NEW YORK — Music mogul, Sean "Diddy" Combs, is being accused of rape and years of abuse in a lawsuit filed in federal court Thursday by his former girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie.
The allegations were initially reported by The New York Times, which received a copy of the lawsuit filed by Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura.
“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.
Ventura alleges that Combs brought her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” not long after she met him and signed to his label in 2005. She was 19 and he was 37.
During their years-long relationship, Ventura alleges that Combs subjected her to savage beatings, plied her with drugs, and forced her to have sex with other men while he masturbated and filmed them. Ventura also accused Combs of forcing his way into her home and raping her as the relationship was ending in 2018.
Comb's attorney, Ben Brafman, told CNN that his client denies all allegations and said he is being blackmailed. Ventura has reportedly demanded $30 million from Combs for the past six months "under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship."
Combs is a three-time Grammy winner who is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades.