****

A male escort provided explicit testimony in federal court on Monday, detailing disturbing encounters involving Casandra "Cassie" Ventura and hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. Daniel Phillip, 41, took the stand as the second witness for prosecutors in the Southern District of New York during Combs' sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Combs, who faces five federal counts and has pleaded not guilty, watched intently as Phillip began his account.

Phillip recounted his first meeting with Combs and Ventura in 2012 when he was asked to fill in as a Black male stripper for a bachelorette party. Though expecting a festive scene at the luxury Gramercy Park Hotel, Phillip instead encountered Ventura, who was dressed provocatively. She informed Phillip it was her birthday and that her husband, later identified as Combs, wanted to do something special. Despite initial excitement, Phillip's enthusiasm quickly turned to concern as he witnessed violent outbursts from Combs.

According to Phillip, he engaged in sexual encounters with Ventura at various locations around New York City over several years, with Combs orchestrating every detail. He described these encounters, known as "freak-offs," as highly ritualistic, with each session meticulously planned by Combs. Despite being paid between $700 and $6,000 per encounter, Phillip expressed that his initial participation was driven more by the allure of associating with high-profile individuals than by financial gain.

The atmosphere shifted dramatically after Phillip claimed he saw Combs throw a liquor bottle at Ventura and later drag her by the hair when she didn't immediately follow an order. This incident, among others, left Phillip fearful for both Ventura's and his own safety. He testified that after witnessing such violence, he struggled to perform sexually during subsequent freak-offs.

Adding to the harrowing details, Phillip noted that Ventura sometimes appeared incapacitated during their meetings, and on one occasion, Combs allegedly hinted at threats by photographing Phillip’s driver's license "just for insurance." Phillip also mentioned an instance where he took Ecstasy during an encounter, resulting in a euphoric but uncharacteristic behavior, which included handing out hundred dollar bills in Times Square.

Phillip's testimony was preceded by former hotel security guard Israel Florez, who recounted an incident in 2016 where he saw a frightened Ventura with a purple eye and claimed Combs tried to bribe him to stay silent. Combs allegedly told Florez, "Don't tell nobody," while handing him a wad of cash.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson stated that Ventura is expected to testify against Combs, detailing her experiences of being held in "dark hotel rooms" and forced to have sex with male escorts, kept compliant through drugs. In response, Combs' attorney, Teny Geragos, argued that the motivations behind these accusations, surfacing after many years, were financially driven, noting that Ventura had filed a civil lawsuit before going to authorities. Geragos admitted Combs had a violent past but denied the sex trafficking allegations.