CNN
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Cassie Ventura, the former girlfriend of Sean “Diddy” Combs and one of his accusers, could take the stand as early as Monday as one of the first three witnesses called in the government’s sex-trafficking case against the music mogul.
Prosecutors indicated in court on Friday that they would call two “quick” witnesses before calling “Victim 1,” whose testimony will take up most of the first week.
Ventura is referred to as “Victim 1” in the indictment but has agreed to testify in her own name. Prosecutors allege Combs coerced her into having sex with male prostitutes, according to the indictment. Combs’ attorneys have said all sex was consensual.
Combs’ defense team wants to argue that Cassie had a propensity for violence and was violent toward Combs during their relationship, which lasted approximately 11 years, from 2007 to 2018.
“We are going to take the position that there was mutual violence in their relationship,” defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said Friday.
“That there was hitting on both sides,” Agnifilo said. “We’re probably going to refer to it as domestic violence.”
The defense attorneys said they may want to ask Ventura about violent interactions she’s had unrelated to the allegations in this case, which the they allege will discredit the claim Combs coerced her into sexual activity.
Combs nodded when his lawyer Alexandra Shapiro said, “The dynamic between these two individuals is at the very heart of this case.”
This story is developing and will be updated.
