Cassie Ventura has been seen for the first time since her former partner, music mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, received a stunning verdict in his sex trafficking trial, during which she took the stand against him.

The 38-year-old singer was absent when Diddy was dramatically acquitted of the major charges involving racketeering and sex trafficking on Wednesday. However, he was found guilty of the lesser charge concerning transportation to engage in prostitution, which involved Cassie and another individual.

This conviction on the lesser charges poses a maximum sentencing of up to 20 years in prison, although certain legal specialists anticipate a significantly lighter sentence for him.

On Friday night, Cassie appeared to be escaping New York City as she made a dash for her vehicle with an entourage shielding her from the spotlight. 

Cassie was seen packing up and getting into a car to hightail it out of the Big Apple to kick off the Fourth of July holiday weekend. 

The popstar remained elusive as she got into the backseat of a vehicle that drove her away. 

Several of the men in her entourage were holding purple and white umbrellas that advertised Perfect Movers NYC.

Cassie, the prosecution’s star witness in Diddy’s case, went through weeks of gut-wrenching testimony as she alleged that she was coerced into marathon ‘freak off’ sexual performances during her relationship with the producer. 

Cassie – who was heavily pregnant as she took the stand and has since given birth – claimed that Combs often beat and abused her during their 11-year relationship. 

During cross-examination, Diddy’s defense attorneys brought up text messages from their relationship where Cassie wrote that she ‘loved’ the freak offs.  

The messages undercut the prosecution’s argument, and a jury on Wednesday was not swayed by her testimony as it rejected the top charges against Combs in a stunning verdict. 

While Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government will seek a 20-year maximum for Combs on charges of transportation to engage in prostitution, his defense tried to fight for less and requested he be freed on a $1 million bond. 

That request was denied, meaning he must remain in custody until his sentencing hearing on October 3.

Cassie has since given birth with her husband Alex Fine. While she was not in attendance when the jury delivered the verdict on Wednesday, her attorney was. 

Following the verdict on Wednesday, Cassie’s attorney praised her for ‘paving the way’ for the bombshell trial against one of the music industry’s most powerful men. 

‘This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,’ they said. 

‘Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution.’  

After Cassie gave her emotional testimony, jurors were forced to watch three videos purported to show her and male prostitutes engaged in the ‘freak offs.’ 

A black female juror winced and frowned as the first of the clips was played, and another black female juror moved uncomfortably in her seat and put her head to her hands as she watched the footage. 

Another of the ‘freak off’ videos was said to have lasted for over 11 minutes as jurors were forced to watch. A woman moaning could also be heard in the courtroom as the footage was played only for the jurors. 

However, while the hard-to-watch footage appeared to leave a mark on some jurors, they were not swayed enough to find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie. 

Text messages shown in court, Cassie was seen texting Combs that she ‘loved’ the freak offs, and when he asked if she was ‘horny’, she replied: ‘Horny, of course I am.’

Cassie’s attorneys praised her bravery on Wednesday after the verdict was read, saying she had courageously testified despite her daunting circumstances. 

‘By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,’ her attorney Doug Wigdor said. 

Wigdor added that Cassie showed ‘exemplary courage throughout this trial’ and ‘brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion.’ 

‘This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors,’ he concluded. 

Despite being found not guilty on the most serious counts at his sex trafficking trial, Diddy will spend months awaiting sentencing at a notoriously understaffed and violent Brooklyn jail where the music mogul has lived through nearly ten months of lockdowns and fights.

Combs’ defense lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in court on Wednesday that Combs had been housed in ‘a very difficult part of the MDC’ where there have been fights. 

His lawyer Alexandra Shapiro said in a November 2024 court filing that frequent lockdowns at the facility had impaired Combs’ ability to prepare for trial.

On Wednesday, Combs’ lawyers praised MDC staff, who they said had facilitated their access to him during the trial.

‘Despite the terrible conditions at the MDC, I want to thank the good people who work there,’ defense lawyer Teny Geragos told reporters after the verdict.