Cassie Breaks Silence on Diddy’s ‘Freak-Offs’: ‘I Couldn’t Say No’
Oh, fantastic—another celebrity courtroom drama where power trips meet bad decisions. Cassie Ventura, better known as Cassie, took the stand May 13 in Los Angeles Superior Court to admit she was too spooked to push back against Sean “Diddy” Combs’s infamous “freak-off” demands. According to courtroom testimony and pitch-perfect deposition excerpts obtained by TMZ, Cassie revealed that from the start of their on-and-off romance she felt a glaring imbalance of influence. She painted a picture of late-night invitations—“Come over for freak-offs,” Combs allegedly insisted—that left her torn between preserving professional ties, fearing retaliation, and standing her ground.
Cassie, testifying under oath, described how guilt trips and promises of career boosts made her reluctant to decline. She recalled one voicemail she played in court where Diddy, sounding more like a boss than a beau, said, “Don’t make me feel some type of way if you stand me up again.” Billboard confirmed that recording matches the one submitted as evidence. She also testified she feared losing modeling gigs and industry connections if she dared to say no—a claim echoed by People Magazine, which reported on the power dynamics in the case.
In a dry, exasperated tone, the singer-model confessed she kept quiet longer than she should’ve because “I didn’t want to mess up what we had going on professionally.” Of course, anyone paying attention saw where that logic led: months of awkward pressure and bruised boundaries. I told you so—when celebrities mix business with romance, someone’s always left scrambling. Lawyers for the plaintiff pointed out that Combs’s behavior wasn’t exactly standard practice, arguing these freak-off invitations crossed the line into coercion. The defense countered that both parties consented to the arrangement, but Cassie’s testimony made it clear she never felt truly free to refuse.
Court papers indicate this is just one thread in a sprawling civil suit alleging assault, battery, and emotional distress. While the judge deliberates on motions and evidence, Cassie’s reluctant admissions have already shifted public opinion. Variety notes social media has lit up with debates over consent, power imbalances, and the #MeToo movement’s relevance in entertainment. Meanwhile, Cassie remains the reluctant whistle-blower in her own story—forced to air private grievances under glaring courtroom lights.
Did anyone expect a different outcome? No? Thought so. As the legal wrangling continues, we’ll keep watching to see if Combs’s legal team can shake off this narrative or if Cassie’s testimony becomes the case-clincher. And that, dear reader, is why we can’t have nice things.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ, Billboard, People Magazine, Variety
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
