Singer and entertainer, Cassie, a former romantic partner of multiple award-winning music mogul, Sean “Diddy” Combs, has accused him of rape and abuse during the time they were together.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Cassie, known in real life as Cassandra Elizabeth Ventura, indicated that she suffered physical abuse including being punched, beaten, kicked, and stomped on by Diddy over the course of their relationship.
A Manhattan federal court is believed to be at the heart of this huge case and the next happenings in the days to come would lead to a mammoth hearing that would leave many anticipating how things would pan out.
“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,” Cassie said in a statement.
“With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life,” the Official Girl hitmaker noted.
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Excerpts of the complaint stated that Mr. Combs was “prone to uncontrollable rage,” and often “beat Ms. Ventura savagely,” resulting in bruises, burst lips, black eyes, and bleeding.
After these episodes of abuse, Combs would cover up and give Cassie gifts, according to the complaint – also frequently reminding Ventura of his “ability to cause serious harm.”
Diddy’s lawyer, Ben Brafman, in a statement, was clear on his client’s innocence and went on to cite “blackmail.
“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’ reputation and seeking a payday,” Brafman added.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is one of the most influential and successful executives in music, founded Bad Boy in the early 1990s. He also launched a clothing label, Sean John, and developed the Ciroc vodka brand. As recently as last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1 billion.