Sean “Diddy” Combs and Casandra Ventura, who once recorded for his Bad Boy label as Cassie, have settled a lawsuit she filed a day ago, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse for over a decade.
“We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love,” Combs said in a statement.
Cassie reportedly added, “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
The suit, filed in New York federal court on Thursday, claimed that she was “trapped by Mr. Combs in a cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking,” citing multiple incidents in which he allegedly “punched, beat, kicked and stomped” her.
Diddy’s Bad Boy Records and Sony’s Epic Records were also named in the complaint.
The suit is the latest in a series of legal actions filed against prominent men in the music industry, including ex-Grammys CEO Neil Portnow and former Epic Records chief Antonio “L.A.” Reid, under the New York Adult Survivors Act, which revived the window to bring sexual misconduct claims for one year regardless of the statute of limitations.
The complaint details a tilted power dynamic between Cassie, who met Combs in 2005 when she was 19 years old and he was 37, and the renowned producer.
Over the course of the next decade, the suit claims, Combs would often violently beat her, after which he’d allegedly use “his money and power to orchestrate extensive efforts to hide the evidence of his abuse,” including by hiding her in hotels for days at a time to let her injuries heal.
The complaint alleges sex trafficking, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and gender discrimination, among several other claims.
Following the lawsuit, Benjamin Brafman, a lawyer for Combs, denied the allegations in a statement and said his client was being extorted.
“For the past 6 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,” he said.
“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.”
Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Cassie, proceeded to respond in a statement, saying, “Mr. Comb’s 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.”
The terms of the settlement have not been released.
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