Diddy (real name Sean Combs) and his ex-girlfriend of more than a decade, Cassie Ventura, have reportedly settled her bombshell lawsuit just one day after she filed. According to multiple reports, they came to an amicable agreement late Friday (November 17). Her attorneys released a statement, explaining, “This evening, Ms. Ventura and Mr. Combs resolved the claims that she filed against him yesterday in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to their mutual satisfaction. The parties will have no further statements beyond what is provided in this email.”
Ventura provided her own statement as via email, writing, “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.” Diddy also commented, saying, “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
Cassie Ventura filed the suit in a Manhattan federal court on Thursday (November 16), alleging sexual assault, physical abuse and forced sex with male prostitutes, among many other things. In the suit, her lawyers alleged Diddy offered her “eight figures”—or somewhere between $10 million and $99.9 million—to keep her from filing her lawsuit. Diddy’s lawyer fired back and said Ventura previously demanded $30 million while threatening to write a book about their relationship.
Following the decision, Ventura’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, added, “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 the suit, Ventura said shortly after she met Diddy in 2005, he began a pattern of control and abuse that included plying her with drugs, beating her and forcing her to have sex with a succession of male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters. In 2018, right around the time they broke up for good, Ventura claims Diddy forced his way into her home and raped her.
“After years in silence and darkness,” Ventura said in a statement, “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.”
Ben Brafman, an attorney for Diddy, said his client “vehemently denies these 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. 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’s reputation and seeking a payday.”
The terms of the settlement weren’t disclosed but presumably she did get some kind of payday.