Renowned producer and musician Sean Combs, widely known as Puff Daddy, is facing serious allegations of rape and abuse in a lawsuit filed by his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, stage-named Cassie.
Filed in federal court in New York City, the complaint alleges that Combs lured Ventura into a lifestyle marked by ostentation, speed, and substance abuse, leading to a tumultuous romantic relationship.
Ventura, who met Combs in 2005 or 2006 and was signed to his record label, Bad Boy Records, claims in the suit that Combs exerted power and influence over her during their professional and romantic association. The complaint outlines disturbing details of physical violence, control over her personal life, and the introduction to a lifestyle of excessive alcohol and substance abuse.
Ventura asserts that, after trying to end their relationship in 2018, Combs forcibly entered her home and raped her.
Now a mother of two, Ventura claims she struggled with addictions fueled by Combs throughout their relationship, leading to immense emotional distress.
The lawsuit reveals that she sought help in an inpatient rehabilitation center due to suicidal thoughts linked to the alleged abuse.
In a statement to CNN, Ventura, also known as an R&B singer, stated her decision to speak out after years of silence and darkness.
In response, Ben Brafman, Combs’ attorney, vehemently denies the allegations, asserting that Ventura had demanded $30 million under the threat of a damaging book about their relationship.
The lawsuit accuses Combs of sex trafficking, sexual assault, gender-motivated violence, and more, seeking unspecified monetary damages. With the backdrop of New York’s Adult Survivors Act, allowing survivors to sue despite expired statutes of limitations, this legal battle unfolds, casting a shadow over Combs’ influential career in the music industry.