Sean “Diddy” Combs and Casandra “Cassie” Ventura reached a settlement a day after the singer filed a lawsuit against him, accusing the music mogul of rape, sex trafficking, domestic violence and more in New York.
On Friday, Diddy, 54, and the “Me & U” singer, 37, announced they had settled claims in the lawsuit to their “mutual satisfaction,” they said. The parties added that further details of the terms of the agreement will not be made public.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on the condition that I have some level of control,” Ventura said in a statement. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Her attorney, Douglas Wigdor, said: “I am very proud of Ms. Ventura for having the strength to go public with her lawsuit. She should be commended for doing that.”
Combs added: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Cassie Ventura in New York in May 2018.
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty
Diddy’s ex Cassie accuses him of rape, sex trafficking and domestic violence in the lawsuit
Ventura and Combs met in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37. He then signed her to his record label, Bad Boy Records, and the two later began dating.
In her lawsuit, Ventura claimed she was trapped in a 10-year “cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking.”
“After years of silence and obscurity, I am finally ready to tell my story and speak up for myself and for other women who are dealing with violence and abuse in their relationships,” she said in a statement at the time.
“With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act quickly approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity for me to speak about the trauma I had experienced and would be recovering from for the rest of my life.”
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Cassie attends The Hollywood Reporter Beauty Dinner in West Hollywood in October 2023.
Emma McIntyre/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty
“All aspects of Ms. Ventura’s life were controlled by either Mr. Combs or his management companies,” according to the complaint filed Thursday in New York.
Ventura also claimed that Combs would beat her so badly that he would hide her in “hotels for days to let her bruises heal.”
Cassie’s Husband Alex Fine ‘Protected Her’ As She Filed Lawsuit Against Ex Diddy: Source (Exclusive)
She also claimed that during her time with Combs, he would also force her to meet with sex workers he referred to as “freak offs” or “FOs,” and that those encounters “always” involved ecstasy, cocaine, GHB, ketamine, marijuana and alcohol.
Combs’ attorney, Ben Brafman, denied Ventura’s allegations.
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Sean “Diddy” Combs in Beverly Hills in January 2020.
Steve Granitz/WireImage
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. Ms. Ventura’s request for $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail,” Brafman said. “Despite retracting her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, with the goal of defaming Mr. Combs and demanding payment.”
Wigdor denied the claims, adding: “Mr. Combs offered Ms. Ventura eight figures to shut her up and prevent this lawsuit from being filed. She rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all the women who suffer in silence. Miss Ventura should be applauded for her courage.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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Source: HIS Education