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Sean Combs and Cassie Reach Settlement in Rape and Physical Abuse Lawsuit: Not ‘An Admission of Wrongdoing’
Sean Combs, better known as rapper P. Diddy, was accused by his ex-girlfriend and R&B singer, Cassie, of rape and physical abuse that took place for over a decade. In her November 16, 2023 filing obtained by In Touch, the “Me and You” singer claimed she was lured into an “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” with one of the “most powerful men in the entertainment industry.”
However, just one day after the $30 million lawsuit hit the news, the former couple settled the case.
Who Is Cassie?
Cassie — full name Cassandra Ventura — met the hip-hop mogul in 2005 when she was 19 years old and the pair began dating after she signed with Diddy’s music label Bad Boy Records later that year.
The pair split in 2019 and she began a relationship with her now-husband, Alex Fine, whom she met through Combs.
Why Is P. Diddy Being Sued?
In Cassie’s suit, which was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan, the “Long Way 2 Go” singer said she “endured over a decade of violent behavior and disturbed demands” which included being raped, beat and “forced to engage in sex acts with male sex workers while masturbating and filming the encounters.”
The court documents claimed that Combs “emphasized the age and power dynamic” early in their working relationship and “lured” her into a relationship.
“Mr. Combs asserted complete control over Ms. Ventura’s personal and professional life, thereby ensuring her inability to escape his hold. He provided unprecedented avenues for success for the aspiring artist, but in return, demanded obedience, loyalty, and silence,” the filing read. “Throughout their relationship Mr. Combs was prone to uncontrollable rage, and frequently beat Ms. Ventura savagely. These beatings were witnessed by Mr. Combs’ staff and employees of Bad Boy Entertainment and Mr. Combs’s related businesses, but no one dared to speak up against their frightening and ferocious boss.”
In the filing, Cassie also detailed a rough patch in her relationship with Combs in 2012 and revealed she shared a brief romance with rapper Kid Cudi. After Combs learned of Cassie’s new love interest, he allegedly became “enraged” and told her that he was going to blow up Kid Cudi’s car. “Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway,” the court documents claimed. “Ms. Ventura was terrified as she fully began to comprehend what Mr. Combs was both willing and able to do to those he believed had slighted him.”
How Did P. Diddy Respond to the Allegations?
The “Last Night” artist “vehemently denied” the “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,” Comb’s lawyer, Ben Brafman, responded in the suit. “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.”
According to Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Ventura, both parties had spoken before the suit was filed and Cassie rejected Combs’ eight-figure offer “to silence her and prevent the filing” of the lawsuit.
Representatives for both Cassie and Combs did not immediately respond to In Touch’s request for comment.
Why Did Cassie and Sean Combs Settle?
Cassie and Combs settled the lawsuit on November 17, just one day after she filed the legal claims.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” the “Official Girl” singer said in a statement. “I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
As for Combs, he was happy to resolve the situation with his ex-girlfriend “amicably.” “I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love,” he said in a statement.
While the terms of the deal have been kept under wraps, Combs’ lawyer, Ben Brafman, emphasized that a settlement was in “no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
“Mr. Combs‘ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims,” the attorney continued in a statement. “He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best.”
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