Warning: This article includes allegations of sex trafficking, abuse, assault, and drug use which some readers may find distressing.
Cassie Ventura has made a public statement addressing her ‘extremely challenging’ week of testimony in the sex-trafficking trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
The trial began on May 12 in Manhattan federal court after Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was indicted by a grand jury and arrested in September of the previous year.
The 55-year-old faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, two counts of sex trafficking, and two counts of transportation for prostitution purposes, all of which he has denied.
Cassie Ventura, known professionally as Cassie, was called to testify in the first week of the trial. She is an R&B singer and dancer and a former partner of Combs.
Now 38 and eight months pregnant, Ventura spoke about the alleged abuse she suffered during her relationship with Combs.
Through her lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, Ventura issued a statement outside the Manhattan federal courthouse, describing the week as ‘extremely challenging’.
“But also remarkably empowering and healing for me,” she said further.
Ventura remarked, ‘the more I heal, the more I can remember’.
“And the more I can remember, the more I will never forget,” she continued.
Expressing gratitude, Ventura stated: “I want to thank my family and my advocates for their unwavering support, and I’m grateful for all the kindness and encouragement that I have received.”
She expressed hope: “I hope that my testimony has given strength and a voice to other survivors, and can help others who have suffered to speak up and also heal from the abuse and fear.”
She concluded her statement by saying: “I’m glad to put this chapter of my life to rest. As I turn to focus on the conclusion of my pregnancy, I ask for privacy for me and for my growing family.”
Combs and Ventura were in a relationship for approximately ten years, beginning when Ventura was 19 and Combs was 37.
In November 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit in Federal District Court in Manhattan claiming sexual abuse by Combs, alleging he ‘frequently beat’ and raped her in 2018—a claim Combs ‘vehemently denied’.
Within 24 hours, a settlement was reached, with Combs agreeing to pay a significant amount.
The lawsuit depicted Combs as a ‘serial domestic abuser, who would regularly beat and kick Ms. Ventura, leaving black eyes, bruises, and blood’, and accused him of ‘pl[ying] the vulnerable Ms Ventura with drugs and alcohol, causing her to fall into dangerous addictions that controlled her life’, which allegedly began after she signed with his record label.
Despite the settlement, Ventura’s allegations surfaced during the sex-trafficking trial of Combs.
For confidential advice about drugs, you can contact American Addiction Centers at (313) 209-9137, available 24/7, or through their website.
If you’ve been affected by issues discussed in this article, The National Sexual Assault Hotline is available at 800.656.HOPE (4673), 24/7. Online chat is also available via online.rainn.org.