In a shocking and disturbing revelation, R&B singer Cassie, born Casandra Ventura, on Thursday filed a 35-page lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, a hip-hop mogul, accusing him of a years-long relationship involving beatings, rape, and sex trafficking.
Diddy received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards in 2022 and publicly acknowledged Cassie during his acceptance speech, thanking her for holding him down in the “dark times.”
Diddy stated, “I have to give a special shoutout, thank you, love, to the people that was really there for me.” He named a number of people before adding, “And also Cassie, for holding me down in the dark times, love.”
However, the lawsuit alleges that these “dark times” were, in fact, Cassie’s years spent trapped in a cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking at the hands of Diddy.
From Teen Star to Victim of Abuse
The 35-page lawsuit filed against Diddy and several associated entities paints a harrowing picture of a tumultuous relationship that began in 2005, when Cassie was 19 and Diddy was 37.
The suit alleges that, within a year of signing with Bad Boy Records, Diddy became deeply entrenched in Cassie’s life, almost immediately asserting possession and control over her and inserting himself into all aspects of her career and her personal life.
“Mr. Combs also ensured he was intertwined with Ms. Ventura’s personal and social life, for instance, by inviting himself to Ms. Ventura’s 21st birthday party in Las Vegas. He also brought along famous musicians and producers, thereby flaunting his celebrity status and influence in front of a young and impressionable Ms. Ventura.”
Despite knowing about Cassie’s existing relationship and being publicly involved with Kim Porter, Diddy allegedly pursued her. At an afterparty following Cassie’s 21st birthday, he forcibly kissed her in a bathroom, an incident to which she did not consent.
“Ms. Ventura did not consent to this unwanted contact. She immediately ran out of the bathroom and the hotel suite and cried. She told her best friend at the time about what had happened but was too scared to tell anyone.”
In the legal document, it is also stated that during the Video Music Awards the next day, Cassie’s then-boyfriend joined her and Diddy at a table at the awards ceremony. This reportedly angered Diddy, who insisted that the invitation to the awards ceremony was exclusively for Cassie and not for her significant other.
Despite Cassie’s explicit rejection of Diddy’s advances, the document alleges that he persistently demanded her time, including a weekend at his residence in Miami and nights out in New York City.
On a specific night around September 2007, Diddy insisted on taking Cassie out. Cassie reluctantly agreed, fearing that rejecting Diddy’s request might have negative consequences for her album deal with him and his company, Bad Boy Records.
“Mr. Combs picked up Ms. Ventura from her apartment in Manhattan in a blue luxury vehicle. Ms. Ventura was surprised that when she got into the car, Mr. Combs was already inebriated.
“He handed her a pill and told her to take it; when Ms. Ventura asked what the pill was, Mr. Combs dismissed her and told her she would like it. She later learned the pill was ecstasy—something Ms. Ventura had never before tried and did not want to try. This was the
first time Mr Combs got Ms Ventura high.”
A fake flyer for a party hosted by Cassie
The lawsuit also alleges that in early 2007, Diddy flexed his power and influence when he paid a promoter to create a fake flyer for a party hosted by Cassie—this fake posting allowed Cassie to have an excuse to go to Miami, Florida and get away from her boyfriend by using
under the guise of a legitimate event, she had to attend.
“Ms. Ventura was uncomfortable with the fake flyer. But because the request to go to Miami was made by the owner of her record label, and because she was scared to go against his wishes and face repercussions to her nascent career, Ms. Ventura agreed to join Mr. Combs in Florida.”
During this trip to Miami, according to the lawsuit, Diddy provided Cassie with copious amounts of drugs—she became more intoxicated than she ever had before, and her intoxication lasted throughout the weekend trip.
“Within two years of meeting Mr. Combs, Ms. Ventura found herself lured into the immediate circle of her boss, the owner of her record label, and one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry.”
The suit alleges that Cassie’s life was controlled by either Diddy or his management companies, saying “every event Ms. Ventura attended, from the travel to the makeup and clothing, was paid for directly by Mr. Combs and his affiliated companies.”
