Cassie Ventura filed her sexual abuse lawsuit against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs 1 year ago. Everything has changed for him since.

’s life modified eternally one yr in the past.

On Nov. 16, 2023, — the “Me & U” singer with whom Combs had an that spanned a decade — filed a bombshell lawsuit towards him alleging rape, abuse and intercourse trafficking. The case was filed in U.S. District Court docket in Manhattan beneath , which permits sexual abuse victims to file civil fits towards their alleged assailants regardless of the statute of limitations having expired.

At some point later, Combs with Ventura. Nevertheless, it didn’t magically erase her explosive allegations towards him. Ventura claimed that she was subjected to years of abuse and intercourse trafficking. She claimed Combs, whom she began courting in 2007, gave her medicine and would beat her and pressure her to have intercourse with male intercourse staff whereas he filmed the encounters, referred to as She additionally accused him of raping her at her residence, after forcing his means in, in 2018.

Ventura’s lawsuit opened the floodgates to others coming ahead with accusations of abuse towards the music producer spanning a long time. He faces over in addition to an . The fallout included the federal investigation into Ventura’s intercourse trafficking claims, which Combs was for in September.

Combs maintains his innocence in his federal case, set to go to trial in Could 2025, in addition to within the civil lawsuits. In Could, the “I’ll Be Lacking You” rapper did after surveillance video of a 2016 incident surfaced.

Ventura’s lawsuit is ‘an instance of the facility survivors have when they’re believed’

“Ms. Ventura’s lawsuit was impactful and an instance of the facility survivors have when they’re believed by first responders, police, prosecutors, medical professionals, household and associates,” authorized professional Judie Saunders, an legal professional who leads the intercourse abuse and trafficking division on the regulation agency , instructed Yahoo Leisure.

Different alleged victims can be taught from Ventura coming ahead, Saunders says.

“Alleged victims ought to be taught that surviving sexual violence is just not a recreation of ‘he stated, she stated’ the place the highly effective at all times win,” Saunders stated. “There may be worth in victims sounding the alarm on abusive establishments and people. Survivors of sexual violence are groomed to consider they’re powerless and their credibility shall be discounted. Survivors ought to be taught that the suitable trauma-informed advisers and medical professionals will help them.”

Ventura’s relationship with Combs resulted in 2018. She went on to marry Alex High quality, an actor and mannequin, they usually have two youngsters collectively. Submitting the lawsuit towards Combs in November 2023 was opening outdated wounds, however crucial “after years in silence and darkness,” Ventura stated on the time.

An legal professional for Combs went on the offensive towards Ventura, claiming she tried to blackmail Combs. He additionally claimed that Ventura demanded $30 million or she would write a tell-all e-book. Combs’s legal professional stated her lawsuit was crammed with “outrageous lies” in an try for “a payday.” Within the confrontation, Ventura’s legal professional claimed Combs provided her “eight figures to silence her and forestall the submitting of [the] lawsuit,” saying Ventura “needs to be applauded for her bravery.”

When the lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed sum on Nov. 17, 2023, Combs stated in an announcement, “We now have determined to resolve this matter amicably. I want Cassie and her household all the very best. Love.”

What Ventura has stated publicly since her lawsuit

Ventura hasn’t given an interview concerning the authorized fallout Combs has confronted over the past yr. The presumption is she , which prevents her from talking publicly concerning the case, however it could not cease her from testifying within the federal case towards him.

After the lawsuit was settled, she launched a quick assertion saying she resolved her case “amicably” to keep up “some degree of management.”

When Combs’s houses have been raided by federal investigators in March, Ventura’s legal professional in an announcement, “We’ll at all times help regulation enforcement when it seeks to prosecute people who have violated the regulation. Hopefully, that is the start of a course of that can maintain Mr. Combs liable for his wicked conduct.”

In Could, CNN launched the video of Combs assaulting Ventura, which mirrored an incident she alleged in her lawsuit. Combs launched a video taking “full accountability” for his actions. Ventura issued a of her personal, saying that home abuse “broke me right down to somebody I by no means thought I might grow to be.” She known as on folks to “open your coronary heart to believing victims the primary time.”

After Combs was arrested on Sept. 16 — with federal prosecutors alleging that from 2008 on, he “abused, threatened and coerced girls and others, and led a racketeering conspiracy that engaged in intercourse trafficking, compelled labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, amongst different crimes” — Ventura’s camp stated she was “hopeful that justice would come.”

“The quantity of braveness it took Cassie to talk out, and be one of many first to talk out, can’t be underscored sufficient,” a Ventura insider . “It was terrifying in a really possible way. There have been so many individuals defending Diddy for thus lengthy and it’s not an exaggeration to say her life was at risk via all this.”

Ventura’s testimony doubtless ‘crucial’ to prosecutors’ case

Combs continues to combat for his launch from jail after being denied bail a number of instances forward of his prison trial. It’s thought that Ventura shall be known as to testify towards him, as a witness for the prosecution, as a result of allegations in her lawsuit are much like these outlined within the authorities’s indictment and could also be on the coronary heart of their case. (A federal grand jury has continued to towards Combs with prosecutors saying their investigation is ongoing.)

“Based mostly on the indictment, Ms. Ventura’s testimony could also be essential to show parts of the federal government’s case,” Saunders instructed Yahoo.

And to suppose Combs’s undoing, after years of and that went , actually all comes again to Ventura’s lawsuit one yr in the past.

“Truthfully, I don’t perceive how [Ventura’s lawsuit] was dealt with on behalf … of Combs,” trial legal professional Joe Tacopina on the Tubi sequence TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy in October.

“There’s no motive to have these settlement negotiations, which they have been engaged in for fairly a while, not comply with a settlement, let her file the case, have a entrance web page of each newspaper have explosive allegations towards your shopper, after which settle sooner or later later. That was completely the worst of all worlds,” he stated. Not solely did it destroy his popularity, however “it’s truly what began this federal investigation.”

In a distinct episode of the sequence, BET Information’s Marc Lamont Hill , “Diddy’s most egregious and deadly error strategically was not settling with Cassie behind closed doorways. If he settles with Cassie behind closed doorways, there’s a superb likelihood that none of this controversy is going on. There’s a superb likelihood that different folks wouldn’t have their very own lawsuits pile on. There’s a superb likelihood regulation enforcement wouldn’t have had their radars activated by all of the allegations of criminality. There’s an opportunity Diddy would simply be dwelling his regular billionaire life proper now.”

Combs, who faces a sentence of 15 years to life in jail, shall be again in court docket on Nov. 22 for a listening to about whether or not he shall be granted bail forward of trial. It’s his third try at being launched since his September arrest.

For those who or somebody you understand has been sexually assaulted, free, nameless assist is obtainable at RAINN’s Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline: (800) 656-HOPE (4673) and at .