Survivor Stories: Cassie Ventura

Photo credits: CNN

In 2006, a young woman by the name of Cassie Ventura released her self-titled album under Bad Boy Records, which was owned and run by rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. From then on, their relationship would take numerous dark, twisted turns, culminating in his trial in 2025.

The two began dating in 2007. With Diddy being 17 years older than Cassie and having a large part in her music career, the power imbalance between them was significant. Cassie, 21 years old at the time and having just ended a relationship with a previous boyfriend, was likely both shocked and intrigued by her relationship with her boss. It was five years later, in 2012, when the two began to appear in events together, and in 2014, Diddy posted a photo of a diamond ring.

However, behind this facade of a sweet relationship was immense violence and abuse. Cassie claimed that it was in 2007 that Diddy assaulted her for the first time, hitting her head and knocking her to the floor after she flirted with another man. In 2008, when Cassie was 22 years old, Diddy’s infamous “freak offs” began to include her. Cassie alleged that Diddy invited a male dancer and had Cassie take ecstasy and alcohol.

These freak-offs continued regularly over the years, with the longest lasting around two days. Along with this, abuse continued. In one instance, Diddy punched Cassie in the stomach at a restaurant, to which no one intervened. A few months later, Diddy barged into a hotel room where Cassie was sleeping. Cassie’s makeup artist reported hearing yelling before seeing Cassie with a swollen eye, busted lip, and knots on her head.

Even when Cassie dated other people, such as rapper Kid Cudi, when she and Diddy were on a break, she broke up with Cudi as she feared for their safety. In retaliation for this relationship, Diddy threatened to release two explicit videos of Cassie, demanding $20,000 in return to keep them private.

Years of constant, dire abuse continued. In 2016, Diddy was caught on CCTV footage assaulting Cassie as she attempted to escape a freak off happening in a hotel room. In 2018, near the end of their relationship, Cassie stated that Diddy raped her after a dinner date. It was only years later, in 2024, when information about Diddy’s freak offs and abusive behavior was exposed to the public, leading to his disappearance from the music world and his ongoing trial.

Now, Cassie is testifying at Diddy’s trial, explaining the abuse she endured in hopes of achieving justice for not just herself, but the countless people that Diddy hurt, controlled, and manipulated. Her bravery demonstrates that one should never let oneself be silenced, as sharing one’s story is a large step toward preventing similar incidents in the future.

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Jurisview Journal is a student-led blog that publishes biweekly articles about interesting criminal cases. Our aim is to shed light on cases that require justice or further exploration and provide input on controversial legal events. We also publish infographics to help victims or those who wish to educate themselves on legal issues. 

In this series, Survivor Stories, we explore and share the stories of survivors of violence and crime. Through this, we advocate for justice and more attention to victims, such as the survivors we feature.