like I had much of a choice."
Ventura, who is 17 years younger than Combs and first met him at 19 years old, described how the mogul would sometimes urinate on her, or he would instruct one of the numerous sex workers he engaged to do so.
The escorts, almost always men, were paid upwards of thousands of dollars in cash after encounters.
"It was disgusting. It was too much. It was overwhelming," she said, adding that the hotel rooms used for the marathon sex sessions were often trashed, with establishments charging sizable cleaning and repair bills including for blood and urine-stained sheets.
Asked if she enjoyed anything about the curated encounters that Combs allegedly instructed her to coordinate, Ventura wept openly.
"I was just in love and wanted to make him happy," she said of their on-and-off relationship that lasted more than a decade.
Combs's defense team indicated that during cross-examination, which is expected as early as Wednesday afternoon, they would seek to emphasize that Ventura took drugs of her own free will, and behaved erratically.
Ventura said that during the encounters she took drugs including ecstasy, ketamine or cocaine, and that the "drugs honestly helped" her meet Combs's demands to stay awake for days on end.
The drugs also had a "dissociative and numbing" effect, she said, "a way to not feel it for what it really was."
- 'He would mash me' -
Ventura said "Sean controlled a lot of my life -- whether it was (my) career, the way I dressed."
And much of that control turned violent, she said, her voice quavering at points: "He would mash me in my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me on the head if I was down."
In a hotel surveillance clip from March 2016 shown to jurors Monday and again Tuesday, Combs is seen brutally beating and dragging Ventura -- widely known as "Cassie" -- down a hallway.
The prosecution played parts of the clip while Ventura was on the stand.
When asked why she didn't fight back or get up, Ventura answered simply that curled up on the ground "felt like the safest place to be."
Former security officer at a Los Angeles InterContinental hotel, Israel Florez, told the court Monday that he was first on the scene after that incident and that Combs sought to pay him off.
Florez's testimony provided the foundation for the prosecution to introduce the security footage that was published by CNN last year.
The panel of 12 jurors and six alternates responsible for determining Combs's fate have started hearing of the famed artist's explosive outbursts, exploitation of his partners and an attempt to preserve his own reputation and celebrity through bribery.
But the 55-year-old's defense team insist while some of his behavior was questionable -- at times constituting domestic abuse -- it did not meet the evidence needed to prove racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Combs has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Combs's defense lawyer Teny Geragos called Combs's accusers "capable, strong adult women," and said his situation with Ventura was a "toxic relationship" but "between two people who loved each other."
Florez's testimony was followed by a male dancer who engaged in a sexual relationship, often in exchange for money, with Combs and Ventura from 2012 to approximately the end of 2013. He concluded his testimony Tuesday.
If convicted, the one-time rap producer and global superstar, who is often credited for his role in bringing hip-hop into the mainstream, could spend the rest of his life in prison.
The proceedings are expected to last eight to 10 weeks, and Combs was joined in the courthouse by family members as well as former lovers including Misa Hylton.
W.Mansour--SF-PST