American singer Cassandra Elizabeth Ventura, better known as Cassie, has filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend, Sean Combs, a.k.a. Diddy, for ‘a decade’ of sexual abuse.
According to The New York Times, in the suit filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, Cassie accused him of rape and repeated physical abuse spanning approximately a decade.
She claimed that the pattern of abuse and control began when she met Diddy in 2005 at the age of 19, where the mogul allegedly subjected her to a disturbing cycle of abuse, including beating her and being forced into sexual encounters with male prostitutes while being filmed, physical abuse, and the supply of drugs.
The statement reads, “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.”
In response to her allegation, Diddy’s lawyer, Ben Brafman, 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.”
Cassie’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, counters this narrative, stating that his client and Diddy had a conversation before the lawsuit was filed.
According to Wigdor, Diddy allegedly offered Cassie eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit. He said she rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all women who suffer in silence.
The lawsuit represents a significant step in addressing the complexities of abuse within high-profile relationships.
