Diddy calls Cassie's sex trafficking and rape allegations offensive and outrageous

Rapper Sean Combs has been accused of sex trafficking and assault in a lawsuit filed in a New York court by R&B singer Cassie.

According to the complaint, Cassie – real name Casandra Ventura – claims she was trafficked, raped, drugged and violently beaten by the rapper multiple times over the course of 10 years.

She alleges that Combs, also known as Diddy, lured her into adopting his “ostentatious, fast-paced, drug-fueled lifestyle” shortly after she met him and signed to his label in 2005.

Ventura, now 37, claims Combs began the abuse shortly afterward.

The lawsuit also claims Combs forced his way into her home and raped her as their relationship was ending in 2018.

In a statement, Ventura said: “After years of silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story and speak out for myself and for the benefit of other women facing violence and abuse in their relationships .

“As the expiration of New York's Adult Survivors Act approached, it became clear that this was an opportunity to talk about the trauma I experienced and will be recovering from for the rest of my life. life.”

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In a statement, the rapper's lawyer said he “vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.”

They added: “Ms Ventura's demand for $30 million (£24 million), under threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, was unequivocally dismissed as blatant blackmail.

“Even though she withdrew her initial threat, Ms. Ventura is now resorting to a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aimed at tarnishing Mr. Combs' reputation and getting a payday.”

Combs, 54, is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades.

This year he released his fifth studio album The Love Album: Off the Grid which earned two Grammy nominations this month.

He and Ventura began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for over a decade.

She rose to prominence with the hit single Me & U, produced by Ryan Leslie, which secured the number one spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in 2006. The song was the lead single from her only album studio, which was self-published. -title.

As an actress, she has appeared in several television and film projects, including Fox's Empire, Step Up 2: The Streets and Spenser Confidential.