Diddy has been sued in federal court by his former girlfriend and artist Cassie. The singer makes several explosive claims against the music mogul including rape, acts of violence, plus mental and physical abuse during their decade-long relationship.
Content warning: Mentions of sexual assault, abuse
Cassie Files Lawsuit Against Diddy
On Thursday (Nov. 16), The New York Times broke the news on the shocking lawsuit filed by Cassie, born Casandra Ventura, in New York federal court. The suit accuses Diddy, born Sean Combs, of rape and years of physical and sexual abuse. Diddy and Cassie dated for over a decade from 2007 to 2018, during which she claims she was subjected to numerous vile acts at the hands of the Bad Boy Entertainment founder.
Diddy has been accused of sexual battery, sexual assault and violations of New York City’s gender-motivated violence law. Cassie is seeking an undisclosed amount in her lawsuit. Her attorney Douglas Wigdor claims Diddy even tried to silence Cassie with an eight-figure payout not to file the lawsuit, but she refused it.
“After yeas of silence I am finally ready to tell my story,” Cassie said in a statement. “And to speak up for myself and for the benefit of women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.”
Read More: 20 Older Rappers’ Complaints About Hip-Hop and Where It’s Headed
The Claims Against Diddy
According to court documents obtained by XXL on Thursday, Cassie has detailed several instances in which she was sexually and physical abused by Diddy. Here are seven accusations below.
- Diddy began coercing Cassie “to engage in a fantasy of his called ‘voyeurism.” She was directed to have sex with numerous male prostitutes, while Diddy masturbated and recorded videos. According to the suit, Mr. Combs referred to these encounters as “freak offs,” which “involved costumes, like masquerade masks and lingerie.” The gatherings continued for years and Cassie claimed that she took copious amounts of drugs at these events because it “allowed her to disassociate during these horrific encounters.”
- After a dinner in 2018, Diddy forced himself into Cassie’s apartment and raped her while she “repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” Cassie said he left her for good after that.
- Another incident allegedly transpired in Los Angeles in 2009, according to the suit in which Diddy became furious because Cassie was seen talking with another talent agent. The suit claims he pushed her into a car and kicked her repeatedly in the face. The suit claims that Diddy then brought Cassie to a hotel room to recover for a week, and that he forbade her from seeing her parents when she asked.
- Diddy provided Cassie with a “copious amounts of drugs” including ketamine and ecstasy, the suit alleges. He beat her “multiple times a year” and that Cassie never went to the police because doing so “would merely give Mr. Combs another excuse to hurt her.”
- In early 2012, the documents read that Diddy allegedly grew so angry about Cassie dating Kid Cudi that he threatened to blow up his car. “Around that time,” the suit reads, “Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.” A spokeswoman for Kid Cudi confirmed Cassie’s account. “This is all true” he said.
- During one “freak off” in 2016 at a Los Angeles hotel, an intoxicated Diddy gave Cassie a black eye. He then fell asleep, and Cassie attempted to leave, but Diddy pursued her into the hallway. Diddy allegedly was seen on security camera throwing glass vases at her, but the Bad Boy Mogul paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage.
- Diddy allegedly asked Cassie to carry his gun in her purse, and in one incident dangled a friend of the R&B singer’s over a 17th floor hotel balcony.
Read More: Diddy Is Gifted With an Honorary Key to His Hometown, New York City
Diddy’s Attorney Releases Statement
Diddy’s attorney Ben Brafman has vehemently denied the claims against his client in a statement to The New York Times.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” the statement reads. “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’s reputation and seeking a payday.”
Cassie Is Telling Her Story Now
According to TNYT report, the timing of Cassie’s filing has to do with the Adult Survivors Act, a New York statute that gives alleged victims of sexual abuse time to file civil suits after the statute of limitations has run its course. The opportunity to bring cases under this law ends next week.
22
“With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act fast approaching,” Cassie says in the suit, “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.”
After parting ways with Diddy in 2018, Cassie began dating fitness trainer Alex Fine. They had their first child together and were married the following year.