Cassie Ventura cited Bruce Willis in scathing texts with Diddy as she testifies in bombshell trial
MANHATTAN, NEW YORK: Cassie Ventura shared testimony in a Manhattan courtroom on May 15, Thursday, detailing her former relationship with music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and revealing a private message exchange that laid bare her growing discontent.
On the fourth day of Diddy’s explosive trial on charges of trafficking and racketeering, his ex-girlfriend exposed her frustration with how she was sidelined during their long-term relationship.
Ventura dated the music mogul for over a decade before the two officially parted ways in 2018, reports People.
What did Cassie Ventura say about Bruce Willis during Diddy trial?
Among the most striking moments on Thursday was the reading of a 2013 text in which Ventura criticized Combs for keeping her distanced from key areas of his life particularly his children despite their long-standing relationship.
“As much as you think you're Bruce Willis, you aren't,” she wrote, referring to the actor’s famously harmonious relationship with ex-wife Demi Moore and their ability to co-parent while maintaining healthy new relationships.
She also mentioned Eddie Murphy and his partner Paige Butcher as another example of a blended family done right. “Eddie Murphy and Paige took his kids away on their own,” she texted, noting how other men with children managed to prioritize their partners.
In a message from July 2013, Ventura opened up about feeling emotionally unsettled for days, writing, “I don’t think that you sympathize with my feelings.”
She acknowledged the instinct to protect one’s children, but added, “I understand you feeling like you need to protect your children but after a while…it’s like for what?”
Cassie discloses $20M settlement with Diddy during court testimony
Cassie revealed she was paid $20 million to settle her civil lawsuit against the music mogul.
Testifying in Manhattan federal court on May 14, Ventura told prosecutors she initially sought $30 million from Diddy in hopes that a personal document she had compiled which she described as a “book with chapters” would prompt acknowledgment and remorse. She said her mother helped her prepare the book in 2023.
She shared the book to Combs via her attorney, hoping he'd understand the weight behind her words but he brushed it off.
When federal prosecutor Emily Johnson inquired about the amount she was seeking for the book, Cassie said she had asked for $30 million. He then asked whether she had pursued legal action against Diddy. Cassie confirmed she filed a lawsuit in November 2023, which was settled remarkably fast.
The two sides reached a $20 million settlement within just a day.
When asked who paid the sum, Ventura replied, “Sean and his companies.”
The $20 million payout was meant to resolve her civil claims of abuse and coercion, but it has not halted the separate criminal case now unfolding, and in which Diddy faces a wide array of federal charges.
