Diddy Kept Cassie Dependent and Unpaid, Even After Star-Studded Mixtape Featuring Lil Wayne, Meek Mill: 'No One Got Paid'

Cassie Ventura ,Sean Diddy Combs
Leon Bennett/Getty Images, Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Sean "Diddy" Combs was reportedly in control of Cassie Ventura's money even though the singer worked with some of hip-hop's biggest names, a former stylist testified Wednesday at the music mogul's federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial.

Celebrity stylist Deonte Nash, a longtime member of the disgraced music mogul's inner circle, said Cassie's 2013 mixtape "RockaByeBaby" — which included guest artists Lil Wayne, Meek Mill, Fabolous, Pusha T, and Wiz Khalifa — made no money for the talent, amid the buzz and starry production.

'No One Got Paid'

Per Business Insider, Nash said Diddy executive produced the project through his Bad Boy label but released the mixtape for free online, telling Cassie that a commercial release would come if the project performed well. That never happened, Nash said.

"It was the top mixtape of that year," Nash testified. "No one got paid for the mixtape."

Nash, who also served as a producer on the project and styled Cassie, said Diddy used financial dependence as a means to control her throughout their relationship, which spanned from 2007 to 2018.

Prosecutors allege that Diddy bankrolled Cassie's lifestyle — including her housing, transportation, and daily expenses — and used the threat of revoking support to force her into disturbing sexual acts. The government says Diddy orchestrated "freak offs," multi-day sexual encounters with escorts and drugs that he allegedly recorded for personal gratification.

Nash testified he first learned about the so-called "freak offs" around 2013 or 2014 when Diddy threatened to send sex tapes to Cassie's family in Connecticut. Nash suggested calling his bluff, but Cassie told him Diddy wasn't in the videos.

"She said that he was not on the videos," Nash recalled. "They show her having sex with other guys."

Asked how Cassie felt about participating, Nash said, "That she didn't want to."

Controlling Tactics And Verbal Abuse

Nash's testimony supported prosecutors' claims that Diddy held tight control over Cassie's music career. Despite recording "hundreds of songs," only a small fraction of her work ever saw public release.

"I'm being generous by saying 10%," Nash said of how much material was made available.

Diddy had signed Cassie to a 10-album deal in 2006, but she testified earlier this month that only her debut album — "Cassie, " released that same year — was released, and that she was only paid for that one record.

Nash described witnessing instances of verbal abuse and violence.Diddy often referred to Cassie as a "b***h," "wh**e," or "s**t" Nash said, also noting that such words were often joined with "B***h, stop playing with me" and "B***h, you better bring your ass to this house." He also threw a 2013 incident into the mix in which Diddy got physical with him in an argument, choking him and slamming him into a car.

In another disturbing account from the same year, Nash said he attempted to stop Diddy from beating Cassie for oversleeping.

"Look what y'all made me do," Nash said Diddy told him after Cassie hit her head on a bedpost and began bleeding.

Tags
Diddy, P. diddy, Sean Combs, Diddy Trial, Cassie
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