In a lawsuit, singer Cassie, formerly known as Casandra Ventura, accuses Sean “Diddy” Combs of years of rape and abuse

In a lawsuit, Sean “Diddy” Combs was accused of raping and assaulting R&B singer Cassie over the course of a year.

In the lawsuit she filed on Thursday in a federal court in New York, Cassie—whose real name is Casandra Ventura—claimed that Combs had dragged her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” shortly after they had first met and she had signed to his label in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37.

Through his attorney, Ben Brafman, Combs “vehemently denies” the claims.

Ventura, who is now 37, said that Combs, who is currently 54, started the abuse pattern as soon as they started dating.

He was allegedly “prone to uncontrollable rage” and beat, kicked, and stomped her during the “savage” beatings, according to the lawsuit. It claims he coerced her into having intercourse with other men as he masturbated and recorded them, and that he also loaded her with medications.

According to the lawsuit, Combs assaulted the woman in 2018 when she was attempting to break up with him at home in Los Angeles.

Ventura released a statement saying, “After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story and to speak up on behalf of other women who face abuse and violence in their relationships as well as for myself.”

When someone comes out publicly, as Ventura has done, the Associated Press usually does not identify them as victims of sexual assault.

Brafman referred to the claims as “lies.”

In a statement, he claimed that “Ms. Ventura has been subjecting Mr. Combs to her persistent demand of USD 30 million for the past six months, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail.”

“Ms. Ventura withdrew her first threat, but now she’s filed a lawsuit full of ludicrous and false allegations in an attempt to damage Mr. Combs’s name and be paid.

Combs is one of the most important hip-hop executives and producers of the last thirty years.

He started dating Ventura in 2007 and the two had an intermittent relationship that lasted over ten years.

Her breakthrough track, “Me & U,” produced by Ryan Leslie, made her famous and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop singles list in 2006. Her self-titled first studio album included the song as its main single.

She has acted in a number of movies and television shows, such as “Spenser Confidential,” “Empire,” and “Step Up 2: The Streets” on Fox.

Combs pioneered a path with several organizations associated with his well-known name, creating one of hip-hop’s largest empires. Initiator of Bad Boy Records, he has won three Grammy awards and collaborated with several high-profile singers including as Notorious B.I.G., Mary J. Blige, Usher, Lil Kim, Faith Evans, and 112.

The businessman established the music-focused Revolt TV channel, produced the MTV reality series “Making the Band,” and founded the fashion apparel brand Sean John.

His fifth studio album, “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” was published this year and this month it received two Grammy nominations.

The complaint references a statement Combs made in 2022 at the BET Awards, when he praised Ventura for “holding me down in the dark times, love,” and accepted a lifetime achievement award.

According to the lawsuit, “Ms. Casandra Ventura, also known as Cassie, was held down by Mr. Combs for more than ten years due to his violent behavior and disturbing demands.”