The China Mail - Singer Cassie, Sean Combs settle lawsuit alleging rape

The R&B singer, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, said in a suit filed Thursday that hip-hop artist Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs as well as a 2018 rape.

A lawyer for Combs, also known as both Puff Daddy or Diddy, has denied the allegations.

In statements Friday evening, the parties said they had agreed to resolve the case, but did not disclose the settlement terms.

"I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control," Ventura said in a statement

"I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support," she added.

In a separate statement, Combs said: "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love."

According to Ventura's lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, she met Combs in 2005, when she was 19 and he was 37.

He signed her to his label, Bad Boy Records, with her hits including tracks like "Me & U."

They also began a romantic relationship.

Court documents called Combs a violent man, recounting disturbing scenes of his outbursts, including forcing Ventura to engage in sex acts with male sex workers, which she alleges Combs filmed.

The complaint said that in 2018 Combs and Ventura had dinner, after which he forced his way into her apartment and raped her.

In an earlier statement to AFP, Combs's lawyer Ben Brafman "vehemently" denied the allegations, calling them "offensive and outrageous."

Combs accused Ventura of blackmail, saying her aim was to "tarnish" his reputation and gain a payout.

B.Carter--ThChM