Sean “Diddy” Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie is avoiding talking about his arrest because she is still “hurt” by their abusive relationship and “shocked” by the horrific allegations that have since surfaced.
Cassie, 38, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit against Combs, 54, in November, accusing him of subjecting her to physical and sexual abuse during their decade-long relationship. Diddy settled the case just a day later.
Then, in March, shocking surveillance footage emerged showing Diddy violently attacking her at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, in 2016.
Diddy, wearing only a towel, chases her down the hallway before grabbing her by the back of the neck and slamming her to the floor.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura has decided not to speak out following the music mogul’s arrest because she is focused on her “peace,” a source told DailyMail.com.
Now, 10 months after the couple settled the claim, the disgraced rapper has been indicted by New York prosecutors on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering.
Combs’ arrest comes six months after the FBI discovered raids at his homes in Los Angeles and Miami. more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that were allegedly used in their now infamous ‘freak off’ sex sessions.
Although her lawsuit inspired other alleged victims to speak out, Cassie decided not to issue a statement because she is still dealing with the pain of her experience.
“Cassie is taking some time to focus on her peace because the details of the case are affecting her,” the source told DailyMail.com exclusively.
Friends say she and her husband are focusing on their “peace” and “therapy” rather than making comments.
The singer, 38, and her husband Alex Fine (pictured) have reportedly been focusing on therapy to help get over the arrest.
The R&B singer was with the Bad Boy mogul from 2007 to 2018.
The source explained that Combs’ arrest has not been a cause for celebration for the “Long Way To Go” singer, who feels that those who ignored all the accusations and allegations prior to her relationship with the music star played a role in her own suffering.
“She’s relieved that the case has moved forward, but she’s not celebrating anything,” the source said. “She’s upset that people didn’t listen to other alleged victims in the 1990s, because she would have been saved.”
Cassie was spotted smiling and laughing in New York City on Thursday, just days after Diddy was arrested.
But on Monday, he was barely recognizable in a hooded sweatshirt covering his face and dark sunglasses as he dodged photographers.
Cassie married fitness trainer Alex Fine in 2019. The couple now have two young daughters, named Sunny and Frankie, and are currently focused on healing together with the help of therapy.
“She and her husband have been in therapy to help them manage the stress of the lawsuit so it doesn’t affect their relationship,” the source said.
In a statement to DailyMail.com after the allegation was made public this week, Douglas Wigdor, Cassie’s attorney, said: “Neither Ms Ventura nor I have any comment.”
Cassie is seen in New York on Monday getting out of a car wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and a hoodie.
Cassie appeared to be in good spirits as she stepped out in New York City on Thursday, days after her ex’s arrest.
Last November, she accused Combs of subjecting her to physical and sexual abuse during their decade-long relationship (a 2016 video leaked online months later).
Authorities unsealed the indictment last Tuesday, charging the producer with organized crime, sex trafficking and transportation for prostitution.
Combs pleaded not guilty at a bail hearing where his legal team unsuccessfully attempted to secure his release by offering the court a $50 million bail package.
The package included offering his $48 million Miami mansion and his mother’s $2 million apartment as collateral, but a judge rejected the offer, citing the seriousness of the crimes Combs is accused of.
Cassie has been praised for her bravery amid the fallout from Combs’ arrest, as her accusations against her ex last year sparked a wave of other alleged victims coming forward.
Arick Fudali, an attorney for one alleged victim, Dawn Richard, said this week that it was Cassie’s stance against a “very powerful individual” that led his client to confront her own alleged past with the producer.
“It’s very difficult to stand up to someone like Mr. Combs, but seeing Cassie come forward and make her complaint public really gave her a sense of empowerment, that it was her turn and it was her time to come forward with her allegations,” she said.
At the heart of the allegations against Combs are so-called “freak off” sessions, in which the rapper allegedly forced and drugged women into engaging in long sexual marathons.
Authorities said they have interviewed more than 50 witnesses and associates, and that their raids included the seizure of a large number of laptops, cellphones and hard drives.
Prosecutors also say they are in possession of images they say prove Combs coerced and manipulated the victims into engaging in lewd acts.
Combs’ attorney, Marc Agnifilo, argued in court this week that his client does not deserve to be lumped with other high-profile figures accused of similar crimes, such as R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking about the allegation, Agnifilo said: ‘This is evidence, not of sex trafficking, but of being caught cheating… He was in a 10-year loving relationship through dark periods.’
Combs was recognized as one of the most influential figures in hip-hop before a flurry of allegations that surfaced over the past year turned him into an industry pariah.
Although Cassie has declined to comment on her arrest, she broke her silence on the shocking video of her in the hotel lobby in May.
In her statement, she wrote: “Thank you for all the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet. The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle down and feel safe now, but this is just the beginning.
Cassie married fitness trainer Fine, pictured together on Thursday, in 2019, a year after splitting from Combs. The couple have two young daughters
‘Domestic violence is the problem. It destroyed me and turned me into someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.
‘Thank you to everyone who took the time to take this matter seriously. All I ask is that EVERYONE opens their hearts to the believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of courage to speak the truth in a situation where nothing could be done.
‘I offer my hand to those who still live in fear. Come closer to your people, do not leave them alone. No one should carry this burden alone.
“This healing journey never ends, but this support means the world to me. Thank you. Love always.”
Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, has been through legal trouble before.
In 2001, he was acquitted of charges related to a shooting two years earlier at a Manhattan nightclub in which three people were injured.
His then-protégé, Shyne, was convicted of assault and other charges and served about eight years in prison.