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Music producer Sean "Puffy" Combs and his former girlfriend, (model and singer) Cassie, settled a lawsuit. Cassie reportedly sued Puffy for $30 million for rape and abuse during their decade-long relationship, but the two parties settled the suit one day after the filing for an undisclosed amount. Per the New York Times, Cassie stated, "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.”
The NYT reports that the lawsuit alleged, "Mr. Combs assaulted her numerous times, leaving her bloodied and bruised; she said his employees sometimes took her to hotel rooms for days to recover out of the public eye. In one of the suit’s most disturbing allegations, Ms. Ventura said that for years, she was forced to participate in sexual encounters with a succession of male prostitutes as Mr. Combs watched, masturbated, and recorded videos. According to the suit, Mr. Combs called these events “freak offs,” and they took place in a number of high-end hotels throughout the United States. According to Ms. Ventura’s suit, Mr. Combs controlled nearly every aspect of her life, paying for her homes, car, clothes, and other necessities, and even had access to her personal medical records. The suit says Ms. Ventura never went to the police because she feared it “would merely give Mr. Combs another excuse to hurt her.” Per The Huffington Post, Cassie's lawsuit also mentioned that when dating rapper Kid Cudi, during a separation from Diddy, he "purportedly threatened to blow up Kid Cudi’s car, and shortly after that, his car allegedly exploded in the driveway of his residence. This took place in 2012." According to The New York Times, Kid Cuddi said, "This is all true."
Puffy's lawyer, Ben Brafman, made the following statements about the settlement via CNBC, referring to the lawsuit as “baseless and outrageous lies”—saying Cassie demanded $30 million while threatening to write a book about their relationship." Brafman also stated, “Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing. 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, per the New York Post."
However, in light of the decision to settle, some of Combs' entertainment industry peers have chimed in on the situation's outcome; fashion icon Kimora Lee Simmons stated via her Instagram story, "As you sow, so you shall reap." Kimora was a great friend to Puffy's former girlfriend, Kim Porter, who is now deceased. Kimora said in a former story with New York Magazine that Diddy threatened to hit her once when she was pregnant; she said, “I was pregnant! The moron!” He reportedly apologized later. Al B. Sure, a former R&B artist who worked with Combs and was formerly married to Kim Porter, also commented on Instagram after the news broke, stating, "Kind of, almost something like this...I do agree my expectations about you were driven strictly from my optimistic view of you, hoping your grimy ways would dissipate with age and or the current state of affairs that will eventually expose that you were on the payroll and completely part of the shenanigans." Throughout the years, his former bodyguard, Gene Deal, has spoken out several times about the music mogul's physical abuse with former girlfriends, fashion stylist Misa Hylton and Kim Porter, as well as his unethical business practices.
Recently, Misa scathed him online after their son Justin Combs was arrested for an OWI while reportedly in the company of his father, she stated; “The statement ‘a fish rots from the head down’ means that, in addition to being a major contributing factor in a family or organization’s success, leadership is also the root cause of its failure and demise.” She continued on Instagram, “How you go from one of the greatest to ever do it To making all of your money off alcohol And suing the damn alcohol company. “Sell something healthy that builds people up. I’m sick of it!!!!! NOT MINES, “Everyone has to sit around for years and act like there isn’t anything wrong With you. This where the buck stops for me,” and “I should have kept my child with me. F**k UCLA too. Everybody. Can get it.”
Puff has had a long line of documented incidents of violence. He assaulted recording industry veteran Steve Stout and was arrested for assaulting UCLA football coach Sal Alosi with a kettlebell for reprimanding his son, Justin when he played football for UCLA in 2015. Another former artist on Puffy's label, Shyne Barrow, went to prison for eight years, following a club shootout that he and Puffy were involved in. Combs was criticized for avoiding prison time and not supporting Shyne during his prison term.
Combs' name has surfaced in the murders of his former artist, the Notorious Big, and of Death Row Records artist Tupac Shakur. The man arrested for Tupac's murder, Duane "Keefe D" Davis, implicated the Bad Boy Records founder in the death of the former rap star. Keefe D told The Art of Dialogue podcast, "If I wouldn't have never met him, I would have never been involved in this bullshit! It really crashed two people's empire in (expletive) one night." "Mine for sure, Suge's too!" Keefe D, a former Los Angeles Crip, alleged he met Puffy during the 90s when his gang provided Puffy protection from Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight when visiting Los Angeles. It's rumored that Puffy paid $1 million for Tupac's assassination.
Despite his wayward reputation, Combs is a talented producer, worth nearly $1 billion and has been responsible for the careers of several entertainers. To follow this story and other news, click the link to become a Volume 82 site member.
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