American hip-hop artiste, Sean “Diddy” Combs has agreed to an “amicable” settlement of the sexual assault case filed against him by former partner, Cassandra Ventura.
In the suit filed at a New York federal court on Thursday, Ventura levelled several shocking allegations of physical and sexual abuse against the entertainment mogul.
The 37-year-old singer claimed that Combs, 54 had lured her into a relationship and made it difficult for her to reject his advances because she was afraid for her future as an upcoming artiste attached to his label.
To fully exert his control over her, Ventura said Combs sexually abused her and also introduced “her to a drug-fueled lifestyle that kept her complacent and compliant.”
The suit filed at a New York Court read in part “She found herself becoming numb to the abuse she was experiencing, and became entirely beholden to Mr. Combs’s demands. She began to blindly follow his instructions out of fear of again being on the receiving end of a vicious beating,” the read.
Combs’s lawyer, Ben Brafman had “vehemently” denied the singer’s claims, stating that Ventura was trying to blackmail his client.
However, the rapper’s legal team made a U-turn on Friday and agreed to a settlement with Ventura, barely one day after she filed the suit.
Combs himself made this known in a statement shared by Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor on Friday evening
“We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love,” he wrote.
Ventura also released a statement thanking fans for their outpour of support after the suit became public.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support,” she also wrote in the release.