Diddy and Cassie’s Relationship Becomes Violent and Abusive
What started as a whirlwind of celebrity meetings and drug-and-alcohol-fueled parties, however, the suit contends that these gatherings soon turned into terrifying episodes of violence. One incident, triggered by the sighting of a rival, Suge Knight, led to a frantic and armed chase, leaving Cassie in tears and fearing for her safety.
Diddy would allegedly force Cassie to carry his guns in her purse on multiple occasions, seemingly as a tactic to assert dominance and instil fear. The lawsuit also alleges that the hip-hop mogul would violently beat Cassie numerous times each year, orchestrating elaborate efforts to conceal the evidence of his abuse with the use of his money and power.
The lawsuit read, “In one such instance, after a party with Jay-Z, Mr. Combs beat Ms. Ventura repeatedly in an Escalade, including by kicking and hitting her. He forced her out of the vehicle on Fifth Avenue in New York City.
“She was eventually able to hail a cab and get to her apartment in Manhattan, where she cried in fear, realising there was no one she could tell about what had happened at the hands of this incredibly powerful man. She spent the subsequent three days hiding in her apartment.”
The lawsuit noted that Diddy’s abuse reached its peak in January 2009, when he learned that Cassie had spoken to another music manager at a party. Enraged, he reportedly assaulted her in a car, stomping on her face and leaving her bleeding profusely.
“In the car leaving the club, Mr. Combs beat Ms. Ventura, pushing her into a corner of the vehicle and stomping on her face. Mr. Combs’s security staff, Roger Bonds, tried to stop the beating but was unable to de-escalate the situation.
“When the car arrived at Mr Combs’ residence, Ms. Ventura attempted to run away, but Mr. Combs followed her and proceeded to again kick her in the face. Ms. Ventura was bleeding profusely, and was ushered into Mr. Combs’ home, where she began to throw up from the violent assault.”
Upon recognising the damage he had done and the physical evidence of his abuse, Diddy panicked and forced his staff to bring Cassie to a hotel suite at the London Hotel in Los Angeles, where she was required to stay for a week.
During this stay, as her injuries from the beating healed, the lawsuit says Cassie recognised that she was powerless and that reporting Diddy to the authorities would not alter Diddy’s status or influence but would merely give him another excuse to hurt her.
Diddy’s Disturbing “Freak Offs”
Cassie also alleges in the lawsuit that Diddy not only physically assaulted her on multiple occasions but also subjected her to engaging in a fantasy of his called “voyeurism,” which purportedly turned Diddy on when he saw Cassie “with another dick.”
The lawsuit also gave details on the shocking claim of Diddy forcing Cassie into a disturbing practice he termed “Freak Offs,” or “FOs.” These encounters involved Cassie engaging in sexual acts with male sex workers while Diddy watched and directed the proceedings while masturbating.
The suit describes in detail how Diddy allegedly orchestrated these encounters in various luxury hotels across the United States, such as the Trump International Hotel and the Beverly Hills Hotel, even causing damage to a hotel suite for which he was later charged.
“On one occasion around 2013, Mr. Combs had an FO set up at the InterContinental Hotel in New York City, after which he was charged with tens of thousands of dollars in damages by the hotel. Upon information and belief, Mr. Combs’s Chief of Staff, Toni Fletcher, paid the invoice charged by the hotel.
“Ms. Ventura was eventually instructed to use websites and escort services to find male sex workers to participate in the FOs. Mr. Combs told Ms. Ventura to search for “large black penises” on the website.”
According to the lawsuit, Diddy would occasionally pay male sex workers to fly to his location, including multiple cities in the United States and abroad, and would need Cassie and his staff to assist him in making these arrangements. Diddy would allegedly provide Cassie and the sex worker with copious amounts of drugs prior to and during the FOs.
