Regina Ventura, the mother of Casandra Ventura (the ex-girlfriend at the center of the racketeering and sex trafficking case against Sean "Diddy" Combs), testified in a Manhattan federal court that she took out a home-equity loan to pay off the rapper after he threatened to release sex tapes of her daughter. Regina Ventura's testimony detailed the troubled relationship between Combs and her daughter, who performed under the stage name "Cassie."

Prosecutors allege that Combs exploited multiple girlfriends through his fashion, liquor, and music empire, orchestrating sex parties with male escorts and controlling the women through extortion or violence. Combs has pleaded not guilty and faces up to life in prison if convicted. His lawyers argue that while he may be a domestic abuser, he is not guilty of federal crimes.

Casandra Ventura testified about feeling like a "sex worker" for Combs and described instances of him hitting her out of frustration or jealousy. Regina Ventura testified that during the 2011 Christmas holiday, she received an email from her daughter detailing threats from Combs to release explicit sex tapes and to have her and Scott Muscudi (Kid Cudi) physically harmed.

Regina Ventura expressed shock and disbelief upon learning the extent of her daughter's problems with Combs. She recalled a 2009 blind item on a gossip website that hinted at a fight between her daughter and Combs, which Casandra had previously denied. In 2011, she photographed bruises on her daughter's body that she attributed to Combs.

Combs demanded $20,000 to recoup money he spent on Casandra after learning about her relationship with Kid Cudi. Regina and her husband took out a home-equity loan on their home in Connecticut and wired the money to Combs' record company, but the money was returned for reasons not specified in court.

In 2016, Regina Ventura called the Los Angeles police on Combs after he took her daughter's phone during a fight. She confronted Combs outside her daughter's apartment, and a bitter argument ensued, requiring intervention from Combs' bodyguard. Combs eventually returned the phone but took her daughter's Jaguar.

Earlier in the day, Combs' former executive assistant, David James, testified about an encounter with Suge Knight, Combs' West Coast rival, that nearly sparked a flare-up in the East Coast/West Coast rap feud. James and Combs' bodyguard encountered Knight at a diner, prompting them to retrieve handguns from Combs' home. However, Knight had left by the time they returned.