The legal dispute between R&B singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura and rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs has been settled one day after Ventura accused him of sex trafficking and rape.
Without going into detail, the two stated that they had reached an agreement on Friday.
Cassie has “decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Ms Ventura said in a joint statement with Mr Combs. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Mr Combs wrote: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
On Thursday, Ms Ventura filed the case, in which she claimed that her ex-boyfriend, Mr Combs, had kept her in a violent and abusive cycle for ten years.
The record executive and rapper known as Puff Daddy refuted the claims and said the artist was attempting to extort him. The assertions were deemed “offensive and outrageous” by his attorney.
Confirming the settlement, Ms Ventura’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor said: “I am very proud of Ms Ventura for having the strength to go public with her lawsuit. She ought to be commended for doing so.”
Ms Ventura had accused the rap producer of sexually assaulting and physically abusing her for a decade, beginning when she was 19 and he was 37. The lawsuit claims that Mr Combs “plied the vulnerable Ms Ventura with drugs and alcohol, causing her to fall into dangerous addictions that controlled her life” after signing her to his musical label, Bad Boy.
Following the settlement, Mr Combs’ lawyer Benjamin Brafman said: “Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
“Mr Combs’ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms Ventura the best.”
The artist was described as a “serial domestic abuser, who would regularly beat and kick Ms Ventura, leaving black eyes, bruises, and blood” in the official lawsuit.
In a statement given to BBC News prior to the announcement of the settlement, Mr Combs’ attorney stated that Ms Ventura had sought $30 million (£24 million) “under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship” when her client filed the lawsuit.
Speaking before the settlement, Ms Ventura’s lawyer reacted to Mr Brafman by saying that Mr Combs had offered her “eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit.”
“She rejected his efforts and decided to give a voice to all women who suffer in silence,” her lawyer, Doug Wigdor, said.
Leave a Reply