After days of graphic, emotional courtroom testimony from Cassie Ventura detailing alleged years of abuse by Sean “Diddy” Combs, her husband Alex Fine has broken his silence—and made it clear who he stands with.

Fine, 32, issued a powerful statement Friday (May 16) as the high-profile federal trial against Combs wrapped up its first week in a Manhattan courtroom.

Speaking directly to his wife’s accused abuser, Fine had one message: You failed.

“You did not break her spirit nor her smile that lights up every room,” he said.

“Cassie saved Cassie”

Alex Fine and Cassie Ventura met in 2018, around the same time her relationship with Combs ended. They married in 2019 and are now parents to two daughters, with a third child on the way.

Ventura is currently eight and a half months pregnant and has spent the last week on the witness stand, sharing harrowing allegations regarding her 11-year relationship with Combs.

Fine, who has sat in the courtroom through his wife’s testimony, addressed the pain of witnessing it all.

“I have felt so many things sitting there. I have felt tremendous pride and overwhelming love for Cass. I have felt profound anger that she has been subjected to sitting in front of a person who tried to break her," he said in his statement, per PEOPLE.

And while some have credited Fine with helping Cassie escape her past, he made it clear that the credit belongs entirely to her.

“I did not save Cassie, as some have said. To say that is an insult to the years of painful work my wife has done to save herself. Cassie saved Cassie,” he said. “She alone broke free from abuse, coercion, violence and threats. She did the work of fighting the demons that only a demon himself could have done to her. All I have done is love her as she has loved me.”

'You did not break the soul of a mother'

Fine has long been vocal about his support for Ventura, from social media posts to public gestures. In 2019, he ran a marathon for domestic violence awareness. After CNN published surveillance footage of Combs assaulting Ventura in a hotel lobby, Fine posted: “Men who hit women aren't men.”

On Friday, he doubled down on that support.

“You did not break the soul of a mother who gives the best hugs and plays the silliest games with our little girls. You did not break the woman who has made me a better man," he said.

He ended his statement by saying this would be the only public comment he or his family would make at this time.

Inside the courtroom: Cassie's testimony

Ventura’s courtroom testimony described a disturbing relationship that began in 2005, when she signed to Combs’ Bad Boy Records, and ended in 2018. She described their early dynamic as “fast, fast-paced, scary,” but initially intoxicating.

However, she testified that the relationship quickly descended into years of sexual coercion, violence, manipulation, and blackmail. At the center of her allegations were what have been referred to as “freak offs” — drug-fueled sexual encounters involving escorts, often recorded, allegedly without her consent.

She told the jury these encounters left her feeling “dirty and grimy,” and caused ongoing health issues including infections, mouth sores, and gastrointestinal problems. “It was a mess,” she said.

Ventura admitted to relying on drugs like ketamine, marijuana, mushrooms, and opiates to get through the encounters. “I couldn’t imagine myself doing any of that without having some sort of buffer,” she said. “I had an addiction to opiates, so I would take pills to come down. I wanted to feel numb and not know what was going on in my mind.”

“I felt trapped”

One of the most chilling parts of Ventura’s testimony described an incident on a commercial flight in 2013, where she said she saw Combs watching old “freak off” footage on his laptop.

“He was showing them with other people around. I said, ‘You are embarrassing me.’ I was scared, I felt trapped, how do you get out of this situation? I felt trapped," she told the court.

She testified that Combs would threaten to release the footage whenever she displeased him or tried to leave. “That he was going to embarrass me and release them,” she said. “It could ruin everything I worked for, make me look like a slut. I wasn't supposed to be on those videos. I didn't want to be in them.”

When an explicit video of her leaked in 2014, she testified: “Immediately my thoughts went to a ‘Freak Off’ video.” She said Combs told her to find out everything she could about the footage, including details of the room where it was recorded.

“It was too much”

Ventura detailed how she was tasked with recruiting male escorts from sites like Craigslist and Backpage, and present their photos to Combs for approval. Escorts were paid between $1,500 and $6,000 per session, with travel sometimes coordinated under the pretense they were “new staff members.”

She said Combs once ordered an escort to urinate on her during a session — and then did it himself. “It was too much. I choked, I didn’t want to be doing that, I was in a position I couldn’t easily get out of. I eventually put my hands up and Sean saw and told him to stop," she told the court.

