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2025 Federal Trialtrial-daytrial-dayMaurene R. ComeyEmily A. JohnsonXavier R. DonaldsonDaniel PhillipCasandra VenturacrossredirectrecrossdirectDay 6 - May 13, 2025Casandra Ventura testified about her relationship with Sean Combs, alleged control, freak-offs, and a Century City hotel incident as Daniel Phillip completed his testimony and the court resolved evidentiary and access issues.
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Day 6 - May 13, 2025

Ventura Testifies on Relationship, Freak-Offs, and Hotel Incident

Judge Arun Subramanian
12Proceedings
5Pages
2Witnesses
3,457Lines
3Sidebars
Day 6 of 39
Appearing:

Casandra Ventura testified about her relationship with Sean Combs, alleged control, freak-offs, and a Century City hotel incident as Daniel Phillip completed his testimony and the court resolved evidentiary and access issues.

Full day summary

The court resolved several evidentiary and courtroom-access issues before Casandra Ventura testified. It allowed limited use of a reported bar-fight incident in a text-message context, admitted two prior consistent statements while reserving two others for possible rebuttal, and set procedures concerning witness exclusion and proposed press access to sexually explicit exhibits. Daniel Phillip completed cross-examination, redirect, recross, and further redirect. He disputed the defense characterization of Ventura's control during the encounters, described her as visibly afraid after an Essex House argument, and testified that Combs directed sexual activity involving him and Ventura. The court struck part of one answer and instructed the jury to disregard it. Ventura testified about her relationship with Sean Combs, including her account of increasing control over her career, appearance, communications, housing, and possessions. She described freak-offs involving escorts, drugs, recordings, and directions she said came from Combs, and said she continued participating because she feared his reaction. She also identified hotel-surveillance footage while recounting an alleged Century City hotel incident. The court admitted numerous exhibits subject to connection, directed the government to condense cumulative questioning about supplies, and provisionally denied the news organizations' request for pool-reporter access to the video exhibits pending further submissions.

1. Juror and Evidentiary Matters

Before the jury entered on Day 6, the court considered access to explicit exhibits, allowed limited text-message questioning concerning Ms. Ventura, and ruled on proposed prior consistent statements.

Procedural
Trial Session Opening
4 lines
Procedural
Juror 75 Service Inquiry
22 lines
Procedural
Sealed-Exhibit Access Hearing
22 lines

The court heard arguments over public and press access to planned sexually explicit exhibits and requested further briefing.

Procedural
Ventura Evidence Admissibility Ruling
21 lines

The court allowed limited use of a reported bar-fight incident in a text-message exchange while excluding the other proposed incidents.

Procedural
Prior Consistent Statements Ruling
24 lines

The court allowed B-315 and B-316 as prior consistent statements but reserved B-332 and B-329 for possible rebuttal.

2. Daniel Phillip — Cross/Redirect/Recross (Part 2)

Daniel Phillip completed cross-examination, redirect, and recross testimony before the court briefly sent the jury out to address a potential-witness issue.

Cross
Daniel Phillip — Cross Daniel Phillip Xavier R. Donaldson
387 lines

Daniel Phillip resisted parts of the defense's consent and credibility questioning, reaffirmed an alleged assault, and did not recall prior statements about jealousy.

1 sidebar inside this proceeding
  1. Document Visibility Near JuryThe sidebar addressed whether papers used during cross-examination were visible to a juror.
Redirect
Daniel Phillip — Redirect Daniel Phillip Maurene R. Comey
123 lines

Phillip clarified his account of Combs's alleged directions during sexual activity and gave further testimony about an incident involving Cassie; the court struck part of one answer.

Recross
Daniel Phillip — Recross Daniel Phillip Xavier R. Donaldson
47 lines

Defense counsel used admitted text messages to question Phillip about communications with Cassie after the alleged assault.

Redirect
Daniel Phillip — Redirect Daniel Phillip Maurene R. Comey
42 lines

Phillip explained his purpose in sending a text message, and the court deferred a Rule 615 dispute over Alex Fine's presence until the jury briefly left.

1 sidebar inside this proceeding
  1. Potential Witness ExclusionThe parties discussed whether Cassie Ventura's husband should be excluded as a potential defense witness while she testified.

3. Rule 615 Witness-Exclusion Hearing

Defense counsel sought exclusion of Casandra Ventura's husband under Rule 615; the court required advance notice and allowed him to remain until questioning reached 2018.

Procedural
Rule 615 Witness-Exclusion Hearing
32 lines

The court set a Rule 615 process for Ventura's husband, ordered advance notice for future exclusion requests, and directed counsel to seek a sidebar before the 2018 questioning.

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