Exact moment courtroom fell silent during Cassie’s testimony as jury shown ‘freak-off’ images

Right now, Sean “Diddy” Combs is on trial for sex trafficking in New York, and things inside the courtroom just took a deeply unsettling turn. Yesterday (May 14), the courtroom fell silent as jurors viewed a series of explicit images during testimony from Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, Diddy’s former girlfriend and the prosecution’s key witness.

According to CNN, prosecutors presented seven images taken from alleged videos of drug-fuelled “freak-offs.” The images appeared privately on monitors in front of each juror. One female juror placed a hand on her chest and exhaled deeply as she looked at the screen. A male juror glanced at a photo before quickly turning his head away. Others scribbled notes or stared ahead in silence, and some looked at the images more than once. The press couldn’t view the images but watched the jury’s reactions in real time.

Credit: John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

Judge Arun Subramanian ruled the content too graphic to release publicly. Prosecutors introduced the photos as evidence of encounters that Cassie says Diddy coerced her into during their relationship. One image shows her covered in baby oil, standing near a candle and lubricant on a table. Another shows a male escort. One still features “Mia,” a pseudonym for another woman who accuses Diddy of abuse.

Cassie testified that Diddy recorded these encounters and used the footage to threaten and control her. She told jurors she feared he would release the videos and “ruin everything I had worked for.” She described how he coerced her into participating in the “freak-offs” by threatening her with violence or public humiliation.

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As CNN reported, the moment as one of the most emotionally charged of the trial so far. Jurors visibly reacted as they viewed the images. Diddy has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty. Cassie will return to the stand for cross-examination as the trial continues in Manhattan Federal Court.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Contact the national domestic violence helpline on 0808 2000 247. Lines are open 24/7.