In October Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to more than four years in jail for prostitution-related charges, following a two-month trial that exposed the mogul as a domestic abuser and drug addict.
And now a new documentary has been released delving into the depravity covered in the trial.
But more controversy is expected int he coming days, as Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ;legal team has already made moves to get the release pulled.
The Netflix docuseries Sean Combs: The Reckoning went live today (Tuesday December 2).
The series, executive-produced by longtime rival Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson debuted but Combs’ legal team has issued a cease-and-desist demanding Netflix pull the project.
A jury found Diddy guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years per count.
He was acquitted of the more serious charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
But the discussion around Combs’ behaviour began long before his arrest.
In 2023, the rap mogul’s ex-girlfriend Cassie brought forward a civil case against Combs that accused him of rape, abusive behaviour and assault. They settled the lawsuit a day after it was filed, but the accusations Cassie made against Diddy remain public knowledge.
Combs, 55, is one of the biggest names in American hip-hop. His 1997 debut album No Way Out catapulted him onto the rap scene, and went on to be certified seven-times platinum. He got his start at Uptown Records, where he helped develop R&B legends like Mary J Blige and Jodeci, before pivoting into creating music himself, then later becoming a record label executive and producer.
Sean Diddy Combs during filming for the Graham Norton Show
Ian West / PA
In 1993, he set up his own record label, Bad Boy Entertainment, with talent from Uptown — such as then-newcomer, now-rap-royalty The Notorious B.I.G — helping the label take off. Twelve years, three Grammys, and two name changes later, “Diddy” was introduced to up-and-coming singer-songwriter Cassie when she was 19 and he was 37. Diddy collaborated with Cassie shortly afterwards, in 2006, and the pair officially dated between 2012 and 2018.
But in a lawsuit filed in November 2023, Cassie – full name Casandra Elizabeth Ventura – detailed horrifying claims about how Combs allegedly treated her during their relationship, and outside of it, citing multiple years of sexual and physical abuse. Cassie, who is now 38, had a successful solo career of her own in the 2000s, with her debut studio album reaching top four on the Billboard 200. She claims that her career was controlled by Combs, who paid for her car, housing, and clothing, and exercised his control over her abusively.
Even though the lawsuit was settled out of court, Ventura’s claims have not been forgotten. Especially when one of the claims, that Coombs chased her down a hotel hallway and threw a vase at her, was proven with CCTV footage — an incident Kanye West recently mocked during one of his online tirades.
Combs collaborated with Cassie then embarked on a relationship with her
Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
In her claims, Ventura accused Combs of regular abusive behaviour, including coercing her into taking drugs, forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes, and hitting her on numerous occasions. She also claims that on one occasion in 2019, he forced his way into her home and raped her as she “repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away”.
Combs and Ventura dated for six years publicly, but the allegations of abuse span nearly the entire time they knew each other. While Combs and Ventura never had children, Combs has fathered multiple children with other women, including the actress Kim Porter, who died in 2018. Combs’s previous romantic interests include other high-profile names such as Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and rapper Yung Miami. After splitting from Combs, Ventura tied the knot with fitness trainer Alex Fine, with whom she has two children.
Diddy attends the celebration for his new album launch at LAVO on November 9, 2023, in London
Hoda Davaine for Dave Benett
In response to Ventura’s suit, Combs’s lawyer Benjamin Brafman said: “Mr Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr Combs has been subjected to Ms Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”
Shortly after filing her lawsuit, Cassie and Diddy’s legal teams reached an “amicable” settlement outside of court. However, Combs is now due back in court on May 5, having been arrested on criminal charges, and Ventura’s allegations are ringing through people’s minds once more.
Here are the most concerning claims from Cassie’s lawsuit, and the criminal accusations against him.
1. Combs has been accused of physically abusing Cassie multiple times
In Ventura’s lawsuit, which was seen by the New York Times, she claims to have endured multiple experiences of physical abuse at the hands of Sean Combs.
