Prosecutors in the Sean “Diddy” Combs sex-trafficking trial told the Manhattan federal court after Casandra “Cassie” Ventura’s gruelling third day of testimony that they fear she may go “into labour.”
The federal government wrote in a letter to the judge, “The defendant should not now be afforded the opportunity to hold Ms. Ventura on cross-examination over the weekend, offering him an additional two days to review transcripts of the witness’s testimony to prepare additional cross-examination inquiry, or risk a mistrial if the witness goes into labor.”
The prosecutors have said that they would like Combs’ lawyers to finish their cross-examination of Ventura.
The amount of time the “Me & U” singer has been on the stand has been a contentious point at the trial.
Judge Arun Subramanian told prosecutors Thursday afternoon, “You will have today and the morning tomorrow” to finish cross-examination, adding, “This is not the kind of witness who is fighting you.”
However, Combs’ lead defense counsel Marc Agnifilo responded that their team was not aware that there was a hard deadline for Ventura, noting, “This is a critical witness in a case that involves a life sentence.”
“In what universe did you not understand this was important given it was in numerous filings and discussed among the parties several times? This witness was going to be done this week,” Judge Subramanian hit back. “You have a day-and-a-half.”
The hours-long testimonies have clearly taken a toll on Ventura, who is currently eight months pregnant. (She is expecting her third child with husband Alex Fine).
On Thursday, the “Long Way 2 Go” singer asked the judge for a break only minutes into the defence’s cross-examination after attorney Anna Estevao presented her racy and sexual texts to the court.
The lawyer pressed Ventura on a text that said, “I’m always ready to freak off lol” to try and prove she was a willing participant in the infamous “Freak-Offs,” in which the singer had sex with Combs and an escort.
“I can’t wait to stare at some big black d–k,” another text read, along with a third in which Ventura graphically described what she couldn’t “wait” for her then-boyfriend to do to her.
The latter was what pushed the “King of Hearts” singer, 38, over the edge, prompting for the break request, as she held onto her baby bump while on the stand.
