At Sean "Diddy" Combs trial, Cassie Ventura's mother and exotic dancer "The Punisher" testify
The mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs' ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura took the stand briefly Tuesday in the hip-hop mogul's trial.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to five counts including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
"I was physically sick"
Regina Ventura testified she took photos of bruising on her daughter's body in Dec. 2011.
An email Cassie Ventura sent her mother and an employee of Combs' was also shown in court again. In that email, Ventura describes Combs allegedly threatening to release explicit sex tapes of her, and threatening to hurt her and the man she was seeing at the time, rapper Kid Cudi.
Regina Ventura was asked how she reacted when she read the email.
"I was physically sick," she said.
Regina Ventura testified she and her husband took out a loan to pay Combs $20,000 which Combs was demanding, claiming he had spent that money on Cassie, and he was angry that Cassie was having a relationship with another man.
She was asked if she paid it.
"I was scared for my daughter's safety," Regina Ventura said.
The defense did not ask her any questions.
Combs went looking for Suge Knight with guns, former assistant testifies
David James, a former personal assistant to Combs, testified he drove a car with Combs and his security guard to where Combs' rival Suge Knight was located. James told jurors Combs had three handguns in his lap.
After that incident, James said he gave his six month notice and left the job.
He also told the jury another assistant went to the hospital for dehydration after working 24 hours straight, and that Combs' security would tell him "You know what rhymes with tired? Fired."
"The Punisher" on the stand
An exotic dancer whose nickname is "The Punisher" said he had sexual encounters with Cassie Ventura and Combs and took the stand to detail them.
A special agent with Homeland Security Investigations went over the search of Combs' Miami home. Jurors were shown photos from that search, including baby oil, lingerie and gun parts to an AR-15 rifle. Those gun parts were physically presented to the jury. The agent said the serial numbers were cut off.
