BY: LBS STAFF
Published 1 day ago
He says he’s speaking out to support Cassie Ventura’s testimony, recalling her unusual behavior during “freak offs” that has stayed with him for years.
One man named in court has decided to break his silence about his experiences participating in Sean “Diddy” Combs’ “freak off” parties with ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
The “freak offs” are a key component of the prosecution’s case against the hip-hop mogul, with the orchestrated sexual encounters detailed extensively by Ventura in her testimony a few weeks ago.
Ventura dated Combs from 2007 to 2018, after he’d signed her to his Bad Boy Records label in 2005. On the stand, she detailed graphic sexual scenarios, or “freak offs,” with Combs — dropping allegations of drug usage, violence, blackmail, and even rape. Get a full breakdown of her testimony here.
Shawn Dearing, who also spoke with TMZ (video above), was one of more than 10 men allegedly hired to have sex with Ventura whose identities were revealed in court. Speaking to People, he said he’d had no intention of speaking out, but once his identity was exposed, he decided to share his story to lend “some credence” to Ventura’s testimony.
While talking about her, the outlet says that Dearing teared up, saying, “You got me tearing up! I want what’s best for her, honestly, because she … she’s a badass lady, man. She’s awesome. So I want her respect first and foremost.”
He went on to describe the artist as “so uplifting — the kindest and most respectful person. She was genuine throughout the whole experience.”
Ventura identified Dearing as “Skyler” on the stand Wednesday, May 14, as that was the name she knew him by when she hired him through the Cowboys4Angels website. He confirmed the hiring, telling People that he had no idea who he was going to be meeting that first night, only that they were “A-list.”
Ultimately, he said he was hired to perform “more than a dozen” sessions with Ventura, saying they took place mostly at The Beverly Hills Hotel or a condo off of Sunset Blvd. he believes Ventura owned.
“It was only me, him, and her,” Dearing said. “He never touched me. We did everything under his direction.”
While he said he never witnessed any overt abuse, Dearing said he did notice “forms” of what he thought might be “psychological” abuse. “She was there under his control, and there was that knowing and understanding that if she didn’t do what he said– I don’t know what the consequences could have been, but I could tell there was that constant energy of knowing that we must perform for him or else.”
He described one unusual facet of the experiences that has stuck with him, and that’s how Ventura would effectively shut down when Combs wasn’t in the room. In one instance, he described it as if she was like “a drone” that had shut off.
“She just sits there staring at the ground, and I ask her a question. She’s like, ‘No, no, no. Not until he gets back,'” Dearing recalled. “So it’s like, ‘Oh, okay.'”
He said that when sessions would turn “dark,” her demeanor would change, describing it as “kind of like the spirit was leaving the body.”
Some time after these experiences, Dearing said he would leave Los Angeles, ultimately finding faith and living his life “on a different path these days.” He told People he returned to Hawai’i, where he was born and raised, to get “back to my roots.”
On the stand, Ventura testified that she did not enjoy the alleged “freak off” sessions, and even took drugs to deal with the experiences, which would sometimes go for hours.
She described eventually being put in charge of coordinating them as well as participating in them, describing it as like a full-time job that she felt was derailing her career ambitions. The defense has asserted that she was a willing participant in these sexual activities.
Ventura also alleged an abusive relationship with Combs, with much of the prosecution’s depiction of his behavior centering around the viral video of Ventura getting assaulted by Combs in a hotel hallway. His defense has argued that he is “not charged with being mean, he’s not charged with being a jerk.”
“Domestic violence is not sex trafficking,” said defense attorney Teny Geragos in court, while conceding the video itself is “indefensible.” But, the insistence to the jury was that they “are not here to judge him for his sexual preferences.”
Combs has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He’s maintained his innocence. If convicted on all charges, which also include arson and bribery, he could face a mandatory 15-year prison sentence, with the possibility of life behind bars.
The trial against Combs is ongoing.
The National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline — 800.656.HOPE (4673) — provides free, 24/7 support for those in need.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages; Calls are confidential and toll-free.
via: TooFab