November 16th 2023.
R&B singer Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, has accused Sean "Diddy" Combs of rape and physical abuse over a decade in a lawsuit filed in federal court. According to the New York Times, the lawsuit states that soon after meeting the music mogul in 2005 when she was 19, Combs began a pattern of control and abuse, including providing her with drugs, physically beating her and forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed it. In 2018, the lawsuit continues, Combs allegedly forced his way into her home and raped her.
Ventura released a statement saying, “After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.” The suit also claims that Combs controlled her career, paid for her car, apartment and clothing, and had access to her personal medical records.
Combs' attorney Ben Brafman denied the allegations in a statement to the Times. He said, “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”
Douglas Wigdor, Ventura's lawyer, said that Combs offered her eight figures to prevent her from filing the lawsuit, but she refused. Ventura also named additional defendants in the suit who she said helped Combs control her. The lawsuit is one of several sexual assault civil suits recently filed against notable men in the music industry.
Ventura and Combs separated in 2018, and soon after Combs began a relationship with personal trainer Alex Fine. They welcomed their first child in 2019 and their second in 2021. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
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