UPDATE
One day after Sean โDiddyโ Combsโ former romantic partner and R&B singer Cassie Ventura sued him for years of alleged physical abuse and even rape, the pair have resolved the claims she filed in Manhattan federal court.
โI have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,โ Ventura said in a statement issued late Friday night (Nov. 17) by her attorney, Douglas Wigdor. โI want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.โ
Combs responded with a statement, adding, โWe have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.โ No terms were disclosed and the release states that โthe parties will have no further statements.โ When reached by Billboard, Wigdor declined to comment further. Combsโ attorney, Ben Brafman, did not immediately respond to a request for comment or to verify the resolution.
ORIGINAL STORY
Hip-hop music and fashion mogul Sean โDiddyโ Combs was hit Thursday with a civil lawsuit accusing him of raping and sex trafficking singer Cassie, his former romantic partner, over the course of a decade.
In addition to Combs, the suit names Bad Boy Records, Bad Boy Entertainment, Epic Records, and Combs Enterprises as defendants.
Combs, one of the most influential and successful executives in music, founded Bad Boy in the early 1990s. He also launched a clothing label, Sean John, and developed the Ciroc vodka brand. As recently as last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1 billion.
โAfter 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,โ Cassie said in a statement about her bombshell suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
โWith the expiration of New Yorkโs 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,โ said Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.
The Adult Survivors Act, since last November, allows accusers a one-year window to file civil claims of sexual abuse that otherwise would be barred by the statute of limitations.
Combs โvehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,โ his lawyer, Ben Brafman, said in a statement.
โMs. Venturaโs demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail,โ Brafman said. โDespite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combsโ reputation, and seeking a pay day.โ
Cassieโs lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, shot back that Combs โoffered Ms. Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit. She rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all woman who suffer in silence.โ
โMs. Ventura should be applauded for her bravery,โ Wigdor added. โNo human should have to endure what Ms. Ventura has endured.โ
Cassieโs suit says that in 2005 when she was 19, the then 37-year-old Combs lured the singer into a professional relationship by signing her to his label, Bad Boy Records.
Within several years, he induced her into a sexual relationship and introduced her โto a lifestyle of excessive alcohol and substance abuse and required her to procure illicit prescriptions to satisfy his own addictions,โ the suit alleges.
The suit claims that Combs raped Cassie in her home after she tried to leave him, โblew upโ another manโs car after learning of his romantic interest in the singer, and often beat and kicked her.
It says Combs โforced Ms. Ventura to engage in sex acts with male sex workers while masturbating and filming the encounters.โ
โThroughout their relationship Mr. Combs was prone to uncontrollable rage, and frequently beat Ms. Ventura savagely,โ the suit alleges.
โThese beatings were witnessed by Mr. Combsโ staff and employees of Bad Boy Entertainment and Mr. Combsโs related businesses, but no one dared to speak up against their frightening and ferocious boss.โ
Cassieโs suit is the latest legal challenge for Combs. Earlier this year, he sued Ciroc owner Diageo for alleged racial discrimination, saying they neglected Ciroc and his tequila brand, DeLeon. The company ended their relationship in June after about 16 years.