Asked why she didn’t say no outright, she replied: “I was squeamish immediately, but high in the moment. That’s about it, you don't have a lot of control at that moment.” She also claimed that she started taking a number of drugs in order to make it through the "freak offs".

Throughout her testimony, Ventura emphasized her desire to survive and reclaim her life. “What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. People aren't disposable,” she said.

Her final words from the stand came through a statement read by her attorney: “This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me. I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors.”

“For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget," her statement read.

If you or somebody you know has been affected by any of the issues in this article, please contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.

Featured image credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for SHOWTIME

The trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs is unfolding in New York with the world watching — and it's ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura who has commanded the courtroom with four days of harrowing and graphic testimony, detailing what she describes as more than a decade of abuse.

Charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, transportation to engage in prostitution, arson, and bribery, Combs faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison if convicted.

Both the rapper and his legal team continue to assert his innocence.

Cassie takes the stand: "People aren't disposable"

Ventura - who is currently eight and a half months pregnant - has delivered a week of testimony that paints a disturbing portrait of their 11-year relationship with Combs, which started with her signing to his Bad Boy Records label in 2005 and ending in 2018.

Speaking to the jury, she described their early connection as fast-paced and intoxicating: “The beginning of the relationship was really ... fast, fast-paced, scary but the more time I spent with him and got to know him, his real personality -- at least what I thought was his real personality -- and I liked what it was," per ABC7.

But her testimony soon veered into allegations of violent abuse, sexual coercion, drug use, blackmail, and emotional manipulation.

She said, per Sky News: “What’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. People aren't disposable.”

Ventura’s courtroom testimony has peeled back the layers on a deeply troubling chapter of her relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. At the center of her account were the couple’s so-called “freak offs” — a term referring to sexual encounters involving paid escorts — which she initially embraced but later described as exploitative, painful, and emotionally scarring.

'It Was an Integral Part'

During cross-examination, the defense revisited the topic repeatedly, probing Ventura’s earlier email descriptions and text messages about the “freak offs.”

Ventura confirmed to the jury that they were “an integral part” of her relationship with Combs.

In a 2009 email, she characterized the experiences as the “next stop” in their relationship but also stated the importance of safety. “In order for me to be more open with the things we do in bed, I need to feel safe, like home… like this is my husband, and this is the only man that will ever have this aggressive sexual side of me," she wrote, per CNN.

But her tone darkened in later messages. “The last time was a mistake but since has made me feel a little dirty and grimy as opposed to sexual and spontaneous,” she wrote. “That’s the only reason why I go back and forth in my mind with wanting and not wanting to do it.”

Reflecting on their early relationship, she testified: “When we used to freak off when we were so in love there were no questions asked, it felt right. Like it literally made sense for the next step in our sex life together.” Over time, however, she said the emotional connection waned. As the love faded, so did her willingness.

Text messages presented in court showed conflicting moments — one from August 2009 had her replying, “I'm always read to freak off,” after Combs asked when she wanted to participate again. According to coverage, the texts included graphic details, which Ventura read aloud in court.

Defense attorney Anna Estevao pressed Ventura about her feelings at the time. “At the time you were afraid that you were being treated as someone who he could just get his fantasies off with?” she asked. “That was a concern,” Ventura admitted. She testified she hoped their bond would evolve emotionally, though when it came to deeper conversations, it was “usually a one-way street.”

'I Felt Trapped'

Ventura said she didn’t speak to friends or staff about the “freak offs,” and made a conscious effort to keep them private. While Combs’ assistants sometimes arranged hotel rooms, she testified, she "definitely didn’t” want anyone to know about what happened inside. She deleted videos and photos from her phone and said she asked Combs to do the same. Yet she claimed he didn’t always follow through.

In one account, she said she saw him watching an old video on a laptop during a commercial flight from Cannes in 2013. “He was showing them with other people around. I said, ‘You are embarrassing me.’ I was scared, I felt trapped, how do you get out of this situation? I felt trapped.”

She said Combs threatened to release the footage. “That he was going to embarrass me and release them.” These threats allegedly continued whenever he was upset. One such incident came after he accused her of stealing drugs and kicked her off a friend’s boat. Another time, he got angry when she refused to leave a party for a “freak off.”

