Casandra “Cassie” Ventura gave ex Sean “Diddy” Combs a chance to settle her bombshell rape and abuse lawsuit against him — but he didn’t.
In Law & Crime’s upcoming three-episode podcast series, “The Rise and Fall of Diddy,” attorney and legal commentator Donte Mills claimed the Bad Boy Records founder had a chance to avoid the start of his downfall.
Ventura — who dated Combs on and off for 10 years until ending things for good in 2018 — approached her famous ex about the alleged crimes he committed against her after the Adult Survivors Act was passed in 2022. This Act created a one-year lookback window for sexual assault survivors to sue their abusers regardless of when the abuse as long as the were over the age of 18.
“She came to him before she filed [any] lawsuit and said, ‘I believed I was wronged by you,’” Mills said, per the Guardian.
“And she gave him an opportunity to settle the case before she brought [a] lawsuit,” he added.
“And I know that both Sean Combs’ attorneys and Cassie’s attorneys were in conversation, in talks, to see if they can resolve the lawsuit, but they were not able to and those settlement negotiations fell through.”
Page Six has reached out to reps for both Combs and Ventura but did not immediately hear back.
Days before the window on the Adult Survivors Act was set to close, the “Me & U” singer filed the suit in New York, accusing Combs of raping her and physically abusing her throughout their decade-long romance.
In the suit, Ventura claimed the Revolt co-founder began a pattern of abuse and control that included allegedly forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed, physically abusing her and supplying her with drugs.
The 38-year-old also alleged in the lawsuit that Combs, 55, forced his way into her home and raped her toward the end of their relationship in 2018.
Combs initially denied his ex’s claims, telling Page Six in a statement that Ventura had previously been demanding money from him.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations,” attorney Ben Brafman said. “For the past 6 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.”
However, Ventura’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, told Page Six that his client and Combs spoke before she filed the lawsuit and the rapper allegedly offered her money to remain silent.
In May 2024, video surveillance of one of the assaults Ventura referenced in her lawsuit was leaked to the public.
In the clip, the “Act Bad” emcee violently attacked the model as she tried to escape a hotel room in 2016. Combs grabbed her by the neck and flung her to the ground before kicking and dragging Ventura into the hallway.
Combs subsequently issued an apology for his actions, saying that his “behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
He added, “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted.”
Since Ventura’s lawsuit, several other people have come forward accusing Combs of rape, sexual assault, abuse and drugging them. He has denied all claims.
In September, the Sean John founder was arrested and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Last Wednesday, the record producer was denied bail for a third time after prosecutors argued he posed too much of a threat to victims.
Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges and his trial date is set for May 5.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.