A former male escort hired forSean "Diddy" Combs' alleged "Freak Offs" withCasandra "Cassie" Venturais speaking out for the first time in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE Shawn Dearing's photo and prior alias were disclosed during Combs' sex crimes trial The model fought back tears, discussing his interactions with Ventura, praising her as "a badass lady" A former male escort hired to perform atSean "Diddy" Combs'"Freak Off" partieshas broken his silence after prosecutors showed his photo during the music mogul's federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, he shared an emotional message forCasandra "Cassie" Ventura. Shawn Dearing was one of more than 10 men Combs, 55, allegedly forced his ex-girlfriend to have sex with during their nearly 11-year relationship, according to prosecutors. The escorts' identities were revealed in court testimony and evidence submitted by the government. "She was so uplifting — the kindest and most respectful person," Dearing, 37, says of Ventura, 38. "She was genuine throughout the whole experience." Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty for Paramount+; Courtesy of Shawn Dearing Dearing tells PEOPLE that he is only speaking out now to give "some credence" to Ventura's story and because his photo and alias were already made public during Combs' trial. "I never wanted to open my mouth," he says. "I don't seek attention. I don't want to go out there and make it seem like I'm trying to get my name known off of this experience." When discussing Ventura, he says, "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." SDNY Ventura testified on Wednesday, May 14, that she knew Dearing as "Skyler" and met him through the website Cowboys4Angels. She said he was one of manyescorts Combs hiredvia the site for his "Freak Offs," what federal prosecutors have called "elaborate and produced sex performances" that the Bad Boy Records founder allegedly orchestrated and coerced Ventura and others into joining. Dearing tells PEOPLE that the identities of Ventura and Combs were not revealed to him before he met them for the first time around late 2014 or early 2015. He claimed Cowboy4Angels founder Garren James told him only that the clients were "A-List." Courtesy of Shawn Dearing Dearing says he was hired for "more than a dozen" sessions, which typically took place at either a bungalow at The Beverly Hills Hotel or a condo off of Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles, which he believes belonged to Ventura. "It was only me, him, and her," Dearing says, referring to himself, Combs, and Ventura. "He never touched me. We did everything under his direction." While Dearing says he did not witness Combs physically abuse Ventura, the model tells PEOPLE that he did "notice forms" of what he believed was "psychological" abuse. Ventura's "kindness" was "being abused in [an] improper manner," Dearing claims. "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 felt. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Ventura broke down in tearswhen asked about the "Freak Offs"during the fifth day of testimonyon Friday, May 16, claiming that Combs pressured her to participate in his sex partieswith physical violenceand threats of blackmail. "I had to do 'Freak Offs'," she said during redirect, after giving testimony on Wednesday, May 14, that she did not want to do "Freak Offs." Dearing claims, "There were times where she wouldn't speak if he wasn't in the room, because she knew she couldn't." He adds, "It was a power complex thing with him." He remembers one "Freak Off" when he says Ventura allegedly became like "a drone" after Combs "left the room for a moment." "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.' So it's like, 'Oh, okay,' " Dearing claims. When the "Freak Offs" would turn "dark," Ventura's demeanor would change, Dearing says. "You could see that it was kind of like the spirit was leaving the body," he adds. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. A self-described "man of faith," Dearing is no longer an escort and is "on a different path these days." After some "soul searching," he left L.A. in 2017 and returned to Hawaii, where he was born and raised. The move was "more of a back to my roots situation [rather] than getting out of LA type of deal," he explains. Combs' trial is in its fourth week. He was arrested in September 2024 and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty on all charges. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org. Read the original article onPeople
