Cassie Ventura famously became the first to come forward with allegations of assault against Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs, but her case almost was never filed.
via: US Weekly
“She came to him before she filed [any] lawsuit and said, ‘I believed I was wronged by you,’” attorney and legal commentator Donte Mills claimed in Law & Crime’s upcoming three-episode podcast series, The Rise and Fall of Diddy, according to a preview obtained by the Guardian on Monday, December 2. “And she gave him an opportunity to settle the case before she brought [a] lawsuit.”
Mills alleges in part 1 of the series, which drops on Wednesday, December 4, that he has intimate knowledge of the case.
“I know that both Sean Combs’ attorneys and Cassie’s attorneys were in conversation, in talks, to see if they can resolve the lawsuit, but they were not able to and those settlement negotiations fell through,” the attorney alleged.
In November 2023, Cassie (real name Casandra Venture) filed a lawsuit against Diddy, 55, accusing him of rape, forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes on camera and physically hurting her during their relationship. The exes dated on and off from 2007 to 2018.
“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,” Cassie said in a statement at the time.
Cassie’s attorney Douglas Wigdor also claimed that Diddy offered his client “eight figures” in an attempt to “silence her,” which Cassie denied.
Diddy refuted Cassie’s allegations in a statement provided to Us Weekly by his legal team. “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” Ben Brafman told Us in November 2023. “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.”
Diddy’s attorney alleged, “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.”
While Diddy denied Cassie’s claims of sexual assault and violence, she confirmed to Us through her attorney that one day after filing her lawsuit she and Diddy settled.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” the November 2023 statement read. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Diddy also addressed the settlement via his attorney, telling Us, “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
While Cassie and Diddy resolved their lawsuit quickly, it was just the beginning for Diddy’s legal woes.
“I truly believe the downfall of Sean Combs … began [with] the Cassie Ventura lawsuit,” Mills said in part 1 of the Rise and Fall of Diddy, via The Guardian.
In March, Diddy’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles were raided and he was arrested in connection to a sex trafficking investigation.
In the months since, Diddy has been accused of rape, abuse and drugging his alleged past victims, many of whom claim the musician assaulted them decades prior.
Comments