Cassie Ventura and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs participate in the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City.
John Shearer|Getty Images|The Hollywood Reporter|Getty Images
Hip- hop music and style magnate Sean “Diddy” Combs was struck Thursday with a civil suit implicating him of raping and sex trafficking vocalist Cassie, his previous romantic partner, throughout a years.
In addition to Combs, the match names Bad Boy Records, Bad Boy Entertainment, Epic Records and Combs Enterprises as offenders.
Combs, among the most prominent and effective executives in music, established Bad Boy in the early 1990 s. He likewise released a clothes label, Sean John, and established the Ciroc vodka brand name. As just recently as in 2015, Forbes approximated his net worth at $1 billion.
“After 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,” Cassie stated in a declaration about her bombshell match, submitted in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
“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,” stated Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura.
The Adult Survivors Act given that last November permits accusers a 1 year window to submit civil claims of sexual assault that otherwise would be disallowed by the statute of restrictions.
Combs “vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” his legal representative Ben Brafman stated in a declaration.
“Ms. Ventura’s demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail,” Brafman stated. “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 pay day.”
Cassie’s legal representative, Douglas Wigdor, shot back that Combs “offered 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.”
“Ms. Ventura should be applauded for her bravery,” Wigdor included. “No human should have to endure what Ms. Ventura has endured.”
Cassie’s allegations
Cassie’s match states that in 2005, when she was 19 years of ages, the then 37- year-old Combs tempted the vocalist into an expert relationship by signing her to his label, Bad Boy Records.
Within numerous years he caused her into a sexual relationship, and presented her “to a lifestyle of excessive alcohol and substance abuse and required her to procure illicit prescriptions to satisfy his own addictions,” the match declares.
The match declares that Combs raped Cassie in her home after she attempted to leave him, “blew up” another guy’s cars and truck after knowing of his romantic interest in the vocalist, and frequently beat and kicked her.
And it states Combs “forced Ms. Ventura to engage in sex acts with male sex workers while masturbating and filming the encounters.”
“Throughout their relationship Mr. Combs was prone to uncontrollable rage, and frequently beat Ms. Ventura savagely,” the match declares.
“These beatings were witnessed by Mr. Combs’ staff and employees of Bad Boy Entertainment and Mr. Combs’s related businesses, but no one dared to speak up against their frightening and ferocious boss.”
Cassie’s match is the most recent legal obstacle forCombs Earlier this year, he took legal action against Ciroc owner Diageo for declared racial discrimination, stating they overlooked Ciroc and his tequila brand name, DeLeon. The business ended their relationship in June after about 16 years.
Combs likewise was a friend of rap artist Notorious B.I.G., referred to asBiggie He remained in Biggie’s entourage, in a different automobile, when the rap artist was fatally shot in 1997.
— Additional reporting by Stefan Sykes and Mike Calia
