Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, the R&B singer who accused Sean Combs of rape, sex trafficking and abuse, announced late Friday that she had settled her dispute with the hip-hop legend, a day after filing suit against him .
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on the understanding that I have some degree of control,” Ventura said in a statement from Wigdor, the law firm that represented her. “I would like to thank my family, fans and advocates for their unwavering support.”
The law firm also released a statement attributed to Combs, whose powerful status in the music industry was threatened when Ventura went public this week with detailed and graphic allegations of abuse during their years-long relationship: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. “ I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
Cassie filed her lawsuit against Combs in Manhattan District Court on Thursday. She claimed that after she joined his label in 2005, he introduced her to a “lifestyle of excessive alcohol and drug abuse,” often beat her, forced her to engage in sexual acts with male sex workers known as “freak-offs,” and raped her , when she did this she tried to leave him.
Cassie tried to escape the abuse several times, the lawsuit says, but the control Combs had over her personal and professional life and his influence on the music industry made it difficult. Further details about the settlement were not publicly disclosed.
“I am very proud of Ms. Ventura for having the strength to go public with her lawsuit,” her attorney Douglas Wigdor said in a statement announcing the settlement. “She deserves praise for that.”
Herb Scribner and Anne Branigin contributed to this report.