In a trial that uncovered the legacy of one of the biggest music figures of the 2000s, the opening week of the lawsuit was not focused on Sean Diddy’s combing, but on his ex-girlfriend.

R&B singer Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura took out four days of witnesses, describing sexual encounters with prostitutes and drug-crazy sexual encounters in emotional details, claiming she endured her for more than a decade in the hands of a rap superstar.

But while her story clearly impressed the people in the court, which bystanders described as a “halo of sadness,” it was only a puzzle in the puzzle that the prosecutor had to come up with, to prove that Mr. Combs was not only an abuser, but also a mastermind of the criminal, sexual enterprise.

On Tuesday, prosecutors called Ms. Ventura, their star witness, to the booth, and gasped. Everyone's eyes were staring at the eight-month-old pregnant singer, as she strolled over her ex-boyfriend, who hadn't seen her in six years.

There, Ms. Ventura testified in federal sex trafficking, extortion and prostitution, targeting Mr. Coms, who accused her of abuse and coerced her into unnecessary sexual acts - the so-called "freak" - in their 11-year-old and half-year relationship.

Mr Combs was charged with blackmail, sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution - he was strongly denied.

Surrounded by his children and dozens of family and friends, Combs looked at Ms. Ventura on a chair at the defense table dozens of feet away.

U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian has been urging attorneys to go as planned as prosecutors have expressed concern that their star witness may work with her third child as soon as possible this weekend.

On the first day in the stands, Ms. Ventura began her turbulent relationship with Mr. Coms with the prosecutor, and she met her when she was an aspiring musician of 19. Mr. Combs, 17, signed her to his record label.

Their romantic relationship began shortly after, she said, when Ms. Ventura fell in love with musicians and entrepreneurs who were “bigger than life”. Ms. Ventura testified that soon after, she noticed his “different” side, sometimes wiping away tears.

She said Mr. Coms wanted to control every aspect of her life. She said he paid for her rent, her car and cell phone, and sometimes "punished" her when she took the items away.

Ultimately, the relationship turns into violence. She testified the time he attacked her because she went to bed and threw his eyebrows into the corner of the bed as his two friends tried to stop him. The court was shown a photo of the explosion, and Ms. Ventura said Mr. Coms hired a plastic surgeon to secretly repair it. She said that at a party, he kicked his head again as he held the toilet behind the bathroom stall.

The jurors remained focused on her testimony and evidence, betraying little emotion, but some in court wiped their tears or looked away from graphic photos and videos - including a viral video of Mr. Combs beating and dragging Ventura on the aisle in Los Angeles across the interior hotel in 2016.

The video, published by CNN last year, has been viewed by millions of people, including many jurors before the trial - and Ms. Ventura, who was forced to re-watch the abuse this week.

Ms. Ventura testified that the hotel incident happened after she tried to leave a "freak" behind, and that the couple would hire male escorts to have sex with Ms. Ventura, while Mr. Combs watched from the corner and recorded it.

Ms. Ventura said the rapper introduced her to the freaks about a year after their relationship, and at first, she did it to make him happy.

But as time goes by, the people she met humiliated. She said they sometimes last four days and asked Ms. Ventura to take countless drugs to stay awake. She said she suffered a painful urinary tract infection and even suffered injuries - even waking up in the shower, even waking up.

"It makes me feel worthless," she told the court. "Freaks become a job, there is no room for anything other than recovery, just trying to feel normal again."

Ms. Ventura estimates that the couple will continue to have “hundreds” of freaks.

After years of temporary breakups – some driven by Mr. Combs’ affairs – Ms. Ventura’s relationship with Mr. Combs ended in 2018, the same year she claimed that the rapper raped her at home while crying.

Ms. Ventura went on to date, marrying her personal trainer Alex Fine, who has two children, but the trauma of her relationship is with her.

Ms. Ventura considered her life two years ago when her painful flashbacks at Mr. Combs became too much to handle her life. She said her husband helped her seek treatment for recovery.

No matter where you get the BBC podcast, you can use all the latest trial updates about the BBC Sounds "diddy in Traildy in Trial" podcast.

In Ms. Ventura’s agonizing story about domestic violence, prosecutors have been trying to relate the factors of her larger sex trafficking and extortion case to Mr. Combs.

Mr. Coms' lawyers have admitted that the rapper was abused - and believe they would not fight him for domestic violence cases. But Mr Coms' attorney Teny Geragos argued this week that "domestic violence is not sexual trafficking".

The federal government has accused Mr. Combs of transporting, engaging in prostitution and sexual trafficking by force, fraud or coercion.

He is also accused of leading a conspiracy of extortion or guiding illegal businesses under the Organization of Racket Affected and Corrupted Act (RICO). The statute was created to replace mob bosses, but has since been used in other cases, including sex trafficking, such as those against R&B Singer R Kelly.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson used Ms. Ventura’s story to improve the case, asking her about the guns that rappers could use and how he allegedly blackmailed her.

Ms. Ventura told the court that she said Mr. Coms pulled up videos of the freak he had recorded on his laptop, given the others on the commercial flight. She said he told her that if she didn't act, he would release them.

Ms. Ventura said: “I feel trapped.”

"What would happen if they didn't comply" is a key element of the government's case against Mr. Coms.

"Of course, someone can agree to sexual acts," Fordari told the BBC. "But it's also possible to force someone to comply, and that's different."

The government also used Ms. Ventura's testimony to try to build their blackmail parameters - accusing Mr. Combs of using his loyal network of employees to run a criminal business and cover up what he claimed to be a crime.

Prosecutors had asked Ms. Ventura about security officers who said she was on standby when Mr. Coms abused her. Ms. Ventura testified that Mr Combs's "staff" were involved in setting up supplies such as baby oil and providing booking trips for the male escorts they hired.

After a day and a half in the stands, Mr Combs' lawyer turned to question Ms. Ventura.

Anna Estevao, the rapper's attorney, relies on hundreds of pages of text messages between Mr. Coms and Ms. Ventura to help drive her team's broader argument: Ms. Ventura's willingness to participate in the geeks in the toxic relationship inspired by drugs and jealousy.

Mr Combs' legal team showed Mr Combs information from Mr Combs, who said she was "always ready" for the freak, and another time she said she wished they had one.

Ms. Ventura admitted to writing the messages, adding that it was “just words at the time.”

Ms Estevao has also been bringing Ms. Ventura back to moments of infidelity between the couple, such as when Mr. Combs will be on vacation with his family and ex-girlfriend Kim Porter, or when Ms. Ventura begins to take a break with Mr. Combs and Mr. Combs, rapper Kid Cudi.

She repeatedly asked Ms. Ventura about drug use and how she and Mr. Coms sometimes struggled with opioid addiction.

Former federal prosecutor Sarah Krissoff told the BBC the defense tried to show jurors that it was a toxic, violent and complex relationship - but not a case of blackmail or sex trafficking.

The defense also tried to challenge the government's racket, asking Ms. Ventura if Mr. Coms' employees actually witnessed the freak, which Ms. Ventura didn't think so.

Ultimately, the prosecutor's case will depend on this question of compliance and consent - whether Mr. Coms' girlfriend is willing to participate in his sexual fantasy or act out of fear, Fadali said.

"Did Ms. Ventura agree or be forced to comply?" said Mr. Fodali. “It seems to be a jury issue.”