Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Years Of Rape And Abuse By Singer Cassie In Lawsuit

NEW YORK — Sean “Diddy” Combs was accused in a lawsuit filed Thursday of subjecting R&B singer Cassie to a years-long relationship that included beatings and rape.

Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, claimed in a suit filed against Combs in federal court in New York that he drew her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” not long after she met him and signed to his label in 2005 when she was 19, and he was 37.

Attorney Ben Brafman stated that Combs “vehemently denies” the charges.

Ventura, now 37, claims that Combs, now 54, began the habit of abuse as soon as their relationship began.

The suit claims that since he was “prone to uncontrollable rage,” he subjected her to “savage” beatings in which he punched, kicked, and stomped her. It claims he drugged her and forced her to have sex with other guys as he masturbated and filmed them.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Years Of Rape And Abuse By Singer Cassie In Lawsuit

According to the claim, as she was attempting to end the relationship in 2018, Combs pulled her inside her Los Angeles home and raped her.

“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,” Ventura stated in an e-mail.

The Associated Press does not usually name persons who claim to have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly, as Ventura has.

Brafman called the claims “lies.”

“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,” he said in a press release. “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.”

Ventura’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, stated that Combs offered her “eight figures to silence her and prevent her from filing this lawsuit.” She rejected his efforts and resolved to give voice to those women who suffer in silence.”

Combs is one of the most prominent hip-hop producers and executives of the last three decades.

He and Ventura began dating in 2007 and were in an on-again, off-again romance for over a decade.

She rose to prominence with the Ryan Leslie-produced hit track “Me & U,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2006. The song was the lead single from her self-titled studio album.

She has appeared in various television and film projects, including Fox’s “Empire,” “Step Up 2: The Streets,” and “Spenser Confidential.”

Combs established one of hip-hop’s largest empires, forging a road with multiple organizations bearing his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has worked with many top-tier musicians such as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans, and 112.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Accused Of Years Of Rape And Abuse By Singer Cassie In Lawsuit

The mogul founded the trendy clothing company Sean John, developed the music-focused Revolt TV channel, and produced the MTV reality show “Making the Band.”

This year, he released his fifth studio album, “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” which received two Grammy nominations this month.

The lawsuit references Combs’s speech when accepting a lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards in 2022, in which he praised Ventura for “holding me down in the dark times, love.”

According to the complaint, “The truth, however, is that Cassie — Ms. Casandra Ventura — was held down by Mr. Combs and endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands.”

SOURCE – (AP)