5.16.25 CRU with Nancy Grace: Cassie Ventura’s Video Is Legal Gold
Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum
iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
4.4 • 696 Ratings
🗓️ 16 May 2025
⏱️ 22 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today Nancy Grace and Sheryl McCollum dissect the incredible testimony of Cassie Ventura in the case of Sean Diddy Combs. The duo take listeners inside the courtroom, explaining how victim testimony works and why it’s so hard for prosecutors to prove abuse - especially when power, money, and influence are at play. Sheryl explains why Cassie Ventura’s hotel video is a “money tree” for the case - legal gold when it comes to proving the power dynamics and abuse. They explain what happens when a victim has to live under the intense control of an abusive partner - and how that control becomes a tumultuous abuse cycle. Nancy shares her own experience of this power play in the legal system to give the example of how a person in the situation of a power play has to weigh the choices of exposure. Last but not least, Nancy celebrates a proud parenting moment - her twins becoming Eagle Scouts.
Show Notes:
- (0:00) Welcome! Nancy and Sheryl introduce this week’s crime roundup
- (0:30) A star witness was born - Cassie Ventura takes the stand
- (2:00) Nancy breaks down victim behavior in abusive relationships
- (4:00) Why victims stay - power, fear, and livelihood
- (6:00) Nancy shares her personal experience dealing with harrassment
- (8:00) What Happened to Ellen?: An American Miscarriage of Justice
- (9:00) The hotel assault - bribery and blackmail
- (13:00) Corroboration and the “money tree” video evidence
- (15:30) Nancy shares her twins have officially become Eagle Scouts
- (20:00) Final thoughts
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Nancy Grace is an outspoken, tireless advocate for victims’ rights and one of television's most respected legal analysts. Nancy Grace had a perfect conviction record during her decade as a prosecutor. She is the founder and publisher of CrimeOnline.com, a crime- fighting digital platform that investigates breaking crime news, spreads awareness of missing people and shines a light on cold cases.
In addition, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, a daily show hosted by Grace, airs on SIRIUS XM’s Triumph Channel 111 and is downloadable as a podcast on all audio platforms - https://www.crimeonline.com/
Connect with Nancy:
X: @nancygrace
Instagram: @thenancygrace
Facebook: @nancygrace
Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice.
Connect with Sheryl:
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | You're listening to an I Heart podcast. |
| 0:13.3 | Welcome to the crime roundup. |
| 0:16.8 | I'm Cheryl McCollum and today I have the incredible, beautiful, fantastic, peerless Nancy Grace. |
| 0:27.2 | How are you, Sugar? |
| 0:28.7 | Okay, that was a lot better than the last time, and I want to point out that I'm dragging something. |
| 0:35.0 | I'm dragging, as we taught, wreaths to put on the front gate. Okay, spring wreaths. I just took down a bunch of Easter bunnies. I got it, Darche. Okay, here we go. |
| 0:46.9 | Sean comes. Cassie Ventura. Well, I'm going to tell you right now, a star was born. When you have somebody testify that correctly, it was that much composure that is backed up. |
| 1:03.3 | It's amazing. |
| 1:04.3 | She was great. |
| 1:04.9 | Backed up by video, text messages, and emails, boom, star witness. |
| 1:11.2 | Well, can I tell you something? |
| 1:13.4 | I've had a few rape victims that good on the stand. |
| 1:19.1 | A few, not a lot because they're usually so torn up. |
| 1:24.1 | They can hardly talk, much less they're usually seeing their accuser for the first time |
| 1:29.7 | surrey. |
| 1:31.5 | So they go through ATWL. |
| 1:35.2 | Now, in her case, let me tell you, I just got off a program on Tooby with Harvey Levin, |
| 1:43.8 | Ebony, Joe Takapina, who I haven't seen in a really long time, |
| 1:49.3 | you know, in person. |
| 1:51.1 | And of course, Mark Gergos. |
| 1:54.7 | Now, Mark and Joe Tocopina, as you can imagine. Wanted something out. |
| 2:01.3 | I didn't like it, but it's true. |
... |
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