One incident detailed by Ventura claims that when Combs saw Ventura talking to another talent agent, he kicked her repeatedly in the face enough times to draw blood. The suit then alleges that Combs kept Ventura in a hotel room for a week to “recuperate”. When she asked to go to parties while she still had her injuries, Combs refused.
Cassie and P Diddy at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
John Lamparski / Getty Images
2. Cassie claims that he sexually coerced her into having sex with prostitutes
After a few years of being in a relationship with Combs, Ventura’s lawsuit claimed that he got her to “engage in a fantasy of his called ‘voyeurism'” via coercion. Combs referred to these as “freak-offs”, where Ventura would be told to have sex with multiple male prostitutes, while Combs watched, masturbated, took pictures, and recorded the sex acts.
Even when he claimed he deleted footage, Ventura claims that he would actually keep some of it. The “freak-offs” would take place across a range of locations – from high-end hotels to Combs’s various houses.
Ventura’s lawsuit explains that she took the pre-provided drugs during the “freak-offs” because they “allowed her to disassociate during these horrific encounters”.
These “freak-offs” have been mentioned in the criminal case, too. According to court documents, Combs “wielded the power” of his celebrity status to “lure female victims… to engage in extended sex acts.”
“During Freak Offs,” the court documents say, “Combs distributed a variety of controlled substances to victims, in part to keep the victims obedient and compliant.”
US prosecutor Damian Williams also said that officials found firearms, ammunition and more than 1,000 bottles of lubricant during the raids on Combs’s homes in Miami and Los Angeles.
Diddy and Cassie at the MET Gala in 2018
Neilson Barnard / Getty Images
3. He was accused of saying he wanted to blow up Kid Cudi’s car
According to the lawsuit, when Ventura dated Kid Cudi in 2012, Combs was so angry about it that he mentioned how he wanted to blow up the rapper’s car. “Around that time,” the lawsuit reads, “Kid Cudi’s car exploded in his driveway.”
Kid Cudi himself confirmed via a spokeswoman, that he had a car that exploded: “This is all true.” Diddy denies all charges against him.
4. Combs allegedly had access to her medical records
One of the most alarming claims from Ventura’s lawsuit is the allegation that Combs had access to her private medical records.
According to the lawsuit, when Ventura underwent an MRI scan to attempt to explain her memory loss, which she alleges was possibly caused by drug use or physical abuse from Combs, the results of the scan “went directly” to Combs.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and Cassie Ventura attend the premiere of The Perfect Match
Alberto E Rodriguez / Getty Images
5. He was accused of paying a hotel $50,000 for footage of him assaulting Ventura
During one “freak-off” in 2016, Ventura claims that she tried to escape after she was punched in the face by Combs, giving her a black eye. Once Combs fell asleep, she says she tried to leave the room, but that he woke up and followed her into the hallway. Once in the hallway, Ventura claims Combs threw multiple glass vases at her, “sending glass shattering throughout the corridor”.
The court filing claims that the incident was captured on the hotel’s security cameras, but that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage.
The footage was eventually uncovered and appears to corroborate the claims made by Ventura, with Combs caught on camera hitting and kicking her in a hotel hallway. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he said in a video statement posted after the hotel footage was released.
Cassie Ventura and P Diddy attend the Pre-Grammy Gala in New York City
Nicholas Hunt / Getty Images
6. She claimed that he raped her in 2018
Though every allegation in Ventura’s lawsuit is harrowing, one that has cut through the noise the most is the claim that Combs forced his way into her home and raped her in 2018. According to the court filing, the incident occurred after the pair met for dinner, after which Combs forced his way into Ventura’s apartment and raped her as she “repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away”. The filing states that, after this, Ventura left him for good.
Shortly after the pair parted ways, Ventura met her husband, Alex Fine, whom she married in 2019 and now shares two children with.
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