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Sean “Diddy” Combs announces his alliance with Diageo, the world’s leading spirits, wine and beer company, at a press conference at Stone Rose on October 24, 2007 in New York City.
George Napolitano | Filmmagic | Getty Images
The music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was hit Thursday with a lawsuit accusing him of raping and sex trafficking a younger female performer over the course of a decade.
Combs’ accuser, Casandra Ventura, in a statement, said, “After years in silence and darkness, 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.”
“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,” Ventura said.
The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court says Combs, who was then 37 years old, in 2005 lured the then-19-year-old Ventura into a professional relationship by signing her to his label, Bad Boy Records, and within several years lured her to a sexual relationship, and introduced her “to a lifestyle of excessive alcohol and substance abuse.”
The suit alleges that Combs raped Ventura in her home after she tried to leave him, “blew up a man’s car after he learned that he was romantically interested in” Ventura, “often punched, beat, kicked and stomped on” her.
And it says Combs, who has seven children, “forced Ms. Ventura to engage in sex acts with male sex workers while masturbating and filming the encounters.”
“Throughout their relationship Mr. Combs was prone to uncontrollable rage, and frequently beat Ms. Ventura savagely,” the suit alleges.
“These beatings were witnessed by Mr. Combs’ staff and employees of Bad Boy Entertainment and Mr. Combs’s related businesses, but no one dared to speak up against their frightening and ferocious boss.”
In addition to Combs, the suit names Bad Boy Records, Bad Boy Entertainment, Epic Records, and Combs Enterprises as defendants.
Ben Brafman, a lawyer for Combs, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Ventura’s allegations.
Combs, one of the most influential and successful executives in music, founded hip hop label Bad Boy in the early 1990s. He also launched a clothing label, Sean John, and helped develop the Ciroc vodka brand. As recently as last year, Forbes estimated his net worth at $1 billion.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
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