Casandra “Cassie” Ventura has damaged her quiet just about one life upcoming the 2016 lodge surveillance video of her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting her surfaced.
“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning,” she wrote on Instagram on May 23. “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.”
The singer called for people showing their support now to “open your heart to believing victims the first time.”
Kelly Rowland, Taraji P. Henson, Chloe Bailey and Jeannie Mai were among the many stars to show support for Ventura in the comments. Her husband, Alex Fine, wrote: “Love you so much, perfect example for our daughters.”
Ventura accused Combs of physical abuse, rape and sex trafficking in a November lawsuit that was quickly settled. The rap mogul, who denied the allegations, did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. After the video was published by CNN on May 17, Combs — who was seen kicking, hitting and dragging Ventura after she exited their hotel room in the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Calif. — posted an apology taking “full responsibility” for the attack and calling his conduct “inexcusable.”
Her prison staff pushed aside his apology. “When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday,” mentioned Meredith Firetog, one among her lawyers. “That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
Over the date life, Combs — who had two of his mansions raided via feds in March amid a intercourse trafficking investigation — has viewable his prison troubles escalate. Former style Crystal McKinney alleged in a unused lawsuit that he drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2003.
Since’s Ventura’s lawsuit latter yr, 4 others have filed civil court cases in opposition to him, alleging sexual attack, intercourse trafficking and alternative claims. His attorney has vowed to “continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
Pending court cases in opposition to Combs
It’s been just about two months since Combs had two of his properties raided amid a federal intercourse trafficking investigation. Age there aren’t any updates on that case, it’s a long way from his handiest prison extremity.
Then Ventura — who dated Combs for a decade sooner than they break in 2018 — filed and settled her explosive lawsuit in opposition to him, two alternative ladies slapped him with civil fits that while, additionally underneath Pristine York Grownup Survivors Employment. The ASA allowed crowd who mentioned they skilled sexual attack a one-year window to jerk prison motion despite the fact that the statute of boundaries has expired.
Plaintiff Joi Dickerson-Neal, in a lawsuit filed Nov. 23, 2023, accused Combs of drugging and raping her in Pristine York Town in 1991 when she was once a faculty scholar. She additionally accused him of attractive in revenge porn, filming the attack and sharing it with crowd within the tune trade. In April, Combs filed a movement to disregard the intercourse trafficking allegation within the case.
The similar generation Dickerson-Neal’s case was once filed, Liza Gardner additionally sued Combs, alleging that he and R&B singer-songwriter Aaron Corridor took turns raping her and a pal upcoming they met at an 1990 tournament on the Pristine York place of work of MCA Data. Gardner was once 16 on the month. The lawsuit was once amended in March with Gardner claiming she was once “physically forced into having sex with Combs against her will.’”
A fourth lawsuit was once filed in December underneath Pristine York’s Sufferers of Gender-Progressive Violence Coverage Legislation, giving survivors of alleged gender-motivated violence, together with sexual abuse, till March 1, 2025, to form claims.
The plaintiff, known as Jane Doe, filed a go well with in opposition to Combs alleging intercourse trafficking and gang rape in 2003, when she was once a 17. She claimed within the Dec. 6 submitting that Combs and two alternative males plied her with “copious amounts of drugs and alcohol,” upcoming raped her in a rest room at Combs’s studio.
Combs issued a blanket denial of the allegations, pronouncing he “watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” however “enough is enough.” A 5th lawsuit adopted in early 2024.
On February 26, Combs was once sued via Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a manufacturer on his 2023 booklet, for sexual harassment and attack. Jones claimed he was once drugged, waking up bare and disoriented in mattress with Combs and two intercourse staff. He additionally claimed to have witnessed Combs and others “engaging in serious illegal activity,” together with intercourse trafficking underage intercourse staff and drugging them. Jones amended his lawsuit in March disposing of some defendants in addition to including Cuba Gooding Jr. Combs referred to as Jones’s lawsuit “pure fiction.”
Then the video of Combs assaulting Ventura was once revealed, a 5th girl sued him.
On Would possibly 21, McKinney filed a lawsuit within the Southern District of Pristine York underneath the order’s Sufferers of Gender-Progressive Violence Coverage Legislation, alleging that Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her at his Pristine York Town studio in 2003. McKinney, who was once a 22-year-old style on the month, additionally claims Combs “blackballed” her within the modeling trade.
What’s took place to Diddy because the raids
Virtually precisely one while upcoming Jones’s lawsuit, Combs’s flats have been raided. Right here’s the whole thing that’s took place since.
March 25: Diddy’s properties in L.A. and on Celebrity Island in Miami Seashore, Fla., are raided matching to a intercourse trafficking investigation. The only arrest is of Diddy’s associate, Brendan Paul, for ownership of cocaine and marijuana. Jones’s lawsuit alleged that Paul was once Combs’s “mule” who acquires and distributes his medication and weapons.
March 26: Diddy’s legal professional slams Place of birth Safety’s “gross overuse of military-level force.” He yelps it an “unprecedented ambush” and “witch hunt,” pronouncing it “leads to a premature rush to judgment” and that there “has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations.”
April 2: Misa Hylton — the mum of Combs’s son Justin, who was once at his father’s California house when it was once raided — stocks pictures from the raids and rips the federal government’s “overtly militarized force.”
April 3: It’s reported that Ventura is cooperating with feds.
April 5: Diddy stocks a clip from his aged tune video for “Victory” during which he evades the police.
Would possibly 12: Diddy’s son Christian, additionally a defendant in Jones’s civil lawsuit, releases a “diss” observe titled “Pick a Side,” which references the raids.
Would possibly 15: Combs posts on Instagram: “Time tells truth.”
Would possibly 16: Combs’s alleged drug mule Paul takes a plea do business in to steer clear of prison month.
Would possibly 17: CNN releases a 2016 lodge surveillance video during which Combs is placing and kicking Cassie. The Los Angeles DA says Combs can’t be prosecuted.
Would possibly 19: Combs apologizes two days upcoming the attack video is made folk.
Up to date, Would possibly 23, 2024, 10:15 a.m. ET: This tale has been up to date to incorporate Ventura talking out.