Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, the former Bad Boy artist, recently made headlines as she filed a federal lawsuit accusing her ex-boyfriend, music mogul, and entrepreneur Sean “Diddy” Combs, of rape and physical abuse.
CBS News reported that the lawsuit in New York accused Combs of exerting complete control over her personal and professional life, describing him as a “vicious, cruel, and controlling man.”
Additional allegations according to CBS News accused Diddy of raping Ventura in her home after she tried to leave him, that he “often punched, beat, kicked, and stomped on Ms. Ventura, resulting in bruises, burst lips, black eyes, and bleeding,” and that in 2012 he blew up rapper Kid Cudi’s car after finding out he was romantically interested in Ventura. She also claims he forced her to have sex with male prostitutes while filming the act.
Cassie, whose real name is Cassandra Ventura, decided to shed light on the allegations after years of silence in the dark. She shared in a statement, according to CBS News, that she’s ready to tell her story and speak on behalf of herself, which will help other women who have faced similar abuse. Ventura signed with Bad Boy Records in 2005 at age 19 and was in an on-and-off relationship with Combs from 2007 to 2018.
Three of Diddy’s former artists, Audrey O’Day, Dawn Richards, and Wanita’ D. Woods” Woodgett, released statements supporting Ventura.
A day after the publicized federal lawsuit, both parties settled the matter through an out-of-court settlement. Ventura’s attorney confirmed the settlement, according to CBS News.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on the condition that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support,” she released in a statement.
Diddy’s party released two statements involving the settlement. The first statement acknowledges that they cordially resolved the matter, sending well wishes to Ventura and her family. Diddy’s attorney later released the second statement, clarifying that the settlement does not admit any wrongdoing and undermines his denial of claims.
According to RMD Law, out-of-court settlements are confidential to prevent further legal action and damage to reputation. Some terms may include the victim not disclosing the in-depth details agreed upon in the settlement and receiving payment in return.
The settlement was officially dismissed in court. Although the settlement doesn’t disclose details on the agreed-upon matter, it created a social media buzz, raising some eyebrows regarding the settlement filing timeline. A few celebrities shared their opinions on the matter.
50 Cent criticized Diddy on his Instagram page, which was later deleted, for swiftly filing the settlement.
O’Day from Danity Kane scrutinized the justice system following the settlement. She posts this her Instagram story,
Diddy had its share of negative news. In an article in NBC News, old interviews resurface addressing Diddy’s behavior. Diddy’s ex-girlfriend, Kim Porter, who passed away five years ago on November 15, 2018, from pneumonia, has been on social media in a frenzy, asking for the case to reopen.
Kim Porter’s friend, Kimora Lee Simmons, sent a cryptic message on November 17th: “As you sow, so shall you reap,” which raises alerts on social media about whether it was in response to Diddy’s legal troubles.
In the past few years, the rise of the “Me Too” movement has taken down some powerful men in the entertainment industry decades after victims and witnesses exposed them. We witness this with R. Kelly and Harvey Weinstein, for instance, whose serving time was just from the rise of the “Me-Too” movement that sparked legal action.
As spectators wonder if other “Me Too” victims will surface, questions arise in the wake of the allegations against Diddy. The world witnessed this with Bill Cosby after a leaked video resurfaced on social media of comedian Hannibal Buress calling out Cosby for rape during a stand-up comedy show in Philadelphia in October 2014.
The claims against Cosby, known as the American Dad, stirred controversy, and prompted multiple women to come forward with allegations of being drugged and raped by the comedian. After serving prison time, Cosby was later released.
Although we don’t know the details of the settlement just from Ventura’s accusations against Diddy, will this situation spark inquiring minds to dig for more details on their level of suspension or tell documentaries? Readers can’t help but wonder about Diddy’s fate.