On November 16, 2023 a 35 page civil lawsuit was filed by Casandra Ventura (Cassie) against Sean Combs (P. Diddy) of Bad Boy, et. al. For years Diddy has been referred to as a music mogul, but the allegations within the lawsuit paints a very different picture. The suit opens with an unprecedented "trigger warning" and details the abuse of power that went on for years in the relationship between the pair. Not only were they romantically involved, they were employer and employee since Cassie was signed as an artist, which makes things more difficult for Mr. Combs. The case was settled out of court less than 24 hours later for an undisclosed amount but speculations are from $30 million to $100 million.
Two More Lawsuits Filed Against Diddy, One Includes Aaron Hall
Unfortunately for Sean Combs, more women have come forward following his settlement. It appears that Cassie's bravery to tell her story inspired action to be taken regarding alleged sexual assaults that happened in the 90's. The Adult Survivors Act gave victims a one year opportunity to file civil cases against their abusers in New York. Joi Dickerson was 19 years old when she alleges that Diddy drugged her before assaulting her and provided video to friends in the industry. Another lawsuit filed by Jane Doe accuses Diddy and Aaron Hall of raping her and her friend. Although Cassie filed near the closing window of the Adult Survivors Act, her voice has clearly been heard.
Witnesses Corroborate Cassie's Claims!
It takes time to recover when your boundaries have been violated. Many victims spend time blaming themselves instead of the actual perpetrators. The court of public opinion only compounds the anxiety through victim-blaming. Thankfully for Cassie, many of the witnesses she named in her case were willing to corroborate her story. It also helps that Diddy's former head of security Gene Deal has been speaking out on his YouTube and podcast channels for many years about the moguls 'bad boy' behavior. Roger Bonds, another former head of security for Diddy spoke out that he intervened in multiple domestic violence attacks between Diddy and Cassie further verifying the claims.
In the midst of lawsuits, Diddy has been asked to step away from many of his Business dealings and has lost sponsorship opportunities. As we continue to watch the details unfold it is important to remember that these are civil and not criminal lawsuits so they carry no jail time. Within them are allegations of rape, sexual assault, sex trafficking, domestic violence, menacing and more, which are criminal offences. Yet the only one with a statute of limitations that hasn't run out is the sex trafficking claims. In New York the limitation is set for 5 years, while in California it is set for 7 years.
It must be said that there is so much more to the story, and we will cover as much as we can. In the meantime, we should really begin to question the support we give. By support, it is meant who we idolize, emulate, or spend money with. Are there ways to spot and prevent these situations from happening in the future is the biggest question to ask oneself.
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