“It could ruin everything I worked for, make me look like a slut,” she testified. “I wasn't supposed to be on those videos. I didn't want to be in them.”

In March 2014, Ventura said she learned that an explicit video of her had leaked. “Immediately my thoughts went to a ‘Freak Off’ video,” she said. When she told Combs, she recalled him urging her to investigate: “You gotta tell him this is your life, this is serious.”

Health Toll and Drug Use

Ventura testified that participating in the “freak offs” led to health complications, including gastrointestinal issues, mouth sores, and recurring urinary tract infections. “I tried to flush it out with water. I got to the point where CIPRO didn’t work anymore. It was a mess,” she told the jury.

She often used ketamine to dissociate, especially when she didn’t want to participate. “Opiates made me feel numb, which is why I relied on them so heavily,” Ventura said. She described post-encounter recoveries involving IVs, massages, and medication.

“I definitely felt just gross,” she said, especially when Combs didn’t stay with her afterward. “Okay I did my job and now I’m going about the rest of my life. The same feelings over and over.”

Her reliance on drugs grew. “I had an addiction to opiates, so I would take pills to come down. I wanted to feel numb and not know what was going on in my mind.”

Cassie also opened up about relying on "marijuana, ketamine, mushrooms, whatever was the drug of choice at that point" in order to get through a "freak off", per NBC News.

Graphic Accounts and Humiliation

According to Ventura’s testimony, there was a typical structure to the “freak offs.” “It was established pretty early on in doing the Freak Offs that Sean enjoyed a lot of conversation and describing,” she said.

The sessions began with “oil and touching,” then oral sex, and eventually intercourse.

They were recorded frequently — first with a video camera, then with phones and other devices. She deleted the videos on her devices and asked Combs to delete his, fearing that his staff might see them. “I never wanted anyone to ever see me like that," Ventura said.

She said she couldn’t go through with the experiences without drugs. “I couldn’t imagine myself doing any of that without having some sort of buffer," she said, before testifying that Combs once made an escort urinate on her, then did it himself.

“It was too much. I choked, I didn’t want to be doing that, I was in a position I couldn’t easily get out of. I eventually put my hands up and Sean saw and told him to stop," she told the court.

Asked why she didn’t say no outright, she explained: “I was squeamish immediately, but high in the moment. That’s about it, you don't have a lot of control at that moment.”

Ten Bottles of Baby Oil

Ventura shared how much Combs fixated on baby oil. “Sean wanted it heated and he wanted it to be glistening so we applied every five minutes,” she said.

One incident at the Montage Beverly Hills involved a pool “filled with baby oil.” She said, “If Sean wanted it to happen, that was what was going to happen, there was no way around it. We used 10 bottles of baby oil, regular size.”

Finding Escorts

Ventura resumed her testimony by detailing how she had to find male escorts at Combs’ direction. She looked through ads on Craigslist and Backpage, and even contacted dancing and stripping services. She would present options to Combs for approval.

“I’d usually show them to Sean and see if that person was of interest for a ‘Freak Off,’” she said. If they hadn’t been used before, she had to confirm they weren’t law enforcement.

The escorts were paid between $1,500 and $6,000 after each session. She said she was responsible for handing them the cash, which Combs provided. Some were flown to participate in different states, with travel coordinated through Combs’ team under the guise of being “new staff members.”

Ventura also broke down when asked if Diddy would "beat her" during "freak offs", to which she said: "Yes."

She also stated that, "more than once", she told Combs that she "no longer wanted to do them".

Her closing words: “I will never forget”

Ventura ended her testimony with a public statement read by her attorney outside of court.

“This week has been extremely challenging, but also remarkably empowering and healing for me," it read. "I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors.”

“For me, the more I heal, the more I can remember. And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget,” she added.

She thanked her family and advocates and asked for privacy as she prepares to give birth.

If you or somebody you know has been affected by any of the issues in this article, please contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org.

Featured image credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images 

Cassie Ventura’s husband has condemned Sean “Diddy” Combs after CNN released surveillance footage of the rapper appearing to assault the singer in a hotel hallway in 2016.

The outlet obtained footage reportedly showing the 54-year-old rapper, who was formerly known as Puff Daddy, brutally kicking and dragging his then-girlfriend, Cassie.

