Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura, who is testifying against Sean "Diddy" Combs in his sex trafficking trial, appeared visibly pregnant in court Wednesday, Fox News reported. Legal experts believe this could evoke even more sympathy for the singer as she recounts the abuse allegedly suffered at the hands of the music mogul.
During her second day of testimony, the 38-year-old star shared the horrific details of the violence she allegedly endured. Cassie revealed that she was allegeldy raped multiple times by the music mogul after their relationship ended.
"I can't carry this anymore. I can't carry the shame, the guilt … what's right is right. What's wrong is wrong," Cassie said in court.
The alleged abuse was so traumatic that she had "horrible flashbacks" about it while making a music video. In 2023, she entered rehab and sought counseling to deal with the aftermath of those experiences.
As if her testimony isn't compelling enough, legal experts believe the fact that she's pregnant could sway the jury even more to believe her version of events. Cassie and husband Alex Fine are expecting their third child together.
Criminal defense attorney Dan Rubin described the impact Cassie's condition would have on jurors. "Cassie being pregnant may make her an even more sympathetic figure on the stand," Rubin told Fox News Digital in an exclusive.
"It certainly invokes the maternal side of the singer, and that could really impact the way some members of the jury view her. They may find it interesting that — even if it's not said out loud — Cassie is looking at the dark events of what happened through the new lens of motherhood," Rubin went on.
Attorney Jo-Anna Nieves similarly believes "Cassie Ventura’s pregnancy brings a strong layer of visual and emotional impact that makes it harder for the defense to paint her as violent or dangerous," she told Fox News Digital. "Jurors are human, and whether they realize it or not, they often associate pregnancy with vulnerability, nurturing, and innocence," Nieves went on.
"That image alone makes it a tough sell to argue that she was a real physical threat or equally responsible for the violence," Nieves said. With so much evidence stacked against Combs, it will be the defense's job to tear down the witnesses and attack their credibility.
For Combs' attorneys, this may be a losing battle before it even begins for the defense. "Even if the defense introduces evidence of her alleged aggression, that version of events may not line up with what the jury sees in front of them," Nieves said, anticipating the strategy.
"It’s not just about the facts. It's about how those facts land and trying to position an attractive, visibly pregnant woman who also has her own celebrity status as abusive can easily flop with this jury and damage the defense’s credibility," Nieves added.
Nieves explained that Cassie's pregnancy "may not change the legal standard, but it can definitely shape how jurors perceive the story, and that makes the defense’s job a lot harder," the attorney said. As it is, jurors are already showing signs of sympathy for Cassie.
A juror was seen looking to Combs' side of the courtroom while Cassie recounted a "bad fight" with the 55-year-old former rapper. Another juror nodded in agreement when Cassie said she was too ashamed to tell her own mother about the alleged abuse.
This trial has revealed the worst allegations anyone could make against another person. If even a fraction of this turns out to be true, Combs' accusers, pregnant or not, will have no trouble getting a conviction.
