Cassie Ventura, the ex-girlfriend of Sean 'Diddy' Combs, watched from afar as he was sensationally found not guilty of the most serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking.
Ventura, the prosecution's star witness, went through weeks of gut-wrenching testimony as she alleged that she was coerced into marathon 'freak off' sexual performances during her relationship with Combs.
In her testimony, Ventura - who was heavily pregnant as she took the stand - 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 Ventura wrote that she 'loved' the freak offs.
But a jury on Wednesday was not swayed by her testimony, and rejected the prosecution's top charges and only convicted Combs of transportation to engage in prostitution of Ventura and another woman.
The conviction on the lesser charge carries a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison, with each of the two counts carrying a 10-year term.
Cassie has since given birth with her husband Alex Fine. She was not in attendance when the jury delivered the verdict on Wednesday, but her attorney was.
Following the verdict on Wednesday, Ventura'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 Ventura.
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.'
During cross-examination Diddy's defense attorneys brought up text messages from their relationship where Ventura wrote that she 'loved' the freak offs.
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.
