Cassie accuses Diddy of rape and abuse; Kid Cudi responds to the lawsuit
Cassie sues Sean “Diddy” Combs for rape and sex trafficking. Kid Cudi, who was mentioned in the lawsuit, confirmed one of the claims.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is accused of sexual assault and physical abuse by his ex-girlfriend Cassie.
Cassie (real name: Casandra Ventura) filed a sex trafficking and sexual assault lawsuit against Combs in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY. The singer is also suing Combs’ companies Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, Combs Enterprises, LLC and Epic Records.
The complaint alleges that Cassie, who began a professional and sexual relationship with the rap mogul when she was 19, was trafficked, raped and brutally beaten by Combs over the course of a decade.
“After years of silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story and speak up for myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships,” Cassie said in a statement. “As the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act approached, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak about the trauma I have experienced and will continue to recover from for the rest of my life.”
Cassie met Combs, then 37, in 2005 after the rap mogul became interested in signing her to Bad Boy Records. After being seduced into a “flashy, fast-paced, drug-fueled lifestyle” and a romantic relationship with Combs, Cassie claims in the lawsuit that Combs has and has taken “control” of her life – from her health care to her career opportunities gave her drugs and alcohol.
“Mr. Combs claimed complete control over Ms. Ventura’s personal and professional life, ensuring that she was unable to escape his influence,” the filing states. “He gave the aspiring artist unprecedented opportunities for success, but demanded obedience, loyalty and silence in return.”
Cassie claims that obedience and silence were also expected from Combs’ employees and Bad Boy Entertainment employees. Although Combs was “prone to uncontrollable anger and often brutally beat Ms. Ventura in the presence of Combs’ team,” the singer claims no one challenged “her frightening and ferocious boss.”
Combs also allegedly forced Cassie into “repeated unwanted sexual encounters” with male prostitutes he hired and recorded their sexual encounters. Despite her efforts to escape Combs’ abuse, Cassie was repeatedly tracked down and forced to return to him by Combs’ “vast network of companies and affiliates,” according to the singer’s files.
Cassie accuses Sean “Diddy” Combs of rape; Music mogul denies allegations
After a “concerted effort” to move on from the relationship, Cassie joined Combs for dinner at an Italian restaurant in Malibu, California, in September 2018, the lawsuit says. The singer was under the impression that they were having “a discussion about ending their relationship for good.”
After the encounter, Cassie claims Combs forced her into her apartment and tried to kiss her. Although his sexual advances were rejected, Combs subsequently raped her.
In a statement to USA TODAY, Combs denied Cassie’s “offensive and outrageous” allegations and accused his ex of blackmail.
“Over the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demands for $30 million under threats to write a damaging book about their relationship, which has been clearly dismissed as blatant blackmail,” it said the declaration. “Although Ms. Ventura has retracted her original threat, she is now filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies aimed at damaging Mr. Combs’ reputation and demanding a paycheck.”
Because of her turbulent relationship with Combs, Cassie had to undergo “intensive medical and psychological care,” the complaint says.
“No human being should have to endure what Ms. Ventura endured,” Cassie’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, said in a statement. “Her ability and willingness to speak out about the abuse she suffered and to hold her abuser and those who enabled the abuse accountable is a testament to her strength and resilience.”
Cassie claims Sean “Diddy” Combs blew up Kid Cudi’s car and left a friend dangling over the balcony
Combs’ alleged abuse also extended to others in Cassie’s personal circle.
During a birthday dinner for Cassie’s 29th birthday around August 2015, Cassie claims that Combs insisted that they leave the party and go to her hotel for a “freak out,” a term Combs used for Cassie’s forced sexual encounters with males used by sex workers.
After the encounter, Combs and Cassie went back to Cassie’s hotel room, where some of the singer’s friends were hanging out. A “heavily intoxicated” Combs later picked up one of Cassie’s friends and allegedly dangled her over the balcony of the 17th floor hotel suite, frightening Cassie and her friends.
In 2011, Cassie had a brief relationship with rapper Kid Cudi during a “difficult period” in her relationship with Combs, the lawsuit says. When Combs found out about their relationship, he became “enraged” and allegedly lunged at Cassie with a manual corkscrew.
During their visit to Paris Fashion Week in February 2012, Combs told Cassie that he planned to blow up Kid Cudi’s car and that he wanted to make sure he wasn’t around, according to the complaint. Cudi’s vehicle is believed to have exploded in a driveway around this time.
In a statement to The New York Times, Kid Cudi confirmed Cassie’s account of the incident. USA TODAY has reached out to Cudi’s rep for comment.
Cassie follows Sean “Diddy” Combs with trainer Alex Fine
Following her split from Combs, Cassie began dating personal trainer Alex Fine in December 2018. The couple announced on social media in June 2019 that they were expecting a daughter.
The following month, Cassie announced her engagement to Fine in an Instagram post. “I love you, best friend. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you,” she wrote at the time.
Fine expressed his loyalty to Cassie and her then-growing family in an Instagram tribute in June 2019, promising to shower the “Me & U” singer “with kisses and hugs every day.”
“I promise you that I will do everything in my power to support and help you. I promise you that you will never be alone,” Fine wrote. “I promise you will be loved beyond expectations and we will show our children how to have a healthy relationship.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie began dating in 2007
Combs and Cassie began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade.
She rose to prominence with the Ryan Leslie-produced hit single “Me & U”, which reached the top spot on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2006. The song was the lead single from their only studio album. which was self-titled.
As an actress, she has appeared in several television and film projects, including Fox’s “Empire,” “Step Up 2: The Streets” and “Spenser Confidential.”
Sean “Diddy” Combs’ previous relationships, including model Kim Porter
Combs had an on-again, off-again relationship with model Kim Porter that spanned over a decade. The couple, who have three children together, officially called it quits in 2007 after 13 years of dating, but remained friendly and often vacationed together.
Porter died in August 2019 at the age of 47 after she was found unresponsive in her San Fernando Valley home. A few days after Porter’s sudden death, Combs described his grief experience as a “nightmare.”
“For the last three days I’ve been trying to wake up from this nightmare. But I didn’t succeed,” Combs wrote on Instagram at the time. “I don’t know what to do without you, baby. I miss you so much.”
Combs paid tribute to his longtime girlfriend with a touching video that shows a pregnant Porter and Combs dancing, caressing and kissing during a maternity photo shoot. “We were more than just best friends, we were more than soulmates. WE WERE OTHER (expletive)!!!” Combs wrote. “And I miss you so much. Great Black Love.”
‘I miss you so much’: Diddy pays tribute to his “soulmate” Kim Porter in a touching post
Combs built one of hip hop’s largest empires, paving the way with multiple entities associated with his famous name. He is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner who has collaborated with a number of high-profile artists including Notorious BIG, Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans and 112.
The mogul founded the Sean John clothing line, launched the music-focused television channel Revolt and produced the reality show “Making the Band” for MTV.
This year, he released his fifth studio album, “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” which received two Grammy nominations this month.
If you are a victim of sexual assault, RAINN offers support through the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE & online.rainn.org).
If you are a victim of domestic violence, The National Domestic Violence Hotline (thehotline.org) allows you to speak confidentially online or by phone with trained attorneys, which they recommend for those who believe their online activity is being monitored by their abuser (800-799-7233). They can help survivors develop a plan to achieve safety for themselves and their children.
Safe horizon The hotline (safehorizon.org) offers crisis counseling, safety planning, and shelter assistance (800-621-HOPE (4673). It also has a chat feature so you can confidentially request help from a computer or phone can.
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Contributors: Rasha Ali and Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY; The Associated Press