This, in a bid to undercut prosecutors at the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking trial.

Ventura, a rhythm and blues singer known as Cassie, is the star government witness against Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to five felony counts of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.

The 38-year-old Ventura had told jurors that Combs coerced and blackmailed her throughout their 11-year relationship, which ended in 2018, into Freak Offs that he orchestrated and that she hated, while betraying her in favour of other women.

Combs' legal team wants to show the 12 jurors and six alternates in Manhattan federal court that the relationship was complicated, with Ventura at fault for her own actions, including infidelity, and being financially motivated to get back at him.

Defence Lawyer Anna Estevao showed emails and text messages from early in Combs' and Ventura's relationship, some of which were sexually explicit, where they professed love for each other, and Ventura said she was always ready for a Freak Off or sex.

"I wanted to spend so much time with him at this point in 2010, because I'd fallen in love with him and I cared about him very much," Ventura said.

Ventura acknowledged having had jealousy toward Kim Porter, a former model who had three children with Combs. Porter died in 2018.

Estevao also asked about an alleged relationship that Combs suspected Ventura had with the actor Michael B. Jordan while she was in South Africa in 2015.

Ventura said she didn't know Combs' reaction, having broken off contact with him because he was seeing another woman.

Evidence also included a text from 2017 where Ventura told Combs she still loved Freak Offs, and a text where Combs said there was no pressure to participate.

Ventura told jurors not to take what she wrote literally. "Loving Freak Offs were just words, at that point," she said.

--Reuters--