Cassie settles lawsuit accusing Sean Combs of rape, physical abuse

Both parties came to an agreement one day after Cassie filed the complaint against Combs in New York.

Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie have reached a settlement just one day after the singer filed a lawsuit against the Bad Boy Records founder accusing him of rape, physical abuse, and years of control. 

Both parties announced that they had come to an agreement to resolve the suit on Friday evening. They did not provide any details surrounding the settlement.

“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, said in a statement. “I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support.”

In his own statement, Combs said, “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”

Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for Ventura, said in a statement: "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."

Ben Bradman, an attorney for Combs, issued a statement to EW on Saturday afternoon, saying, "Mr. Combs' decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best."

Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for Ventura, said in his own statement: “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.”

In Ventura's lawsuit, which was filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan on Thursday, she had alleged that Combs, whom she dated on and off for more than a decade, raped her in her home after she tried to leave him in 2018. She had also claimed that he repeatedly beat her, forced her to engage in sexual intercourse with male sex workers, controlled her personal life, and threatened to use his power to hurt her professionally if she disobeyed him.

In response to the lawsuit, Ben Brafman, an attorney for Combs, had told EW in a statement that the music mogul “vehemently" denied Ventura's “offensive and outrageous allegations.”

"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,” he said. “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 payday."

At the time of the initial filing, Ventura had told EW in a statement that she was seeking legal action against Combs because she was ready to tell her story and "speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.”

She had added, “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." The Adult Survivors Act gives survivors of sexual abuse a one-year window to seek legal action even if the statute of limitations on their case has expired.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.