Cassie has put Sean Combs, professionally known as Diddy, in hot waters after revealing she suffered years of abuse in his hands, from physical to emotional and even s*xual, and had filed a lawsuit against him. As this news came as a surprise, many wanted to know about the music mogul’s accuser and the connection between the two. So, who is Cassie, and what’s her relation to Diddy? Read on to know.
Cassie and Her Connection to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Cassie, born Casandra Elizabeth Ventura, is a singer, songwriter, model, actress, and dancer. Though many may have only heard her name today, she’s not new in the business, starting her career in 2004 after meeting the record producer Ryan Leslie.
She first signed with Leslie’s record label, NextSelection Lifestyle Group. And after she released her debut single, Me & U, in 2006, she caught Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ interest. Leslie agreed to partner his label’s imprint with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records to release Cassie’s album commercially, which saw the start of her success.
From there, she dropped new music one after another and worked with some of the great artists in the business, like Lil Wayne, Akon, Rick Ross, and Wiz Khalifa.
Aside from music, Cassie also ventured into modeling and signed with Wilhelmina Models and One Management agencies. She has modeled for Calvin Klein and graced the pages of lifestyle magazines like GQ and Bust.
The now-37-year-old was also the face of the ASOS 2013 spring collection, advertised for Delia’s, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Seventeen, and did a commercial for Clean and Clear. She also made it into the movie world, appearing in Step Up 2: The Streets in 2008 and The Perfect Match in 2016.
Cassie and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs: The Relationship and the Lawsuit
After working together, Cassie and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs had a romantic relationship. The two had an on-again-off-again romance lasting 11 years, from 2007 to 2018. However, in 2023, the singer-actress sued Diddy in Manhattan federal court.
In a statement via The Messenger, Cassie claimed that she’s now ready to tell her story and speak up on behalf of herself and for the benefit of other women who have faced violence and abuse in a relationship. She then mentioned the nearing expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act and her last chance to talk about the trauma she had experienced that she would be recovering from the rest of her life.
You can read her statement below:
After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story and speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships. 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.
https://twitter.com/cocainecross/status/1725262145301229721
In the lawsuit, Cassie alleged that Diddy beat, r*ped, and trafficked her, among many other abusive behaviors and extreme control that he allegedly did to her. She even claimed that the iconic rapper had Kid Cudi’s car blown up when he learned he had an interest in her.
Cassie continued that all this happened shortly after they met in 2005. At the time, she was only 19, and Diddy was 37. Allegedly, the record producer plied her with drugs, beat her several times a year, forced her to sleep with other men while he watched and filmed, and r*ped her when she broke up with him for the last time in 2018.
The suit also contained that Ventura tried to split with Combs several times, but he would become violent, or his employees would ask her to return, warning her that her career might suffer if she didn’t do so. This made Cassie afraid of what Diddy might do if she left him, making her feel like refusing him would cost her a thing—her family, friends, career, or worse, her life.
Cassie’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, tells the New York Times that his client and Diddy spoke before she filed the lawsuit. The Revolt CEO allegedly offered her money to remain silent. pic.twitter.com/8HajqV8JYF
— Mílagro (@MobzWorld) November 16, 2023
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Denies Cassie’s Allegations
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has strongly denied Cassie’s allegations, with his attorney, Ben Brafman, telling the Times that the accuser had been demanding $30 million from Diddy for the past six months. If he didn’t give her what she wanted, she would allegedly write a damaging book about their past relationship.
You can read Brafman’s statement below:
For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’ reputation and seeking a payday.
BREAKING: Cassie has sued Diddy in federal court, accusing him of rape and years of physical abuse. pic.twitter.com/yfB9KlmWZ2
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) November 16, 2023
Long before this news broke, Cassie and Diddy’s relationship was already known to be tumultuous. When they were still together, details about their breakups and reconciliations had been in the news over the years. At one point, police got involved after Diddy reportedly took her phone when she wanted to call it quits. However, as there are always two sides to a story, nobody knows the truth behind their romance or what happened to them when they were still together behind closed doors and when the cameras were off.
