This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing.
(NOTE LANGUAGE) Cassie Ventura‘s friend and former stylist Deonte Nash resumed his testimony Wednesday at Sean Combs‘ sex trafficking trial. He testified that Ventura once thought about climbing over a balcony to escape Combs.
Nash testified that the Ventura escape attempt occurred after he allegedly saw Combs get violent with Ventura and threaten to release videos of her having sex during a “freak-off.” Nash told the court he had pushed Ventura to catch a cab so that she could hide from Combs in a hotel.
Nash testified that Combs showed up at his house with a bodyguard and another employee “and he was like, ‘Where the f*** is she?’ He started looking all around my house. He looked in the closets. He looked in the oven. I have no idea why he looked in the oven.”
Nash testified that when Combs learned Ventura was staying in a hotel, which Nash told the court was the Le Montrose in Beverly Hills, Combs allegedly took Nash to the hotel with him and told Nash to get Ventura to come down. Nash told the court Ventura “was frightened” after he told her “that Puff was downstairs looking for her.”
Nash told the jury Ventura said “Oh no” and then “went to the balcony and said she was going to go over the balcony.”
Instead, Nash testified, he sneaked her out of a side door.
Nash remains a friend to Ventura, according to his testimony during cross-examination. He told the court that he helped her pick a wedding dress and also talked to her about what she would wear while testifying during the current trial.
Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson questioned Nash about his recollection of seeing a bloodied gash over Ventura’s eyebrow after she allegedly hit her head on a bed frame after what Nash testified was an attack by Combs.
“That startled you, correct?” Donaldson asked.
“Absolutely,” Nash testified.
“You still had interactions with Mr. Combs?” Donaldson asked.
“Yes,” Nash told the court in response.
“So, after the violence by Mr. Combs you invited him and Cassie to come with you to a Halloween show, correct?” Donaldson asked.
“Yes,” Nash again testified.
Court has adjourned for the day, and Nash’s cross-examination will resume Thursday.
Following Nash’s testimony, the next witness the prosecution is expected to call will be a woman testifying under the pseudonym “Mia,” whose testimony prosecutors have said they expect to take the remainder of the week.
Tune in to Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy and follow ABC News’ live blog for real-time updates on the trial.
If you are affected by abuse and needing support, or know someone who is, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). You can also chat online at thehotline.org or online.rainn.org, respectively.
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