Sean Diddy Combs Trail, Defense Wants Judge to Hide Baby Bump on Cassie Ventura to Avoid "Sympathy" From the Jury | Crime Alert 5PM 05.13.25

As the second day of the high-profile sex trafficking trial for rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs commenced on May 13, his legal team requested that Judge Arun Subramanian allow key witness Casandra Ventura—who is pregnant with her third child with husband Alex Fine—to take her place in the witness stand before the jury was brought in.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alart hourly update, Breaking crime news Now.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
I'm Nicole Pardon. As the second day of the high
profile sex trafficking trial for rap mogul Sean Diddy Comb's
commenced on May thirteen, his legal team requested that the
judge allow key witness Cassandra Cassie Ventira, who is pregnant
with her third child with husband Alex Fine, to take
her place in the witness stand. Before the jury was

(00:25):
brought in, Comb's attorney, Mark Agnifilo expressed concerns that Ventira's
visibly pregnant state with her eight month baby bump might
influence the jury's perception. Quote there is a prejudicial aspect
to this, Agnifilo stated to the judge, while pregnancy is
a beautiful and joyous experience, it can elicit sympathy. He

(00:47):
went on to say. In the end, the jury was
seated prior to Ventira's testimony, suggesting that the defense's request
was denied. Before Ventira took the stand, the defense cross
examined former mail escort Daniel Fi Phillip, followed by a
redirect from the prosecution. Even though Ventira's appearance marked her
first time in court as a principal witness for the prosecution.

(01:09):
She was a focal point in the previous day's testimonies.
Phillips recounted his sexual encounters with Combe's then girlfriend Cassie
over a decade ago, claiming he received a few thousand
dollars for having sex with her while Combs observed from
the side of the room while masturbating. Additionally, a former
security guard from the Intercontinental Hotel testified about witnessing an

(01:32):
incident involving Comb's and Ventira. In March twenty sixteen. Los
Angeles Police Department officer Israel Flores recounted being called to
the hotel to assist a distressed woman, where he encountered
Ventira and Combs. As shown in the video evidence, she
was huddled in the corner. He said, her hood up,
obscuring her face. Flores recounted during the hearing, according to

(01:56):
the May twelve transcript, quote, she was pretty much backed
into a corner. The flower vase shattered on the floor,
he continued. Ventira, now on the stand as the prosecution's
pivotal witness in Comb's sex trafficking trial, revealed details about
the frequent assaults she endured at his hands. Describing how
he would quote bash on my head and knock me over.

(02:19):
She expressed feelings of nervousness and confusion regarding her involvement
in Combe's quote freakofs, fearing the repercussions of refusing to
be part of them. As her testimony unfolded, more information
emerged about the couple's practices of hiring escorts for the event,
with payments ranging from fifteen hundred to six thousand dollars.

(02:41):
For more, here's crime on Lines Dave Mack.

Speaker 3 (02:43):
Even though Ventura did not want to participate in the
freak Offs, she knew what refusal meant a brutal beating.
Ventura eventually learned to stop resisting and was even asked
to arrange some of the freak Offs herself. On top
of the threat of physical violence, Colmbs took it a
step further with a promise to release video of the
encounters and publicly humiliate his girlfriend if she didn't keep

(03:03):
up with the performances. Ventura felt that if she wanted
to continue performing on stage, she also had to perform
in her boyfriend's hotel room.

Speaker 2 (03:12):
The jury was also presented with photographs of six escorts,
prompting Ventira to identify them, linking back to the prosecution's
claims of transporting individuals for prostitution purposes. For the latest
details right out of the court room on the trial
against Sean Diddy, Comb's joined Nancy Grace and her team

(03:32):
of experts Tonight on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace six,
nine and twelve midnight on Doctor Phil's Merit stream Media,
or download Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on your favorite
podcasting app or Crime and Justice News after this. A
Houston man has been arrested and accused of killing his

(03:53):
step brother while the man was visiting his mother on
Mother's Day. Charles Story, fifty allegedly shot out and killed
his stepbrother, Eduardo Alfaro Junior, thirty two, while Alfaro was
visiting their mother on Sunday. According to the Harris County
Sheriff's Office, deputies arrived at the home after receiving calls
reporting weapons being fired at the home. When law enforcement

(04:16):
arrived around seven thirty pm, they found Alfaro suffering from
multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
Story was charged with his murder and booked into the
Harris County Jail. Harris County sheriff Ed Gonzalez shared in
a social media post said, quote, a mom lost two
sons on Mother's Day. Gonzalez said that Alfaro, upon arriving

(04:39):
at his mother's house, found his stepbrother quote possibly in
a drinking binge. One thing led to another, and when
he confronted him on being drunk on Mother's Day, he
opened fire on his brother. The men's mother is presumably uninjured,
although she is grieving the loss of both of her sons.
Story is being held without bond.

Speaker 1 (04:59):
How could a beautiful, young first grade teacher be stabbed
twenty times, including in the back, allegedly die of suicide? Yes,
that was the medical examiner's official ruling after a closed
door meeting. He first named it a homicide. Why what
happened to Ellen Greenberg? A huge American miscarriage of justice.

(05:25):
For an in depth look.

Speaker 4 (05:27):
At the facts, see What Happened to Ellen on Amazon.
All proceeds to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
For the latest crime injustice news, follow Crime Aler hourly
update on your favorite podcasting app with this crime Alert.
I'm Nicol Pardoner.