Sean 'Diddy' Combs Accused of Rape, Abuse

Sean "Diddy" Combs, who had founded the Ciroc brand with Diageo, and later sued the liquor giant alleging it hadn't done adequate marketing of another of his brands, DeLeon, has himself been sued.

The suit was filed in federal court by Cassie, an R&B singer, who accused Combs of rape and repeated physical abuse over about a decade.

Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, had long been Combs romantic partner. She describes a patrol of control and abuse that included plying her with drugs, beating her, and forcing her to have sex with a series of male prostitutes while he filmed them. Toward the end of their relationship, she says, Combs forced her way into her home and raped her.

A lawyer for Combs said he "vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations. For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”

A lawyer for Ventura said she had rejected an eight-figure offer from Combs. The offer was "to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit,” he said. “She rejected his efforts.”

Combs net worth has been estimated as high as $1 billion, and his annual income at $90 million. Forbes attributed Combs's earnings largely to his former partnership in a liquor brand, Ciroc, that is owned by the spirits giant Diageo.