In a New York federal courtroom, singer Cassie Ventura revealed disturbing details about her rocky relationship with hip-hop music executive Sean “Diddy” Combs. Now, as she prepares to release her debut album “Anywhere” this year, she has revealed that sex games directed by Diddy were so prevalent in her life that they served as a substitute for her music career, according to reports.
“‘The freak-offs were like work,’” Cassie stated brazenly, while under oath, giving a devastating account of the reality of her years working as a contract artist for Bad Boy Records. “There was no time to think of anything else other than doing them, then trying to recover.”
Cassie inked a 10-album deal with Diddy’s label back in 2006. But almost 20 years later, only one album, her self-titled debut, was ever released. Even though she has written “hundreds” of songs during the years, most were never released, let alone compensated for, she testified in court.
“Some leaked on the internet, some leaked on mixtapes,” she said. “But nobody ever paid me to record them.”
Her testimony sketches a deeply troubling portrait of how an unhealthy and exploitative relationship consumed her artistic ambitions. Sometimes, these supposed sex encounters, which in court hearings are alluded to as “freak-offs,” would go on for as long as four days, leaving her utterly spent, physically and emotionally.
Diddy is now 55 and the focus of serious federal charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting people for prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and denies wrongdoing as prosecutors build their case.
Cassie’s court appearance is one of the most public and private in a mounting probe of Diddy’s business and personal matters. Her testimony, however, illuminated the scope of what she suffered behind the scenes and the tremendous creative loss. A young artist struck out of the industry fully formed; she told friends she was finally given her due by being silenced.
After more than a decade, Cassie and Diddy broke up in 2018. But the emotional wounds and the music that never could be heard can still be heard today.
This isn’t just a legal bombshell of testimony but also a matter-of-fact reminder of the power dynamics that can prevail in the music business, particularly when business and personal lives blend. Cassie’s voice, once restricted by a towering public figure, is being heard now in an entirely new context in a courtroom, under oath, and delivered with the weight of truth behind it. Whether the courts can dispense justice is open to doubt. Cassie Ventura has found her voice again and isn’t afraid to use it.
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