One day after the singer Cassie accused her ex-boyfriend Sean Combs, also known as Diddy, of rape and physical abuse in a federal lawsuit, the two reached a settlement, according to the New York Times.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Cassie said in a statement. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.” In his own statement, Combs said, “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
On Thursday, the Times reported that Cassie (real name Cassandra Ventura) filed a suit in Manhattan’s Federal District Court alleging that Combs began abusing her not long after they met in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37. She also claimed that in 2018, Combs forced himself into her home and raped her.
“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,” Ventura said in a statement to the paper.
In her suit, Ventura claimed that Combs exercised an astounding level of control over her life. She alleged that Combs provided her with “copious amounts of drugs” and frequently became violent, beating her “multiple times a year.” Additionally, the suit claimed that Combs made Ventura “engage in a fantasy of his called ‘voyeurism,’” which she said involved having sex with male sex workers while Combs masturbated, filmed, and took photos. Ventura also said that she took drugs — supplied by Combs — at these events because they “allowed her to disassociate during these horrific encounters.”
According to the court filing, in 2018, Combs forced himself into Ventura’s apartment after the two met for dinner. Ventura alleged that he then raped her while she “repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” Shortly afterward, she ended their relationship.
In a statement to the Times, Combs’s lawyer, Ben Brafman, denied the allegations. “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.”
Ventura’s suit included some other startling claims. According to her, the mogul was so upset about her dating rapper Kid Cudi in 2012 that he said he would blow up Cudi’s car. “Around that time,” the suit read, “Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.” Ventura’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, also told the Times that Combs offered the singer “eight figures” in order to “silence her” and “prevent the filing of this lawsuit.”
Though the details of the settlement remain private, the allegations in Ventura’s suit quickly made international news and were widely discussed on social media, with many fans and entertainment-industry figures revisiting past allegations of violence against Combs. The Cut has reached out to representatives for Combs and Ventura for comment.
This post has been updated.