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Diddy and Cassie in Los Angeles in 2016
Photograph:
CHRIS DELMAS / AFP
US rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs and his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, have agreed on a settlement. Just a day after Cassie filed the civil lawsuit for rape, abuse and assault in federal court in New York, both parties announced Friday evening that they had reached an amicable settlement of the case, according to media reports. However, they did not disclose details about the terms of the settlement. Combs had previously denied the allegations through his lawyer.
37-year-old Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, said in a statement that she had decided to resolve this matter amicably, "on terms that allow me a certain degree of control." She said she wanted to thank her family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support. Combs also shared: "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family nothing but the best. With love."
Combs, who used to call himself Puff Daddy or P. Diddy, is thus spared a potentially long, unpleasant process involving the publication of numerous pieces of evidence. Ventura, whose allegations are now public, avoids cross-examination by Combs' lawyers.
The plaintiff had made numerous serious allegations against Combs in the 35-page indictment: The rapper forced Ventura to have sex with other men while masturbating and filming them, the lawsuit says. Combs also repeatedly punched and kicked her and finally raped her in 2018 when she wanted to break up with him. During their long-term relationship, he controlled her with drugs, abuse and threats of violence, among other things.
"After years of silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story," the plaintiff said in a statement, quoted by the dpa news agency. She wants to talk about the trauma she has experienced, also in order to help other victims of violence and abuse in partnerships.
Background on Combs and Ventura can be found here: Diddy, Cassie and the lawyers – this is what the rape lawsuit is about
Combs denied allegations
Combs strongly denies these "disgusting and outrageous" allegations, his lawyer Ben Brafman said. Ventura threatened to write a book about their relationship and demanded $30 million from Combs. The rapper dismissed this as "obvious blackmail," Brafman writes. Ventura's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, countered in a statement that Combs offered the singer money to prevent the lawsuit. Ventura rejected this.
According to the complaint, Ventura met the then 19-year-old musician in 2005 as a 37-year-old. Combs signed her to his label, Bad Boy Records. During their long-term relationship, which ended in 2018, he controlled her with drugs, abuse and threats of violence, among other things. As part of its lawsuit, Ventura is seeking undisclosed damages.
Rapper Combs ("Bad Boy for Life", "I'll Be Missing You"), who is also active as a record producer, actor and businessman, is one of the most successful representatives of the hip-hop industry. At the MTV Video Music Awards in September, Combs was honored as a pioneer and for his influential career with the Global Icon Award.
oka/dpa