Sean Combs, the superstar rapper and music industry magnate, was sued on Thursday by Cassie, a singer who accused him of r*pe and physical abuse.
According to the suit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, the hip-hop musician subjected the R&B singer, whose true name is Casandra Ventura, to more than a decade of compulsion by physical force and drugs, as well as a 2018 r*pe.
According to the lawsuit, Ventura met Combs, popularly known as Puff Daddy or Diddy, in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37.
He signed her to his label, Bad Boy Records, with her hits including tracks like “Me & U.”
She also began a romantic relationship with him.
Court records described it as “an ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” and Combs as “a vicious, cruel, and controlling man” who had authority over Ventura as both her supervisor and one of hip-hop’s top players.
Combs’ lawyer, Ben Brafman, issued a statement to AFP in which he “vehemently” disputed the charges, calling them “offensive and outrageous.”
Combs accused Ventura of blackmail, alleging that her goal was to “tarnish” his name in order to obtain a compensation.
In response to that comment, Douglas Wigdor, an attorney on Ventura’s legal team, stated that Combs had previously given her money to avoid a lawsuit, but she “rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all women who suffer in silence.” Ms. Ventura should be commended for her courage.”
“No human should have to endure what Ms. Ventura has endured,” Wigdor added.
Ventura, now 37, said in a statement that “after years of 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.”
Combs, 54, formed Bad Boy in 1993 and was a key force in the commercialization of hip-hop in the decades that followed. Notorious B.I.G. and Mary J. Blige were among his protégés.
He is one of hip-hop’s millionaires, thanks in part to his forays into the liquor market.
The suit portrays him as a violent man, citing horrifying episodes of his violent outbursts, such as forcing Ventura to perform s*x acts with male s*x workers, which she claims Combs filmed.
Combs is also accused of forcing Ventura to carry a pistol in her purse in order to intimidate her and make her uncomfortable.
It also implies that Combs blew up another person’s car who was romantically interested in Ventura.
According to court records, Combs and Ventura had dinner in 2018, after which the magnate forced his way into her apartment and r*ped her.
The complaint says her association with Bad Boy ended in 2019.
Ventura is requesting compensation for “mental anguish and severe emotional distress,” as well as lost pay.
Ventura filed her case under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that allows alleged s*xual abuse victims to pursue civil actions after the statute of limitations has passed.
Her legal team references the law, which is set to expire next Monday, in her lawsuit, and Ventura mentioned it in her statement.
“With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life,” she said.