Sean “Diddy” Combs, was accused in a lawsuit Thursday of subjecting R&B singer Cassie to a yearslong relationship that included beatings and rape. Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, alleged in the suit filed against the producer and music mogul in New York federal court that Combs brought her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” not long after she met him and signed to his label when she was 19 and he was 37 in 2005.
Quick Read
- R&B singer Cassie, legally known as Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit against producer and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, accusing him of abuse and rape over a yearslong relationship.
- The lawsuit, filed in New York federal court, claims Combs brought Ventura into a drug-fueled lifestyle after she signed to his label at age 19 in 2005.
- Ventura, now 37, alleges Combs, 54, began a pattern of abuse soon after their relationship started, including beatings, drugging, and forcing her into sexual acts with other men.
- The suit also states that Combs raped Ventura in her home as their relationship ended in 2018.
- Ventura expressed her readiness to share her story and stand up for other women facing violence and abuse in relationships.
- Combs’s attorney, Ben Brafman, denied the allegations, calling them “lies” and labeling Ventura’s claims as “baseless and outrageous.”
- Brafman accused Ventura of initially demanding $30 million from Combs, threatening to write a damaging book, and resorting to the lawsuit after her demand was rejected.
- Sean “Diddy” Combs is a renowned figure in the hip-hop industry, a three-time Grammy winner, and a significant producer and executive.
The Associated Press has the story:
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accused of years of rape, abuse by singer Cassie in lawsuit
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP)
Sean “Diddy” Combs, was accused in a lawsuit Thursday of subjecting R&B singer Cassie to a yearslong relationship that included beatings and rape.
Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, alleged in the suit filed against the producer and music mogul in New York federal court that Combs brought her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” not long after she met him and signed to his label when she was 19 and he was 37 in 2005.
Combs. attorney Ben Brafman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment. In a statement to the New York Times, he said Combs denies the allegations.
Ventura, now 37 herself, said Combs, now 54, began the pattern of abuse soon after. The suit alleges he subjected her to savage beatings, plied her with drugs, and forced her to have sex with other men while he masturbated and filmed them.
The suit says Combs forced his way into her home and raped her as the relationship was ending in 2018.
“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 said in a statement.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they have been sexually abused unless they come forward publicly as Ventura has.
Brafman called the allegations “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,” his statement to the Times said. “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.”
Combs is a three-time Grammy winner who is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades.
