Singer-songwriter Cassie has accused rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs of repeated physical and sexual abuse over the course of more than a decade, according to a new lawsuit obtained by HuffPost.
The 35-page complaint, filed in New York, details numerous allegations during and after their relationship, which began when Cassie was 19 and Diddy 37. Among the multiple allegations, Cassie alleges that Didi forced her to engage in sexual acts with male sex workers while he watched and recorded, then raped her he forced his way into her home after their breakup and blew up the car of rapper-producer Kid Cudi, who was romantically interested in her.
Kid Cudi backed up the allegations about his car in a statement to The New York Times through a spokesperson.
Cassie alleges in the lawsuit, first reported by The New York Times, that he regularly beat her, even in front of his employees, and that he pushed her into drug addiction. Cassie claimed in one instance that Diddy “dangled” a friend of hers over the balcony.
“After years of silence and darkness, I’m finally ready to tell my story and speak up for myself and for other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships,” Cassie, whose full name is Cassandra Ventura. said in a statement to HuffPost.
Diddy “vehemently” denies the allegations, according to his attorney, Ben Brafman.
The suit also names Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, Epic Records, Comb Enterprises and 10 other unnamed “Doe Corporations” as defendants along with Diddy.
The lawsuit comes after numerous other allegations of physical and sexual abuse against men in the entertainment industry have surfaced in the past few weeks. Former Recording Academy president Neil Portnow and former Epic Records CEO Antonio “LA” Reid also face charges. And actor and singer Keke Palmer has accused his ex-boyfriend of abuse and is seeking sole custody of their child.
The suit also arrives several months after Diddy returned the publishing rights to his signed artists to Bad Boy Entertainment in September. Singer Aubrey O’Day of Danity Kane, a group signed to Bad Boy, said the rights are only available to Bad Boy artists if they sign a non-disclosure agreement preventing them from dissing Diddy and his companies, Complex reported.
Cassie acknowledged that the lawsuit was filed as a result of New York’s soon-to-expire Adult Survivors Law, which allows individuals who wish to pursue sexual assault charges to sue their abusers even if the statute of limitations has expired.
“It became clear that this was an opportunity to talk about the trauma I experienced and will be recovering from for the rest of my life,” Cassie said in her statement.
Brafman claims that Cassie demanded that Diddy pay her $30 million “under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally dismissed as outright blackmail.”
“Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit filled with baseless and outrageous lies in order to tarnish Mr. Combs’ reputation and demand a payday,” Brafman said.
Cassie’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, denied Brafman’s claim and said Combs “offered” her the money to “shut her up and prevent this lawsuit from being filed.”
“She rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all the women who suffer in silence. Ms. Ventura should be applauded for her courage,” Wigdor told HuffPost.
The news began to spread on X, formerly known as Twitter, when discussions about Cassie and Didi surfaced.
Many social media users have pointed out that there have been numerous unconfirmed rumors about Diddy’s abuse circulating online for years, but the lawsuit seems to add weight to what has so far been just a rumor.
Singer Dawn Richard, who was part of music groups Danity Kane and Diddy – Dirty Money, also joined the online conversation.
“I am praying for Cassie and her family, for peace and healing. you are beautiful and brave,” Richard wrote to X.
O’Day, who was also part of Danity Kane, spoke out in support of Cassie online and to Page Six.
“I’ve been trying to tell you everything for years. Prayers for this queen,” O’Day wrote on her Instagram story.
Need help? Visit RAINN’s National Online Sexual Abuse Hotline or The National Sexual Assault Resource Center website.