Caution: The forthcoming article addresses sensitive topics related to allegations of abuse, sexual assault, and gender-motivated violence.
Cassie has recently initiated legal proceedings against her former partner, Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging a disturbing pattern of physical abuse spanning more than a decade. The lawsuit, filed under New York State’s Adult Survivors Act in Manhattan Federal District Court on Thursday (Nov. 16), invokes accusations of sex trafficking, sexual battery, sexual assault, and violations of New York City’s gender-motivated violence law.
As reported by The New York Times, the filing is made possible by the Adult Survivors Act, which grants survivors of sexual abuse the opportunity to pursue civil suits even after the expiration of the statute of limitations. The limited one-year window for such cases is set to close next week.
In her statement, the R&B singer, legally known as Casandra Ventura-Fine, expressed that she chose to come forward before the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act to shed light on the trauma she has endured and will continue to grapple with throughout her life.
According to her attorney, Douglas Wigdor, discussions about the lawsuit took place between the involved parties before its formal filing. Allegedly, Combs offered Ventura a substantial sum to silence her and prevent the legal action, an offer she reportedly declined.
Ventura recounts meeting the Combs Global mogul in 2005 at the age of 19, alleging that a “pattern of control and abuse” commenced almost immediately. She claims Combs manipulated her with drugs, subjected her to assault, and coerced her into intimate encounters with male prostitutes while he observed, recorded, and masturbated. Ventura further asserts that, in 2018, Combs forced himself into her home and sexually assaulted her.
After years of silence, Ventura, now 37, stated, “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.”
Accusations against Combs extend beyond the alleged abuse towards Ventura. She claims he was involved in incidents such as endangering her friend by holding them over a hotel balcony and damaging Kid Cudi’s car—an assertion confirmed by the rapper. Additionally, Ventura alleges that Combs had enablers who concealed his controlling behavior.
The lawsuit details Ventura’s fear of saying “no” to Combs, expressing concerns about potential repercussions on her family, friends, career, or even her life.
Responding to the allegations, Combs’ lawyer, Ben Brafman, issued a statement vehemently denying the claims. Brafman accuses Ventura of making persistent monetary demands, initially seeking $30 million under the threat of a damaging tell-all book. Despite the withdrawal of this threat, Ventura has chosen to pursue legal action, with Brafman characterizing the lawsuit as filled with “baseless and outrageous lies” aimed at tarnishing Combs’s reputation and seeking financial gain.
The article also notes that the year following Ventura’s separation from Combs, she married trainer Alex Fine, with whom she shares two children.
