American rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs has refuted accusations of r*pe and s*x trafficking made by his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura, known as Cassie.
Gatekeepers News reports that Cassie filed a lawsuit alleging a decade of abuse and violence, while Diddy denies the claims, accusing her of attempting extortion.
Cassie, who alleges that the rap producer r*ped and assaulted her when she was 19 and he was 37, detailed graphic descriptions of the abuse starting in 2005.
“After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story,” she said in a statement on Thursday.
Diddy’s lawyer, Ben Brafman, deems the allegations “offensive and outrageous.”
The lawsuit contends that Diddy, after signing Cassie to his label Bad Boy, subjected her to drugs and alcohol, leading to dangerous addictions.
The lawsuit portrays the musician as a “serial domestic abuser, who would regularly beat and kick Cassie, leaving black eyes, bruises, and blood”.
In her statement, Cassie said she was ready “to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships”.
Diddy’s lawyer claims she demanded $30 million under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship.
Brafman said the alleged demand “was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail”.
“Ms Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr Combs’ reputation, and seeking a payday,” he added.
In response, Cassie’s lawyer, Doug Wigdor, stated that Diddy tried to silence her with an eight-figure payment, which she rejected to give a voice to women suffering in silence.
The lawsuit also alleges Diddy planned to blow up rapper Kid Cudi’s car due to jealousy over Cassie’s relationship with him. She says he told her of his plan during Paris Fashion Week in 2012.
“Mr Combs told Ms Ventura that he was going to blow up Kid Cudi’s car,” the complaint says, “and that he wanted to ensure that Kid Cudi was home with his friends when it happened. Around that time, Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.”
A spokeswoman for Kid Cudi told the New York Times that Cassie’s account was true.
She released several hits in the 2000s, including songs that featured Diddy.
Her most famous tracks include Me & U, Long Way to Go and Official Girl, featuring Lil Wayne.
