Sean Combs aka Puff Daddy accused by Cassie of rape and years of abuse in lawsuit
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R&B singer Casandra Ventura, seen here with Sean Combs in a 2016 photo, has accused him of rape and physical abuse.
PHOTO: AFP
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NEW YORK – Sean Combs, the American producer and music mogul who has been one of the most famous names in hip-hop for decades, was sued in a United States federal court on Thursday by an American R&B singer, who accused the 54-year-old of rape and repeated physical abuse over about a decade.
In the suit, filed in the US District Court in Manhattan, Cassie, 37 – whose real name is Casandra Ventura and who had long been Combs’ romantic partner – says that not long after she met him in 2005, when she was 19, he began a pattern of control and abuse that included plying her with drugs, beating her and forcing her to have sex with a succession of male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters.
In 2018, the suit says, near the end of their relationship, Combs forced his way into her home and raped her.
Ventura, who was once signed to Combs’ label, said in a statement: “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.”
In response, Mr Ben Brafman, a lawyer for Combs, said: “Mr Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr Combs has been subjected to Ms Ventura’s persistent demand of US$30 million (S$40.4 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’ reputation and seeking a payday.”
Mr Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Ventura, said the parties had spoken before the suit was filed. “Mr Combs offered Ms Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit,” he said. “She rejected his efforts.”
The suit depicts Combs as a violent person and suggests he was responsible for blowing up the car of a rival suitor.
In naming additional defendants, the court papers assert that others who worked with Combs had helped him to control Ventura, at times by threatening her with retribution – like suppressing her music if she did not obey his orders – or by helping to conceal his behaviour.
The suit, which names Combs and a number of his associated companies as defendants, seeks unspecified damages. NYTIMES