“During the FO, Mr. Combs would instruct Ms. Ventura to pour excessive amounts of oil over herself……Mr. Combs would then instruct Ms. Ventura and the sex workers to speak to each other, and then would specifically tell Ms. Ventura where to touch the sex workers. Mr. Combs would say things like, “grab that big Black dick” and ask her, “how does it feel?” as he directed her to perform for him.
“During the FOs, in addition to directing Ms. Ventura and masturbating, Mr Combs would use his phone, laptop, and tablet to film Ms. Ventura having sex with the hired sex worker. He treated the forced encounter as a personal art project, adjusting the candles he used for lighting to frame the videos he took.”
The suit went on to say that Diddy would even present Cassie with lavish gifts prior to or during the FOs, seemingly acknowledging the ways in which these forced sexual encounters constituted “work” for Cassie and that he needed to compensate her for this work. At one point, he had given her so many designer bracelets for FOs and immediately following his brutal beatings, she felt that she was shackled by his presence.
The court documents describe one particularly harrowing incident that occurred during Cassie’s 29th birthday celebration. Diddy is accused of insisting that Cassie abandon her party and accompany him to a hotel for one of these forced encounters.
In the lawsuit, Cassie, expressing her reluctance, found herself cornered by Diddy’s security staff, compelling her compliance. Following one FO, the court documents claim that Diddy returned with Cassie to her hotel room, where her friends were present.
In a shocking turn of events, Diddy, allegedly severely intoxicated, engaged in erratic behaviour, even endangering the life of one of Cassie’s friends by dangling them over a balcony.
Cassie Tries to Escape Diddy’s Abuse
Attempts to break free from this abusive cycle were met with relentless pursuit. The documents reveal instances where Diddy allegedly used his extensive network to track down Cassie, compelling her to return to the toxic relationship.
Even attempts to seek solace in friendships were marred by Diddy’s interference. The documents detail how Diddy reacted violently to her attempts at normalcy, such as brief relationships with fellow musician Kid Cudi.
One chilling incident involves Diddy allegedly threatening to blow up a car belonging to Cudi during Paris Fashion Week.
Later in 2015, while shooting a movie in Cape Town, South Africa, Cassie began a flirtatious relationship with an actor. She spent New Year’s Eve with this actor, but Diddy soon found out and threatened him; the actor then called Cassie and told her, “You really need to call [Mr. Combs].”
In addition, the lawsuit claims that Diddy used his key to enter Cassie’s house unannounced around 2018, which led to an altercation between him and Morgan, in which Diddy threw a hanger at Cassie’s friend and ended up paying Morgan.
Diddy Rapes Cassie
Cassie found herself at a crossroads in 2017 and 2018, desperate to free herself from Diddy’s clutches and the alleged abuse she endured. The suit says Cassie recognised that if she stayed with him, she would never be able to have a successful career or ever be physically and mentally safe, and she, therefore, became determined to completely break away from Diddy and his cycle of abuse and made concerted efforts to avoid him.
The court documents detail that In September 2018, Cassie joined Diddy for what she believed would be a discussion about conclusively ending their relationship. After a dinner at an Italian restaurant in Malibu, California, they returned to Cassie’s home, which was financially supported by Diddy.
“After dinner, Mr. Combs and Ms. Ventura returned to Ms. Ventura’s home, which was paid for by Mr. Combs….Mr. Combs forced himself into her apartment and tried to kiss Ms. Ventura. She told him to stop and attempted to push him away,” the suit alleges.
Despite Cassie’s pleas for him to stop, Diddy is accused of forcibly removing her clothing and raping her, disregarding her repeated objections. Cassie took bold steps to completely separate herself from her alleged long-term abuser soon after the traumatic incident, according to the suit.
Allegations Denies
However, Diddy’s attorney, Ben Brafman, said the musician has “vehemently denied” the allegations, calling them “lies.”
“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,” Brafman said in a statement.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Cassie’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, responded in a statement that Diddy offered Cassie “eight figures to silence her and prevent her from filing of this lawsuit- which she rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all woman who suffer in silence.” (Guardian)
