I think everyone was taken aback to find the suspicions about the relationship between Sean Combs and Casandra Ventura (or who we know as Diddy and Cassie) were even worse than we thought based on the facts of the scathing lawsuit she levied against him on Thursday.
To save you the time scrolling through the 35 pages of graphic allegations, here are five of the most terrifying takeaways from the suit.
Trigger Warning: The following contents may be disturbing to some readers.
1. Physical Abuse
The lawsuit claims Ventura was raped and physically abused during the course of her relationship with Combs. Ventura claims she was savagely beaten, enduring a variety of kicks and punches leaving her bruised and bloodied. To cover up her wounds, Combs would hide her in a hotel for days to allow her bruises to heal on their own, the suit says.
One time, when the hotel security staff witnessed Combs throw a glass vase at Ventura in the hallway, Combs allegedly paid them $50,000 for the surveillance footage.
2. Drug-Induced Memory Loss
Early in their relationship, Ventura claims Combs introduced her to the fast-paced, drug and alcohol-induced celebrity lifestyle. He first lured her in with ecstasy then continued to provide her a “copious amount” of drugs ranging from ketamine to cocaine - all of which she felt she couldn’t refuse due to his violent nature, the suit says.
Combs also had direct access to her medical records, per the suit. As a result of the excessive drug use and head injuries from the beatings, Ventura claimed she began experiencing memory loss and went for an MRI. The suit says her MRI scan results went straight to Combs.
3. Sex Trafficking
Just a few months into their relationship, Combs allegedly forced Ventura to fulfill his sexual fantasies by hiring a male sex worker to perform acts with her. The suit claims he would make Ventura and the man wear masquerade masks, ingest drugs and perform sexual acts while Combs watched and, oftentimes, recorded.
At some point, the suit claims the bit became a regular occurrence that Ventura and Combs’ staff were placed in charge of. Therefore, Ventura had to book the hotel suite, find the sex worker and facilitate what Combs called the “Freak Off,” the suit says. During these incidents, Ventura claimed she would become sick and vomit but was still forced to go back and perform in the bedroom. She would even need an IV for days after because of the substances in her body, the suit says.
4. Kid Cudi’s Car Explosion
Once in 2012, Ventura fled to Kid Cudi’s home to hide from Combs. As a result, the suit says Combs threatened to blow up Kid Cudi’s vehicle and “ensure” the rapper and his friends were home to see it. Sometime after this conversation, Cudi’s vehicle did, in fact, explode in his driveway. A spokesperson for Kid Cudi told The New York Times the account of the incident was true.
5. Dangling Cassie’s Friend Off a Balcony
In 2015, during her birthday party, Ventura said she was forced to leave to do a “Freak Off.” However, when she arrived at her hotel room, some of her friends were already inside. Out of anger and intoxication, the suit says Combs picked up one of her friends and dangled their body over the balcony of the 17th-floor hotel suite.
He nearly got physical with another one of her friends in 2018, however, the suit says he paid the woman off in a settlement.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or visit thehotline.org.