by Sean Combs, aka P Diddy, has appeared in court for the first time since being charged with sex trafficking crimes. The rapper, 54, was arrested last Monday and charged with racketeering, forced sex trafficking, and behavior to engage in prostitution.
This comes after the rapper was accused of multiple incidents of sexual assault, including more than 15 years of physical, sexual and mental abuse towards his ex-girlfriend, American singer-songwriter Cassie in 2023. Another of Combs’ accusers alleged that he and two other men raped her two decades ago, when she was 17 years old. A male music producer has accused P Diddy of sexually assaulting him and forcing him to sleep with sex workers. P Diddy denies all the allegations and pleaded not guilty in court. The rapper has been refused bail as he is considered a serious flight risk.
Combs is one of the biggest names in American hip-hop. His first album 1997 No Way Out he took it on the rap scene, and was certified seven times platinum. He started at Uptown Records, where he helped develop R&B legends such as Mary J Blige and Jodeci, before turning to creating music himself, and later becoming a record label executive and producer.
In 1993, he formed his own record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, with Uptown talent – such as then-newcomer The Notorious BIG – now royalty – helping the label take off. Twelve years, three Grammys, and two name changes later, “Diddy” was introduced to the up-and-coming singer-songwriter Cassie, when she was 19 and he was 37. Diddy collaborated with Cassie shortly after, in 2006, and the pair officially dated between 2012 and 2018.
But in a lawsuit filed in November 2023, Cassie – full name Casandra Elizabeth Ventura – detailed shocking claims about how Combs treated her during and outside of their relationship, citing years of sexual abuse. and physical. Cassie, now 37, had a successful solo career of her own in the 2000s, with her debut studio album reaching the top four on the Billboard 200. However, she claims her career was controlled by Combs, who ‘pay for her car. , housing, and clothing, and his control exercised over her abusively.
The lawsuit was settled out of court, but Ventura’s claims have not been forgotten. Especially when one of the claims, that Coombs chased her down a hotel hall and threw a vase at her, was recently proven with CCTV footage.
In her claims, Ventura accused Combs of regular abusive behavior, including pressuring her to take drugs, forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes, and repeatedly beating her. She also claims that he once forced his way into her home in 2019 and raped her while she “said ‘no’ repeatedly and tried to push him out”.
Combs and Ventura dated publicly for six years, but the abuse allegations span almost the entire time they knew each other. Although Combs and Ventura never had children, Combs has fathered numerous children with other women, including actress Kim Porter, who died in 2018. Combs’ previous romantic interests include there are other high-profile names such as Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and rapper Yung Miami . After her split from Combs, Ventura tied the knot with fitness trainer Alex Fine, with whom she has two children.
In response to Ventura’s suit, Combs’ lawyer Benjamin Brafman said: “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and defamatory allegations. For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subject to Ms. Ventura’s ongoing demands of $30 million, while threatening to write a damaging book about their relationship, which has been flatly rejected as outright blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Mr. Ventura has resorted to filing a lawsuit filled with baseless lies, with the aim of tarnishing Mr. Combs’ reputation and seeking a payday.”
Shortly after she filed her lawsuit, Cassie and Diddy’s legal teams reached an “amicable” out-of-court settlement. However, Combs is now back in court, having been arrested on criminal charges, and Ventura’s allegations are playing out again.
Here are the main charges related to his and Cassie’s lawsuit, and the criminal charges against him.
1. Combs was accused of physically abusing Cassie on numerous occasions
In Ventura’s lawsuit, seen by the New York Times, she claims she suffered multiple experiences of physical abuse at the hands of Sean Combs.
One incident detailed by Ventura claims that when Combs saw Ventura talking to another talent agent, he repeatedly kicked her in the face several times to draw blood. The suit then alleges that Combs kept Ventura in a hotel room for a week to “come back.” When she asked to go to parties while still injured, Combs refused.
2. Cassie claims he sexually pressured her to have sex with prostitutes
After a few years of being in a relationship with Combs, Ventura’s lawyers claimed he forced her to “engage in a fantasy known as ‘voyeurism'” through coercion. they were told to have sex with multiple male prostitutes, and Combs watched, masturbated, took pictures, and recorded the sexual acts.
Even when he claimed to have deleted footage, Ventura claims to have kept some of it. The “affairs” would take place across a range of locations – from high-end hotels to Combs’ various homes.
Ventura’s lawsuit explains that she took the prescription drugs during the “affairs” because they “allowed her to disconnect during these horrific encounters.”
These “supports” were also mentioned in the criminal case. According to court documents, Combs “empowered” her celebrity status to “seduce female victims … to engage in extended sexual acts.”
“During Freak Offs,” the court documents say, “combs distributed various controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims compliant and compliant.”
US prosecutor Damian Williams also said officers found firearms, ammunition and more than 1,000 bottles of lubricant during raids on Combs’ homes in Miami and Los Angeles earlier this year.
3. He was accused of saying he wanted to blow up Kid Cudi’s car
According to the lawsuit, when Ventura dated Kid Cudi in 2012, Combs was so angry about it that he mentioned how he wanted to blow up the rapper’s car. “Around that time,” the lawsuit says, “Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.”
Kid Cudi himself confirmed through a spokesperson, that he had a car that exploded: “This is true.”
4. Coms allegedly had access to her medical records
One of the most outrageous claims from Ventura’s lawsuit is the allegation that Combs had access to her private medical records.
According to the lawsuit, when Ventura underwent an MRI scan to try to explain her memory loss, which she alleges may have been caused by drug use or physical abuse from Combs, the results of the scan “went straight ” to Combs.
5. Accused of paying $50,000 to a hotel for filming the Ventura attack
During one “freak” in 2016, Ventura claims she tried to escape after being punched in the face by Combs, which gave her a black eye. When Cíor fell asleep, she says she tried to leave the room, but he woke up and followed her into the hall. Once she was in the hallway, Ventura claims Coms threw multiple glass vases at her, “scattering broken glass all over the hallway.”
The court filing claims the incident was caught on the hotel’s security cameras, but that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage.
Footage was eventually released and appears to back up Ventura’s claims, with Combs caught on camera punching and kicking her in a hotel lobby. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was embarrassed then when I did it. I am now ashamed,” he said in a video statement posted after the hotel footage was released.
6. She claimed he raped her in 2018
While all the allegations in Ventura’s lawsuit have been sealed, one that has made the most noise is the claim that Combs forced his way into her home and raped her in 2018. According to the court filing, the incident occurred after the two meet for dinner. , after which Combs forced his way into Ventura’s apartment and raped her as she “repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” The filing says Ventura then let him go.
Shortly after the two separated, Ventura met her husband, Alex Fine, whom she married in 2019 and now shares two children with.
7. Diddy was also sexually assaulted by a male producer
Months after Ventura’s suit was settled, another party came forward to accuse Sean Combs of sexual assault: music producer Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, represented by attorney Tyrone Blackburn.
Lil Rod claims that Combs subjected him to repeated incidents of unwanted groping and sexual contact, and that she pressured him into relationships with sex workers. The lawsuit details one incident in which the producer woke up in bed with a sex worker, believing Combs had drugged him.
Lil Rod also claims he had to work in a bathroom while Combs showered and walked around naked.
Combs’ lawyer, Shawn Holley, called the claims “pure fiction.” “We have irrefutable proof that his claims are complete lies,” he said. “We will address these offensive allegations in court and take all appropriate action against those who make them.”
Coms has also pleaded not guilty to all criminal charges facing him in court. The case continues.
