Sean ‘Diddy‘ Combs’s ex-girlfriend Cassie is avoiding speaking out about his arrest because she is still in ‘pain’ over her abusive relationship and ‘triggered’ by horrifying allegations that have since emerged.
Cassie, 38, full name Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit against Combs, 54, in November accusing him of subjecting her to physical and sexual abuse during their decade-long relationship. Diddy settled the case just one day later.
Then in March, shocking surveillance footage emerged, showing Diddy violently attacking her at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
Diddy, wearing only a towel, chases her down the hall before grabbing her at the back of the head and slamming her into the ground.
Now, 10 months after the pair settled the claim, the disgraced rapper has been indicted by New York prosecutors on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering.
The arrest of Combs comes six months after FBI raids on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami uncovered over 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that were alleged to have been used in his now infamous ‘freak offs’ sex sessions.
Despite her lawsuit inspiring other alleged victims to speak out, Cassie has chosen not to release a statement because she is still managing the pain of her experience.
Friends say she and her husband are focusing on her ‘peace’ and ‘therapy’ over commenting.
The R&B singer was with the Bad Boy mogul from 2007 until 2018.
The insider explained that Combs’ arrest has not been a cause for celebration for the Long Way To Go singer who feels that those who ignored all the allegations and accusations before her relationship with the music star played a part in her own suffering.
‘She is relieved that the case has escalated but she isn’t celebrating,’ the source stated. ‘She is upset that people didn’t listen to other alleged victims in the 90s because she would have been spared.’
Cassie was seen smiling and laughing in New York City on Thursday just days after Diddy was arrested.
However on Monday, she was barely recognizable with a hoodie shielding her face and dark sunglasses on as she dodged photographers.
Cassie married fitness trainer Alex Fine in 2019, with the pair now have two young daughters, named Sunny and Frankie, and are currently focused on healing together with the help of therapy.
‘She and her husband have been in therapy to help them manage the stress of the lawsuit so it doesn’t affect their relationship,’ the insider said.
In a statement to DailyMail.com after the indictment was unsealed this week, Douglas Wigdor, a lawyer for Cassie, said that ‘neither Ms. Ventura nor I have any comment.’
Officials unsealed the indictment last Tuesday, charging the producer with racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs pleaded not guilty in a bail hearing that saw his legal team try and fail to win his freedom by offering the court a $50 million bail package.
The package included putting his $48 million Miami mansion and mother’s $2 million apartment up as collateral, but a judge rejected the proposal and cited the gravity of the crimes Combs is accused of.
Cassie has been praised for her bravery amid the fallout of Combs’ arrest, as her allegations against her ex last year triggered a wave of other alleged victims to come forward.
Arick Fudali, an attorney for one alleged victim, Dawn Richard, said this week that it was Cassie’s stand against a ‘very powerful individual’ that led his client to face her own alleged past with the producer.
‘It’s very difficult to come out against someone like Mr. Combs, but it was seeing Cassie file her lawsuit and go public that really gave her a sense of empowerment, that it was her turn, and it was her time to come forward with her allegations,’ he said.
At the center of allegations against Combs are so-called ‘freak off’ sessions where the rapper would allegedly coerce and drug women into performing lengthy sexual marathons.
Authorities said they have interviewed more than 50 witnesses and associates, and their raids included the seizure of a trove of laptops, cell phones and hard drives.
Prosecutors also claim they are in possession of footage that they claim proves Combs coerced and manipulated victims into taking part in lewd acts.
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo has argued in court this week that his client does not deserve to be lumped in with other high-profile figures accused of similar crimes, such as R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking of the indictment, Agnifilo said: ‘This is evidence, not of sex trafficking, but of being caught being unfaithful… He was in a 10-year loving relationship through dark periods.’
Combs was recognized as one of the most influential figures in hip hop before a flood of allegations that emerged over the past year turned him into an industry pariah.
Though Cassie refused to comment on his arrest, back in May she broke her silence regarding the shocking clip of her in the hotel lobby.
She wrote in her statement: ‘Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet. The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning.
‘Domestic Violence is the issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.
‘Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously. My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in.
‘I offer my hand to those that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone.
‘This healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me. Thank you. Love Always.’
Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, has gotten out of legal trouble before.
In 2001, he was acquitted of charges related to a Manhattan nightclub shooting two years earlier that injured three people.
His then-protégé, Shyne, was convicted of assault and other charges and served about eight years in prison.
