Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura have reached a settlement a day after she filed a lawsuit accusing him of abuse and rape.
The rapper and R&B singer entered into a professional relationship in 2005 when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 37 years old, after he signed her to his label Bad Boy Records. They later went on to date for over a decade.
On Thursday (16 November) Ventura filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Manhattan alleging Combs 'frequently beat' her and also raped her in 2018.
According to the lawsuit, when Combs first signed Ventura to his label, he 'ply[ed] the vulnerable Ms Ventura with drugs and alcohol, causing her to fall into dangerous addictions that controlled her life'.
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It accused the rapper of being 'a serial domestic abuser, who would regularly beat and kick Ms Ventura leaving black eyes, bruises, and blood' and alleged he threatened to Ventura he was planning to 'blow up' rapper Kid Cudi's car.
In a statement, Ventura said: "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.
"With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life."
Combs 'vehemently denie[d]' the allegations according to his lawyer and slammed them as 'offensive and outrageous,' accusing Ventura of trying to extort him.
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His attorney Ben Brafman told UNILAD: "For the past 6 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.
"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' reputation and seeking a pay day."
However, yesterday (17 November) Combs and Ventura announced they'd reached a settlement, just one day after the lawsuit was filed.
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The pair revealed they've resolved the claims in the lawsuit to their 'mutual satisfaction'.
Ventura released a statement reading: "I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control.
"I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support."
Her attorney, Douglas Wigdor, commented: "I am very proud of Ms. Ventura for having the strength to go public with her lawsuit. She ought to be commended for doing so."
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Combs has also spoken out in light of a settlement being reached.
The rapper said: "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love."
No details of the terms of the agreement will be publicly released.
Topics: US News, Sex and Relationships, Celebrity, Music, Rap, World News
Poppy Bilderbeck