This week, a New York jury convicted Sean “Diddy” Combs of transporting women across state lines for prostitution in two separate cases, charges brought previously by Cassie and another former girlfriend. Though he was acquitted of the more serious racketeering and sex trafficking charges, including ones directly tied to Cassie’s explosive 2023 lawsuit, the implication is clear: It’s no longer business as usual.
Kesha, who has publicly fought for justice in the music industry, certainly packs a punch, and she didn’t take much time to share her message of support. There is power in a voice, and many victims of a crimes of the powerful including those with lots of money, fame and/or connections come around after years have passed, after they’ve faced their assailants down on their terms or in the court of law, after they’ve been confronted by a public figure indifferent to their suffering who led or followed the charges against him or her into public court or press conference, and chosen to accept the reality that someone they knew or admired or let get into their lives and their pants or the pants of people they cared about or were forced to care about had exploited, violated, taken them, to hold up their end of the story. I love you. Your strength is a beacon of hope for every survivor.
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This is something Kesha has demonstrated, rather than just saying. Formerly the author of the catchy lyric “feeling like P. Diddy” from “Tik Tok” in 2010, lately she’s been blending that old song with a new one. The line has evolved into a tart, blunt statement: “f**k P. Diddy.” It’s a private act of rebellion as well as a public one, signaling both the anguish and the resilience of survivors everywhere.
Aubrey O’Day, an artist who Diddy groomed for stardom while she was on MTV’s Making the Band, expressed her heartache on Instagram. “My heart is with Cassie,” she wrote. “A girl who could have had a life and career without fear and control. The woman who shared her truth in a courtroom and the world showered her with doubt instead of acclaiming her courage.
O’Day has been open over the years about the seedy side of losing her mojo under Diddy’s guidance. This moment, she suggests, is not just about Cassie but about every woman who’s been driven to shrink themselves to survive an industry built on power imbalances.
While pregnant, Cassie, who was born Casandra Ventura, took the stand and testified over four harrowing days. Her words would become a linchpin of the prosecution’s case. Dunn, who has not issued a public statement since the verdict, sparked the criminal investigation by filing a civil lawsuit in late 2019, his lawyer, Douglas H. Wigdor, said after the verdict. Diddy is being held in custody without bail, and sentencing is scheduled for October 3, 2025. For Cassie, the chapter may not be entirely over, but the verdict is a long overdue turn for many watching.
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