Graphic trial testimony plays out in front of families of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Cassie Ventura
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
(CNN) — Back in August 2019, Alex Fine posted a video of his wife Cassie Ventura, holding and comforting him after he ran 50 miles to raise money for his domestic violence charity.
“Just the person I needed with me the whole time,” Fine wrote in the caption of his post.“Wow I am so lucky to be able to hug her after this. She makes me better in every way.”
Fine is now showing his support for his wife, as Ventura, who is weeks from delivering their third child, testifies against the man she says made her life torturous, her former boyfriend and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Fine, who married Ventura the same month he posted the video, was in the courtroom Tuesday. He was seen staring at Combs before Ventura took the stand to testify about her past relationship with Combs and their “Freak Offs,” which she said included her having sex with male escorts while Combs watched for his pleasure.
Combs has blown air kisses and gestured to his family supporters in court this week. He has pleaded not guilty to charges that include racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs and Ventura each appear to be leaning into the support of their respective families as the public hears graphic testimony about their time together, which included a 2016 surveillance video that shows Ventura being physically assaulted by her then-boyfriend, Combs.
‘Men who hit women aren’t men’
Fine was reportedly first hired as a personal trainer for Combs before landing Ventura as his client as well.
Ventura, now 38, first met Combs, now 55, when she was a 19-year-old singer. Their longterm relationship played out, off and on, between 2007 and 2018.
She told Vogue in 2019 that she and Fine had met at a gym and didn’t date long before they discovered they were pregnant with their first child.
“We decided to plan a wedding for this past summer after debating between getting married before or after the baby came,” she said at the time.
Fine has often shared his admiration for his wife on social media and was there for her after she filed a civil lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, which was quickly settled without Combs admitting wrongdoing.
In it, Ventura alleged that during their relationship Combs controlled all aspects of her personal life, forced her to engage in sex acts with other men and “introduced” her to a lifestyle of “excessive alcohol and substance abuse.”
When she tried to end things with Combs in 2018, she alleged that he forced his way into her home and raped her. Combs has denied her allegations.
According to her complaint at the time, Ventura still suffered from “immense emotional distress” and at one point she checked into an inpatient rehabilitation center after having suicidal thoughts she linked to abuse.
Her husband has a personal connection to domestic violence beyond Ventura.
In a March 2020 post on his Almost Home site, Fine wrote, “When I got the news that my mom had been the victim of domestic abuse and violence, I really didn’t know how to handle it.”
Fine said his “anger” over the abuse is mother endured deeply affected him.
“I didn’t want to give in to those paralyzing feelings,” he wrote. “So, I decided to channel my anger and feelings of helplessness by running fifty miles to bring awareness and hopefully raise some money for other victims of domestic violence.”
That was the race of which he shared footage of Ventura with him after he finished.
After CNN first published 2016 surveillance footage of Combs assaulting Ventura at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, Fine shared a letter he wrote about domestic violence on social media.
“Men who hit women aren’t men,” Fine wrote. “Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men. As men violence against women shouldn’t be inevitable, check your brothers, your friends and your family.”
He also offered support to those who have been abused, writing, “We want you to succeed and to flourish.”
“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,” he wrote. “I want to raise my daughters in a world where they are safe and loved.”
Fine had a warning for men who commit domestic violence.
“To the abusers, you’re done, you’re not safe anymore, you’re not protected anymore, the men by your side are just as weak,” Fine wrote.
He may be called as a witness in Combs’ trial. There was debate raised by the defense team as to whether Fine should be allowed to be present during his wife’s testimony, which began Tuesday, but the judge allowed him to attend.
Prior to Ventura’s testimony, Combs’ defense team made a request to have Ventura, who is more than eight months pregnant, seated at the witness stand before the jury entered the courtroom.
“There is a quality to her walking in front of the jury that I think is easily avoidable,” Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, requested in court on Monday.
Judge Arun Subramanian ultimately denied the request.
A representative for Combs declined to comment.
Hearts from the Combs family
Combs’ mother, Janice Combs, and his six adult children have shown up to the courthouse, “united” in their support for the embattled music industry vet, a source close to the Combs’ family told CNN this week.
“Everyone is upbeat. Everyone is holding faith,” the individual added.
The mogul has been vocal in the past about his love of family.
In 2022, Combs appeared on his then-girlfriend Caresha “Yung Miami” Brownlee’s series “Caresha Please” and talked about being a single dad in the wake of the 2018 death of Kim Porter, mother of three of his children.
“Fatherhood has been really, really real,” he said at the time. “‘Cause I was like a part-time father, you know what I’m talking about?”
All that changed when Porter died in 2018, following a bout of pneumonia at the age of 47. Combs stepped up to be more involved in the care of their twin daughters and son.
The Combs children are:
• Quincy Brown, 33: Brown is the son of Porter and singer Al B. Sure, but was raised by Combs. The actor who starred in the Fox musical drama “Star” has stepped up to assist Combs raising Brown’s twin sisters, who are two of Combs’ four daughters.
• Justin Dior Combs, 31: The eldest of the children, Justin was born to Combs and his former girlfriend, fashion stylist Misa Hylton. The younger Combs played football for UCLA and was often featured in dance videos with his father and younger brother, Christian.
• Christian “King” Combs, 27: Diddy’s look-alike son followed his father into the music industry as a rapper. He was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit last year. His father is not accused of sexual assault in the lawsuit but is included on allegations of liability and aiding and abetting. Aaron Dyer, an attorney for the father and son, said in a statement to CNN at the time that they believe the lawsuit contains “manufactured lies and irrelevant facts.” Porter is Christian’s mother.
• Chance Combs, 18: The eldest daughter of Combs, she was born to the mogul and Atlanta-based businesswoman Sarah Chapman in July 2009. Chance Combs was her father’s date for the 2022 Academy Awards and shared that she was an aspiring actress. “Zendaya is one of my biggest inspirations and someone that I really want to work with in the future,” the teen told Laverne Cox on the red carpet as her father proudly looked on.
• D’Lila and Jessie Combs, 18: The twins were born to Porter and Combs a few months after Chance was born. Porter’s discovery of Chapman’s pregnancy contributed to the end of her longtime on-again, off-again relationship with Combs, she told Essence magazine shortly after they split. “I left because at this point in my life I want something different for myself,” she said at the time. “I invested ten years, I have children, and I’ve always stood by him. But now it’s time for me and what I want to do for Kim.”
• Love Sean Combs, 2: The youngest of Combs’s brood was born to cybersecurity expert Dana Tran. Her father had earlier restyled himself as “Love” and since their daughter’s birth, Tran has shared plenty of content featuring the little one on her Instagram account. The toddler has not been seen in court this week.
In October, the elder children released a joint statement to rally around their father. “We stand united, supporting you every step of the way. We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family.”
His daughters briefly left the courtroom on Monday, during testimony from a man who said he was paid to have sex with Ventura as Combs watched and masturbated. They returned but left again when the graphic testimony continued. One of Combs’ son’s placed his arm around his paternal grandmother during some of the testimony.
A prom is scheduled Saturday for the Los Angeles-area private school attended by his twin daughters, who were not in court on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, one of his daughters made a heart shape with her hands as she faced her father. Combs retuned the gesture before catching the eye of his mother to whom he blew a kiss. His mother then blew a kiss back to him.
The-CNN-Wire
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