Rapper Sean Combs Accused Of Rape, Suit Filed In NYC: Report

NEW YORK CITY, NY — Rapper Sean Combs — a hip-hop mogul also known as Puff Daddy and Diddy — has been accused of raping and physically abusing R&B singer Cassie for nearly a decade, according to a New York Times report citing a lawsuit filed in Federal District Court in Manhattan.

According to the lawsuit, Cassie — whose real name is Casandra Ventura — dated Combs and claimed that not long after she met him, he abused her by giving her drugs, beating her and forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed the acts.

The suit also claims that in 2018, near the end of their relationship, Combs broke into her home and raped her, the Times reported.

Ventura was 19 when she met Combs, reports said.

In a statement obtained by CNBC, Ventura said, "After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships."

She continued, "With the expiration of New York's Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life."

In a statement provided to the Times, a lawyer for Combs denied the "offensive and outrageous allegations."

Combs is a three-time Grammy winner who is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.