The disturbing altercation - dated March 5, 2016 - comes after the 37-year-old 'Me & U' singer filed an explosive federal lawsuit against him in November 2023, accusing him of physically and sexually abusing her for years.

Cassie Ventura filed an explosive lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023. Credit: Ethan Miller / Getty

The incident took place at the now-defunct InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, as verified by CNN.

The leaked video shows the music executive exiting a room at the hotel room while holding a towel around his waist. He then runs after Ventura, grabs her by the back of the neck, and then throws her to the floor near the hotel's elevators.

With the 'Long Way To Go' singer lying on the ground, Combs can be seen picking up her items from the floor.

Check out the video below:

Ventura's attempt to regain composure is met with further aggression from the father-of-seven, who, still donning a towel and socks, appears to shove her before launching objects in her direction.

CNN reported that Ventura declined to comment on the shocking video, however, her attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, issued a statement on the footage's significance and shed light on Ventura's courage in speaking out about the alleged misconduct perpetrated by Diddy.

"The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs," Wigdor said. "Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

Alex Fine has been married to Cassie since 2019 and they share two children. Credit: Paul Morigi / Getty

Cassie's husband, Alex Fine, penned an open letter shared on Instagram, standing in solidarity with his wife, and condemning violence against women and girls.

Fine, who has been married to the musician since 2019, penned: “Men who hit women aren’t men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men."

Read Fine's post below:

“As men, violence against women shouldn’t be inevitable, check your brothers, your friends, and your family," he continued. "Our daughters, sisters, mothers, and wives should feel protected and loved. Hold the women in your life with the upmost regard. Men who hurt women hate women.”

Fine emphasized the need to believe women who come forward and speak about domestic violence, as he directly addressed survivors of sexual assault and abuse.

“To all the survivors you’re not alone, and there are men and women who care only for your well-being and safety. We want you to succeed and flourish,” Fine said. “To all the women and children, I’m sorry you live in a world where you’re not protected, and you don’t feel equal. I want to raise my daughters in a world where they are safe and loved.”

He concluded his letter by turning his attention towards “abusers," writing: “You’re done, you’re not safe anymore, you’re not protected anymore, the men by your side are just as weak, you’re so miserable with yourself that death would be considered a kindness."

Sean "Diddy" Combs is facing civil lawsuits over alleged sexual assault and sex trafficking. Credit: Gareth Cattermole / Getty

Combs is currently facing five other civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct and other illegal activity.

Back in March, the Department of Homeland Security raided two of the rapper’s houses in Los Angeles and Miami. They were looking for devices such as laptops, flash drives, and anything that would connect Combs with the allegations.

The rapper has strongly denied all of the allegations against him. He has not been formally charged.

If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic violence, help is out there. Please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for more information.

Featured image credit: Johnny Nunez / Getty

Cassie Ventura's lawyer has spoken out after Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found not guilty of three major charges.

Combs has been found guilty on two counts in his federal sex-trafficking trial while being acquitted of three others.

The Manhattan federal jury of eight men and four women found the rapper:

• Not guilty of Count 1: Racketeering conspiracy
• Not guilty of Count 2: Sex trafficking of Cassie Ventura
• Guilty of Count 3: Transportation for prostitution of Cassie and others
• Not guilty of Count 4: Sex trafficking of Jane
• Guilty of Count 5: Transportation for prostitution of Jane and others

Jane is a victim who did not want to use her name during the trial.

After deliberating for 13 hours over three days, the jury delivered the mixed verdict on Tuesday (July 1), following seven weeks of testimony that included 34 witnesses, video evidence, and emotional accounts from Combs’ ex-partner Cassie Ventura and others who accused him of repeated abuse.

As the verdict was read, Combs sat stoically, staring ahead before making a praying hands gesture toward the jury in a sign of thanks, Sky News reported.

Per the Guardian, Judge Arun Subramanian praised the jury for their “sacrifice,” stating: “I want you to know that it is inspiring to all of us.

"You listened, you worked together, you were here every day, rain or shine. You did so with no reward, other than the reward that comes from answering the call of public service. That should give all of us hope.”

Cassie, who was in an on-and-off relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018, spent four days testifying at the start of the trial, alleging she had been coerced into “freak-off” sex sessions with male sex workers and subjected to violence throughout their relationship.

