Sean “Diddy” Comb Sex Crime Day 1
Prosecutors and defense outlined their arguments, and witnesses rose to the first day of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sexual offence trial.
Casandra Ventura Fine told the ju umpire that her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs physically abused her, kicking her in the face, kicking her, kicking, sex trafficking and transporting, kicking her to engage in prostitution. He also had a “career at his hands,” a rhythmic and blues singer best known as “Cathy.”
This came a day after former male stripper Daniel Philip, who rose up during cross-examination on May 12th, and explained the details of the physical abuse graphic that he said he had a wonderful enduring witness to Ventura. Philip recalls one example of hearing Combs screaming at Ventura Fine before Combs left the room in a towel. Philip said, “I jumped into my lap and shaking. I asked her, “Why is she doing this? Why is he with this guy, why is he with this guy?”
Philip’s reaction is not uncommon, and he also said in his testimony that he was concerned about his own safety during his interactions with Comb. Victims of abuse are often asked why they stay, but that’s a question, and psychologists and sociologists rarely help and can end up “decrying the victim.”
Research shows that there are many reasons why victims struggle to leave their abusers, including the threat of escalating violence. And there are other more useful questions to ask people in an abusive relationship.
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According to a 2020 study by the National Domestic Violence Coalition, one in four women and one in ten men experience sexual, physical violence and/or stalking during their training life. As a result, approximately one in five female victims and one in 20 male victims need medical care. The most dangerous period for the safety of the victim is when they leave an abusive relationship. Notifying them of their abusive partner or plan to leave can put the victim at greater risk of murder and violence of their intimate partners.
“Many victims are safer than they stay in an abusive relationship than they leave, especially if they don’t have the opportunity to plan safety,” explains sociologist Nicole Bedella. “Victims tend to be very good at determining when it is safe to leave, and it’s important that the rest of us respect the expertise of perpetrators’ patterns of violence.”
In court, the prosecutor asked Philip why he didn’t go to police. “I was worried about my life,” he said. “I didn’t know if I would see a gun or not. If so, my life would have been in danger.”
Why is it so difficult to leave an abusive relationship?
Reactions focusing on the victim’s behavior may deprive them of discussing the abuses they have been inflicted by the perpetrator.
“The decision to stay in an abusive relationship is influenced by a variety of complex, deeply personal factors,” says Elizabeth L. Jeglick, a clinical psychologist specializing in sexual violence at the New York City University of Criminal Justice. “It’s wrong to assume that leaving an abusive relationship is a simple or available option for people with an abusive relationship.”
Common barriers to leaving an abusive relationship include retaliation, financial dependence, psychological manipulation, and concerns about the safety and well-being of oneself or loved ones.
“Abusers often have a successful psychological and physical isolation from others, and they may feel like they have nowhere to seek help,” adds Jeglick.
Ventura Fein, who is pregnant with her husband, Alex Fein, testifies that Comb has abused her for many years. She was 19 when she met Combs. He was 17 years old and was founded in the music industry and signed a contract for 10 albums. These types of power imbalances allow abusers to force and manipulate victims.
Ventura Fine testified that the comb would steal electronics, cars, jewelry and her “confidence.” “It didn’t matter physically. I wanted him to be approved,” she said.
Cognitive biases like the “halo effect” can also protect public figures’ images in the face of sexual abuse allegations, and survivors who speak up are subject to shame and distrust.
When giving a positive impression to someone like Combs, a Grammy-winning artist who won a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Howard University, Jeglick says he tends to turn perceptions and inappropriate information into “inappropriate” especially those who have “less status than him.” “He was a bigger musician than he was,” Ventura Fein told the ju judge.
In a 2024 study conducted by Chloe Grace Hart, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she found that Americans are less likely to say they believe in black women who explain their experiences of sexual harassment compared to white women who explain the same thing.
“It suggests that when it comes to sexual violence, black female survivors face particularly sudden and difficult battles to be believed,” Hart previously told USA Today.
Sometimes people get evidence that they can’t refute before they change their perception of celebrities, such as when videos of people attacking Venturas at hotels.
“Freakoff” attending combs found Kathy “unworthy”
During Venture Fine’s testimony, she was asked by the prosecution why she continued to attend Combs’ “freak-off” party if she was uncomfortable.
She said, “I don’t want to make anything bad.”
“When you really care about someone and love them, you don’t want to disappoint them,” Ventura Fein said. She sniffed and said she tried to “gentlely” brooch on the subject of not “freak off.”
“When I did this, I felt terrified. It made me feel worthless,” she said of “freak-off.” When she expressed discomfort, she “dismisses” the comb and says her feelings are “unprecedented.”
She called Combs “a scary person.”
How to help victims of abuse
Victims’ criticism occurs when society or individuals hold the victims of the harm they experience rather than the perpetrators. This may seem to ask why the victim didn’t leave the relationship early or the person who raped “what they’re wearing,” and ask the victim to believe the abuse was their fault. It also allows perpetrators to avoid accountability, which can perpetuate the cycle of abuse.
“The abuser also teaches victims to blame the victims for the abuse, leading many victims to believe they have an obligation to maintain and correct the dynamics of the relationship,” adds Bedella.
Rather than scrutinizing the victim, he states that one of the correct courses of action is “center survivors.”
“Domestic violence is complicated and a public health crisis where we all need to learn more,” Justice previously told USA Today. “For those who have seen recent reports and feel forced to take action on this issue, we encourage people to learn to recognize warning signs of abuse, listen to survivors when they share their experiences with you, provide help to survivors when they are safe, donate to local hotlines and shelters so that the services are available when they need them.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, call the domestic domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text “Start” 88788.
Children:e and Patrick Ryan
