R&B singer Cassie has sued Sean “Diddy” Combs in federal court for alleged rape, sexual battery, and human trafficking.
The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan’s Federal District Court on Thursday, Nov. 16.
“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,” the singer — born Casandra Ventura — said in a statement to the New York Times.
Related Story: Kim Porter Remembered at Funeral by Diddy, Al B Sure and Faith Evans
The lawsuit says the “Me & U” singer, 37, met the Bad Boy Records founder in 2005, when she was 19. He signed her to his label and the two dated off-and-on for nearly a decade.
The documents allege Combs, 54, became violent with Ventura “multiple times each year.”
The lawsuit says the alleged “beatings” sometimes happened in front of his staff, but no one “dared to speak up against their frightening and ferocious boss.”
[Below is a link to the lawsuit]
The lawsuit additionally alleges Combs coerced Ventura “to engage in a fantasy of his called ‘voyeurism,’” in which she allegedly had sex with male prostitutes, while Combs watched and shot video. The suit says the sexual encounters happened in different cities, and Ventura was a victim of sex trafficking.
The complaint says she tried to break things off in 2018, and Combs allegedly raped her while she “repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.”
The lawsuit states that Combs:
•Raped Ms. Ventura in her own home after she tried to leave him
• Often punched, beat, kicked and stomped on Ms. Ventura, resulting in bruises, burst lips, black eyes and bleeding
• Blew up a man’s car after he learned that he was romantically interested in Ms. Ventura
• Forced Ms. Ventura to engage in sex acts with male sex workers while masturbating and filming the encounters
• Ran out of his apartment with a firearm in pursuit of a rival industry
executive whom he learned was nearby
• Demanded that Ms. Ventura carry his firearm in her purse just to make her uncomfortable and demonstrate how dangerous he is
• Introduced Ms. Ventura to a lifestyle of excessive alcohol and substance abuse and required her to procure illicit prescriptions to satisfy his own addictions.
Combs’ attorney, Ben Brafman, denied the claims in a statement to The Times and said Ventura tried to blackmail the rapper and demanded millions of dollars.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Brafman said. “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,” the attorney added.
Ventura’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, told The Times Brafman is lying.
Wigdor said the singer spoke with Combs before she filed the lawsuit and he allegedly tried to pay her off.
“Mr. Combs offered Ms. Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit,” Wigdor said. “She rejected his efforts.”
The complaint says Ventura tried and failed multiple times to escape Combs’ control, adding that she never went to police because she feared it “would merely give Mr. Combs another excuse to hurt her.”
She has since married personal trainer Alex Fine and they have two young children.
The full complaint can be read here.
