Singer and model Cassie Ventura has spoken out for the first time since a video was posted showing ex-partner, rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs attacking her.
The video of the 2016 assault was released last week by CNN. It comes after Ms Ventura alleged that Mr Combs assaulted her multiple times – viciously beating and raping her – and controlled every aspect of her life during the course of the relationship.
She said in a statement posted on Instagram: “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning.
“Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.
“My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in. This healing journey is never-ending, but this support means everything to me.”
In November 2023, Ms Ventura settled a lawsuit against her ex, for an undisclosed sum. At the time, Mr Combs' lawyer said the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing”.
Mr Combs is a three-time Grammy winner, runs a business empire, and has been a major hip-hop mogul since founding Bad Boy Records in 1993. He has worked closely with musicians like the Notorious BIG, Mary J Blige, and Lil' Kim.
But who is his accuser?
Who is Cassie?
Casandra Elizabeth "Cassie" Ventura is a singer, actress, and model.Her debut single, Me & U, peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks in 2006, attracting the attention of rapper Sean 'Diddy' Combs, later known as P Diddy. Her self-titled album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and sold 321,000 copies in the US.
But Cassie hasn't released another album since 2006, although she had released numerous singles, including Must Be Love featuring Diddy in 2009, and has also partnered with other artists including Akon and Wiz Khalifa.In 2019, it was announced that the singer was working on new content.
She has since been signed to modelling agency Wilhelmina Models and One Management, starring in advertising for Delia's, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, Seventeen, and Clean and Clear. Cassie has also appeared in films such as Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) and The Perfect Match (2016).
The Me & U singer is married to Alex Fine, a 25-year-old personal trainer, who trains some of the biggest names in Hollywood. They are married, and have two children.
In October 2018, it was reported that Cassie had parted ways with Combs after 11 years. "They are indeed no longer together and haven't been for months," Ms Ventura's rep revealed in an official statement at the time.
What are the accusations against P Diddy?
In a major lawsuit filed against him in Manhattan federal court on Thursday, Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, alleges she was trapped for a decade in a violent relationship with him.
A lawyer for Ms Ventura told the New York Times that she was offered “eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit”, which she rejected.
Ms Ventura told The Times that after “years in silence and darkness”, she was “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”.
The lawsuit details their relationship, in which Combs allegedly gained control of her personal and professional life and subjected her to years of beatings, forced sexual encounters, and the constant threat of violence.
The lawsuit states Combs began aggressively pursuing Ms Ventura, who collaborated with Bad Boy at age 19 and was quickly catapulted to fame, inviting himself to a gathering for her 21st birthday where he forcibly kissed her, and immediately exerted his power and influence.
He lured her into an “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle”, according to the lawsuit. He also allegedly forced her to hold his guns in her purse on at least two occasions.
The now 54-year-old was allegedly prone to “uncontrollable rage” and forced Ms Ventura to regularly “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” that he photographed and filmed. The suit also alleges that she was given drugs before and during, allowing her to “disassociate during these horrific encounters”.
In 2015, Combs allegedly beat Ms Ventura so severely that, when his security guard and assistant saw her “two black eyes, a burst and bruised lip, and a huge welt on her forehead”, they began to cry, according to the lawsuit.
What has P Diddy said?
Mr Combs had previously denied all claims.
A representative said in a statement in November 2023: “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 $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.”
However, in May 2024, he apologised after CCTV footage showed him attacking Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016.
In a video statement posted on Instagram, he said: “My behaviour on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”
“I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he added. “I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Meredith Firetog, an attorney for Ms Ventura, said in a statement on Sunday after Mr Combs had posted the statement: “Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt.
“When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.
“That he was only compelled to ‘apologise’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
