Rapper Sean Combs, better known by his stage as Diddy, has been accused of rape and abuse by Cassie, his former love partner.
In a complaint filed on Thursday in federal court in New York City, Cassie, a singer and artist whose full name is Cassandra Ventura, said that during their relationship, Combs had sexually assaulted her and had physically mistreated her, striking, beating, kicking, and stomping on her.
Ventura, 37, “was held down by Mr. Combs and endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” the complaint says.
Combs’s 54-year-old attorney denied the charges, describing them as insulting and ridiculous.
In the complaint, Combs is also charged with setting a man’s car on fire after discovering that the man had a love interest in Ventura. According to the lawsuit, Ventura was coerced by Combs into having sex with male prostitutes while he observed, enjoyed himself, and documented the events. Additionally, it claims that he coerced Ventura into obtaining illicit prescription pharmaceuticals for him while encouraging her to consume copious amounts of alcohol and do narcotics.
Additionally, according to the complaint, Combs pushed Ventura to carry a pistol by chasing after a rival industry executive with a gun when he realized the official was around.
In the complaint, Ventura claimed that Combs had seduced her into a romantic relationship from the moment they started working together. She continued in the relationship out of fear of career-ending vengeance, given her standing as an emerging artist at Combs’ label.
Over the course of their relationship, “All aspects of Ms. Ventura’s life were controlled by either Mr. Combs or his management companies,” according to the complaint.