Singer Cassie accuses music mogul Diddy of decade of rape and abuse

A female singer has accused rap star Sean "Diddy" Combs of rape and sex trafficking.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan, ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura, an R&B singer and dancer who performs under the stage name Cassie, said she was "trapped for a decade in a cycle of abuse and violence", said the BBC.

Ventura claims that not long after she met Combs in 2005, when she was 19, he "began a pattern of control and abuse", said The New York Times. This included "plying her with drugs", "beating her" and "forcing her to have sex with a succession of male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters".

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The lawsuit labels Combs, 54, a "serial domestic abuser" who would "regularly" leave her with "black eyes, bruises, and blood". One "shocking allegation" in the document, said Variety, is that Combs "blew up a man's car after he learned that he was romantically interested in Ventura".

In a statement, Ventura said that "after years in silence and darkness", she was ready "to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse".

Combs has denied the allegations, accusing the singer of extortion, said the BBC. His lawyer said: "Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr Combs' reputation, and seeking a pay day."

But in response, Ventura's lawyer said the parties had spoken before the suit was filed and "Combs offered Ventura eight figures to silence her and prevent the filing of this lawsuit" but "she rejected his efforts".

Combs is among the "most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades", said Sky News. Ventura is best known for the hit single "Me & U" and appearing in TV and film projects including "Empire", and "Step Up 2: The Streets".