By Jack Queen and Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) -The jury deliberating in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex trafficking trial asked on Tuesday to review portions of the testimony of Casandra Ventura, the hip-hop mogul’s former girlfriend who accuses him of abusing her during their decade-long relationship.
During the second day of its deliberations, the jury asked to review Ventura’s testimony regarding a 2016 incident at an InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles, when a surveillance camera captured footage of Combs kicking and dragging Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known professionally as Cassie, in a hallway.
Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. His lawyers acknowledge he was at times abusive in domestic relationships, but argue he never subjected Ventura to any unwanted sex act.
Jurors saw the security camera footage several times throughout the trial. Prosecutors say that at the time of the incident, Ventura was attempting to leave a “Freak Off,” Combs’ term for a drug-fueled sex marathon in which he would watch Ventura have sex with a paid male escort while he masturbated and sometimes filmed.
Prosecutors say that conduct amounted to sex trafficking because Combs used force and threats to cut off financial support or release sex tapes of Ventura to coerce her to take part in the performances, and because the escorts were paid.
Combs’ defense pointed to tender and sexually explicit text messages that Ventura sent Combs throughout their relationship to bolster their argument that she took part in the “Freak Offs” because she loved Combs and wanted to make him happy.
They say the violent 2016 altercation stemmed from a dispute about Combs’ relationship with another woman.
Combs, a former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture, apologized last year after CNN aired footage of the InterContinental attack.
He could face life in prison if convicted on all counts.
(Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York, Editing by Nick Zieminski)
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