Rapper Sean Combs and R&B singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura reached an agreement in court a day after the artist accused him of rape and violence. Ventura’s lawyer stated that Combs offered “an eight-figure sum to silence her”, while the rapper’s defense attorney described “blatant blackmail”.
Both sides did not disclose the details of the agreement. In a joint statement, Cassandra Ventura said she “has decided to resolve the matter amicably on terms where she has some level of control” over the situation. She added that she “wants to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Sean Combs, who goes by the pseudonym Puff Daddy, also said the parties had decided to resolve the matter amicably and said he “wished Cassie and her family all the best.” “Love,” he added.
Sean Combs – allegations
Cassie filed the lawsuit on Thursday. She stated that Combs – her former partner – “trapped her in a circle of harassment and violence” for ten years, raped and beat her. It all started when she was 19 and he was 37.
“After years of silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
As described by the BBC, the singer’s lawsuit included many descriptions of brutal treatment, which – according to the singer – began in 2005, when she met the rapper. It said Combs, after signing Ventura to his Bad Boy record label, gave her drugs and alcohol, “causing her to develop dangerous addictions that took over her life.”
The lawsuit describes the rapper as a “serial domestic abuser who regularly punched and kicked Ventura, giving him black eyes, bruising and bleeding.” Confirming the settlement, Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, said he was “very proud” of his client. – She had the strength to make her lawsuit public. She should be praised for this, he noted.
Sean Combs and Cassandra Ventura in a May 2018 photoHahn Lionel/ABACA/PAP/EPA
The threat of “writing a harmful book” vs. “an eight-figure sum”
Rapper and record producer Sean Combs denied the allegations and accused the singer of trying to extort money. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said the allegations were “offensive and outrageous.”
In a statement to the BBC, the lawyer revealed that Ventura demanded $30 million “under threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship.” Brafman said the lawsuit was “full of baseless and outrageous lies” and the singer’s alleged demand was “unambiguously rejected as blatant blackmail.”
In response to Brafman’s statement, Ventura’s lawyer said Combs offered her “an eight-figure sum to silence her and prevent her from filing a lawsuit.” Cassie, her defense attorney said, rejected this and “decided to give a voice to all the women who suffer in silence.”
The BBC recalled that in the first decade of the 21st century, Ventura released several hits, including songs with the participation of her then partner. Her most famous songs are “Me & U'”, “Long Way to Go” and “Official Girl” featuring Lil Wayne.
Main photo source: Hahn Lionel/ABACA/PAP/EPA