It was Ventura’s civil lawsuit, filed in November 2023 and settled within 24 hours, that appeared to spark the criminal case against Combs.

In the trial, Ventura testified that Combs forced her into days-long, drug-fueled “freak-offs” with male prostitutes, sometimes recorded by Combs, and that these encounters took place in Combs’ homes, her homes, and hotel suites worldwide.

She described how Combs would find escorts on Craigslist, paying them between $1,500 to $6,000, and recounted a 2013 incident where Combs allegedly kicked her off a yacht at the Cannes Film Festival after accusing her of drug use, later threatening to release explicit videos to control her.

Ventura also described a 2016 incident where Combs was caught on camera assaulting her in a Los Angeles hotel.

Following the verdict, Cassie’s lawyer, Douglas H Wigdor, released a statement per Sky News: “This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023.”

“Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.”

“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice.”

Wigdor praised Ventura, who testified heavily pregnant just three weeks before giving birth, saying she displayed “unquestionable strength” and “brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit.”

“We must repeat, with no reservation, that we believe and support our client, who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial.”

Featured image credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images for SHOWTIME

Fans have praised Cassie Ventura's husband for "saving her life" after finding out the backstory of how he came into her life.

It comes as extremely disturbing footage of the 37-year-old singer allegedly being beaten by her former boyfriend, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, was made public after it was obtained by CNN.

In the video, which was reportedly taken in March 2016, the 'Finna Get Loose' rapper was allegedly seen grabbing, kicking, and dragging Ventura in a hotel in the now inoperative InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles.

After the harrowing clip went viral, Diddy took to social media to address the rumors and apologize despite denying all the allegations against him prior to the release of the footage.

Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty/Roc Nation

"I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he said in the video statement posted on Sunday (May 19).

"It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that," he continued, before adding: "I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.

"But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry," he concluded.

But fans are not in a forgiving mood, with many slamming the rapper for his actions, as well as his "insensitive" apology.

Amongst those who criticized the singer was none other than Ventura's husband, Alex Fine, who released a statement after the initial hotel footage went viral.

"Men who hit women aren't men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren't men," read his social media message. "As men violence against women shouldn't be inevitable, check your brothers, your friends, and your family. Our daughters, sisters, mothers, and wives should feel protected and loved. Hold the women in your life with the utmost regard. Men who hurt women hate women."

Credit: Paul Morigi/Getty/1/ST

The statement continued: "To all the survivors, find the men and women who help and love. To all the survivors, your stories are real, and people believe you. To all the survivors, you're not alone, and there are men and women who care only for your well being and safety. We want you to succeed and flourish."

Directing his attention to domestic violence victims, he added: "To all the women and children, I'm sorry you live in a world where you're not protected, and you don't feel equal. I want to raise my daughters in a world where they are safe and loved.

He then turned his attention to the abusers.

"To the abusers, you're done. You're not safe anymore, you're not protected anymore."

Have a look at the full post below:

Many have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to commend Ventura's husband after finding out that he helped her after being hired by Diddy as her personal trainer.

"I feel like Cassie’s husband literally saved her life. The way Diddy was so bold to drag her down a hallway full of other rooms, proves that he had no problem with beating her in front of others. Alex probably witnessed some disturbing things. That man saved her. God bless him," this user wrote, while another added: "The GAG is, Alex was Diddy’s personal trainer and then started training Cassie in their home. Her only way out was probably by confiding in him because it seems like she didn’t have much of a social life outside of Diddy and his peers."

However, others pointed out that it could be a "dangerous narrative", as Ventura's story should not be hijacked by another "savior."

"This 'Cassie's husband saved her' narrative is very dangerous to be playing with. He's not her saviour? & again puts this man in a very powerful position in her life. He cared and loved her, that's enough, we don't need to make this man the centre of her story," this person pointed out, but another X user hit back with the fact that he did aid her in her recovery.

"He WAS the one to help get her tf out and also coaxed her to file the suit so it may not be the narrative you like BUT it appears that is what’s happened. And good for her. At least she’s in a positive relationship with someone who cares about her," they wrote.

Either way, we're glad that Ventura has found love with Fine and both partners are happy raising their child together.

If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic violence, help is out there. Please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for more information.

Featured Image Credit: Johnny Nunez/WireImage/Getty