Cassie, the ex-girlfriend of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, doesn’t want to talk about his arrest because she’s still “painful” over her abusive relationship and “triggered” by the horrific allegations that have since surfaced.
Cassie, 38, full name 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.
In March, shocking surveillance footage surfaced showing Diddy violently attacking her at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles in 2016.
Diddy, wearing only a towel, runs after her down the hallway, grabs her by the back of the head and knocks her to the ground.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura has chosen 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 pair settled the claim, the disgraced rapper has been charged by New York prosecutors with human trafficking and extortion, among other charges.
Combs’ arrest comes six months after FBI raids on his homes in Los Angeles and Miami revealed more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant allegedly used in his now infamous “freak offs” sex sessions.
While her lawsuit inspired other alleged victims to speak out, Cassie chose not to make a statement because she is still struggling with the pain of her experience.
“Cassie is taking a break to focus on her rest as the details of the case are affecting her,” the source told DailyMail.com exclusively.
Friends say she and her husband are more focused on her “peace” and “therapy” than on commentary.
The 38-year-old singer and his husband Alex Fine (pictured) are said to have turned to therapy to cope with the arrest.
The R&B singer was with the Bad Boy mogul from 2007 to 2018.
The insider explained that Combs’ arrest was no reason to celebrate for the Long Way To Go singer, who believes that those who ignored all the allegations and accusations before her relationship with the music star played a role in her own suffering.
“She’s relieved that the case has escalated, but she’s not celebrating,” the source said. “She’s angry that people in the ’90s didn’t listen to other alleged victims because she would have been spared.”
Cassie was seen smiling and laughing in New York City on Thursday, just days after Diddy was arrested.
On Monday, however, she was barely recognizable, wearing a hoodie shielding her face and dark sunglasses as she dodged photographers.
Cassie married fitness trainer Alex Fine in 2019, with the The couple now have two young daughters, Sunny and Frankie, and are currently focusing on healing together through therapy.
“She and her husband have been going to therapy to help them deal with the stress of the trial so it doesn’t affect their relationship,” the insider said.
In a statement to DailyMail.com after the lawsuit was made public this week, Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for Cassie, said that “neither Ms. Ventura nor I have any comment.”
Cassie is seen getting out of a car in New York on Monday wearing dark sunglasses and a hoodie.
Cassie appeared to be in good spirits as she stepped out in New York City last Thursday, just days after her ex’s arrest
Last November, she accused Combs of subjecting her to physical and sexual abuse during their decade-long relationship (video footage from 2016 leaked online months later).
Last Tuesday, authorities released the indictment, which accuses the producer of extortion, sex trafficking and transportation for the purpose of prostitution.
Combs pleaded not guilty during a bail hearing, in which his legal team failed to obtain his freedom by offering the court a $50 million bail package.
The package included offering his $48 million Miami home and his mother’s $2 million condo as collateral, but a judge rejected the offer, citing the seriousness of the crimes Combs is accused of.
Cassie has been praised for her courage following Combs’ arrest, as her accusations against her ex last year prompted more alleged victims to come forward.
Arick Fudali, an attorney for alleged victim Dawn Richard, said this week that Cassie’s stand against a “very powerful person” forced his client to confront her alleged past with the producer.
“It’s very difficult to stand up to someone like Mr. Combs, but the fact that Cassie filed her lawsuit and went public with her actions really gave her a sense of power. It was her turn and her time to come forward with her allegations,” he said.
Central to the allegations against Combs are so-called “freak off” sessions, during which the rapper is said to have coerced and drugged women into lengthy sex marathons.
Authorities said they interviewed more than 50 witnesses and acquaintances. The raids seized a trove of laptops, mobile phones and hard drives, among other items.
The Public Prosecution Service also claims that they are in possession of footage that allegedly shows Combs forcing and manipulating victims into performing indecent acts.
Combs’ attorney Marc Agnifilo argued in court this week that his client does not deserve to be lumped in with other high-profile figures accused of similar crimes, such as R. Kelly and Jeffrey Epstein.
Agnifilo said of the charges: “This is evidence, not of human trafficking, but of being caught in infidelity… He had a love affair with him for ten years, but also with dark periods.”
Combs was considered one of the most influential figures in hip-hop until a flood of allegations over the past year made him a pariah in the hip-hop industry.
Although Cassie refused to comment on his arrest, she broke her silence in May about the shocking clip of herself in the hotel lobby.
She wrote in her statement: “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 where my younger self can settle and feel safe, but this is just the beginning.
Cassie married fitness trainer Fine, pictured together on Thursday, in 2019, a year after she split from Combs. The couple have two young daughters
‘Domestic violence is the problem. It broke me down into someone I never thought I would be. With a lot of hard work I am better now, but I will always recover from my past.
“Thank you to everyone who took the time to take this case seriously. My only request is that EVERYONE open their hearts to believing victims the first time around. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth from a situation where you were powerless.
‘I offer my hand to those who still live in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should have to carry this weight alone.
“This healing journey is never ending, but this support means the world to me. Thank you. Love Always.”
Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Records, has gotten out of legal trouble before.
In 2001, he was acquitted of charges related to a shooting at a Manhattan nightclub two years earlier, in which three people were injured.
His then-protégé, Shyne, was convicted of assault and other charges and served about eight years in prison.