Sean “Diddy” Combs and R&B singer Cassie on Friday settled a lawsuit she filed one day earlier that accused the legendary music producer and rapper of raping and physically abusing her for over a decade.
Both sides “resolved the claims … to their mutual satisfaction,” Cassie’s lawyer announced without disclosing the terms of the settlement.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support,” Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, wrote in a statement.
Combs, 54, added in his own statement: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best.”
Ventura had alleged in the short-lived suit that Combs regularly fed her drugs and alcohol, forced her to have sex with male prostitutes and viciously raped and beat her shortly after meeting her in 2005 until 2018.
The “Me & U” singer claimed the public on-and-off-again relationship she once called “a completely inspiring experience” was brutally sinister below the surface.
“After years in silence and darkness, 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,” Ventura, 37, said in a statement at the time the suit was filed.
The shocking lawsuit, filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, inspired several other entertainment A-listers to show support for Ventura, who was only a teenager when the 37-year-old Combs signed her to his label and allegedly began relentlessly pursuing her.
Among the chilling allegations, the “Step Up 2: The Streets” actress claims Combs — who was prone to “uncontrollable rage” — “frequently” and “savagely” beat her so severely that she needed to hole up in hotels for weeks at a time.
The alleged attacks often occurred in front of other business associates who were too scared to intervene against one of the most famous names in hip-hop, according to the suit.
Each time Ventura tried to distance herself from the Bad Boy Records founder, she was threatened that her music career would take a hit and was once explicitly told her record would be shelved, she claimed.
Combs was accused in the suit of providing her with a steady stream of opiates and alcohol to keep her compliant, which led to substance abuse problems and possibly contributed to her diagnosed memory loss.
The music mogul also allegedly pressured Ventura into having frequent drugged-up rendezvous with male prostitutes as he filmed, directed and masturbated — an arrangement he called a “Freak Off.”
Combs controlled every aspect of Ventura’s life, including her money, healthcare, living situation and career — and blew up fellow musician Kid Cudi’s car upon finding out he had a brief tryst with Ventura when they were on the outs, she alleged.
When she finally found the courage in 2018 to leave Combs for good, she claims he pushed her into her apartment and raped her one final time.
Combs “vehemently” denied the allegations after the suit was filed, claiming his ex had been demanding $30 million from him for the last six months “under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail.”
A chain of resurfaced interviews with several other A-listers — including Combs’ former flames – however, paint the “I’ll Be Missing You” singer as a serial abuser.
Gina Huynh, who goes by the nickname Virginia V, said in a 2019 interview that Combs stomped on her stomach and punched her in the head during their five-year relationship.
Back in 2004, Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons alleged that Combs threatened to kill and beat his model wife Kimora Lee Simmons, who was pregnant at the time.
Multiple members of girl group Danity Kane, which was formed by Combs on MTV’s “Making the Band” in 2005, backed up Ventura after the allegations came to light.
“Been trynna tell y’all for years,” member Aubrey O’Day said.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
