Kevin Mazur/Getty Sean "Diddy" Combs 'former personal assistant testified Thursday that the Bad Boy Records mogul allegedly sexually assaulted her multiple times, dumped a bucket of ice on her head, threw her into a swimming pool and slammed her arm into a door during an agonizing eight-year tenure working for him. She also testified that her friend, lead witness and R&B singerCasandra "Cassie" Ventura, had visible injuries during the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. The woman, testifying at Combs' sex-trafficking trialunder the pseudonym "Mia," has alleged that he put his hand up her dress, forced her to perform oral sex and climbed into her bed to have sex with her against her will. Ethan Miller/Getty Mia, speaking slowly and at times crying, portrayed Combs as brutal and controlling — placing his own needs, wants and desires above the wellbeing of his staff, loved ones and Ventura, who was his girlfriend at the time. Mia testified Combs berated her for mistakes, even ones made by other employees, and gave her so many tasks she didn't sleep for days on end. "It was chaotic. It was toxic," said Mia, who worked for Combs from 2009 to 2017 and co-founded the Revolt Films studio with him. "It could be exciting. The highs were really high and the lows were really low." Mia further testified about several occasions where she saw Combs' ex Ventura being assaulted — one of them was at the premiere ofBrad Pitt'sKilling Them Softlyat the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, May 22, 2012. While at the premiere, Mia claimed that Ventura and Combs were seated in the silent movie theater and talking, then Combs gritted his teeth and started "digging his nails into her arms." Mia claimed that "no one ever leaves in the middle of a premiere event" but Combs insisted on Ventura leaving, which she did. Mia recalled other times she saw Ventura's busted lip and other injuries in a hotel room with Ventura's hair stylistDeonte Nash. After the premiere,PEOPLE reported at the time, Pitt hosted an intimate party that evening at Villa St. George for close friends and people who were involved with the film. About 100 people attended the soiree, including Combs, Kylie Minogue, Chris Tucker and Ray Liotta, who partied until the wee hours of the morning. The party felt almost like a pre-bachelor party forthe newly engaged Pitt, with refreshments including cigars and 250 bottles of Johnnie Walker whiskey. Towards the end of the evening, Combs shared a celebratory drink with the actor over his engagement to Angelina Jolie (who he married in Aug. 2014and finalized theirdivorce in Dec. 2024), before inviting the entire party back to his yacht. Related:Brad Pitt Parties with Diddy (and Ray Liotta) in Cannes Ventura, who spoke for four days during the trial's first week of testimony, detailed the beginning ofher relationship with Combs of 11 years.She said she first met him around 2005, when she was 19, describing her view of him at the time as "this larger-than-life entrepreneur musician." Related:Cassie Had Dinner with Diddy Hoping to End Relationship. Instead, She Testified, He Raped Her They had sex for the first time two years later during a trip to Miami, not long after Ventura's 21st birthday — whereVentura testified she cried after he kissed her for the first time. Ventura said Combs also gave her ecstasy during their trip together, and the jury was shown a photo of the pair: Ventura wearing a robe and sunglasses, with Combs draped around her. Related:Cassie Reveals Why She Cried When Diddy Kissed Her for the First Time Ventura added Combs subjected her to hundreds of"freak-offs"— drug-fueled sex marathons in which she said she engaged in sex acts with escorts while Combs watched, filmed and directed them. Ventura testifiedit could last anywhere from 36 hours to four days. Ventura was 22 years oldwhen she had her first freak-off, she said, adding, "eventually it became a job for me," occurring weekly during the course of their relationship. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg She claimed the encounters were "a very choreographed experience," detailing the precise sequence of the sexual encounters that Combs expected from her and the male escort to carry out for him. If they went too quickly, Combs allegedly made them begin all over again. Ventura said she "hated" the freak-offs, finding them "humiliating" and "disgusting." She testified that there would sometimes be blood on the sheets covering the hotel furniture because Combs forced her to have sex while she was menstruating or ovulating. Related:Sex Worker Says Cassie Was 'Shaking Uncontrollably' After Diddy Allegedly Hit Her. Then the Worker Kissed Her Ventura went on to describe the control and alleged abuse Combs exerted over her life while continuously keeping tabs on her. She testified that Combs decided her wardrobe, nails, hair, where she lived and ordered her "busy work" to occupy her time when he wasn't around. "He had control over what I did every minute of the day," Ventura said, adding, even orchestrating discussions about her breast implants. gotpap/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images On May 16, Ventura testified in Manhattan federal court that she was in a state of shock after Combs hit her and kicked her while she lay curled on the floor and dragged her back to their room in the now-infamous attack at theInterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in 2016. Related:Days After Brutally Assaulting Cassie at L.A. Hotel, Here's the Shocking Text Diddy Sent Her Not only was Ventura in pain from the black eye and other injuries Combs left her with after the May 6,2016 beating,she was reeling from the fury the hip-hop mogul unleashed on her when she ran out of the room after a violent Freak Off session, she testified. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution charges, which he has adamantly denied. His lawyers have conceded that he could be violent at times, but he denies using threats or his music industry clout to commit or cover up abuse. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org. Read the original article onPeople
