Although “Me & U” singer Cassie Ventura had already agreed to settle her abuse and sexual assault lawsuit against ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs, the fallout from the suit refuses to do the same. In the aftermath of the quick settlement, three more women have filed similar lawsuits against Combs. While Combs’ representatives have denied the accusations, calling the lawsuits a string of “money grabs,” Rolling Stone has published an open letter from songwriter Tiffany Red, who worked with Cassie, in which she corroborates some of the singer’s accusations against Diddy.
In the letter, Red cites fears for her safety as her reason for coming forward now; the lawsuit alludes to her while not mentioning her by name. She writes that she hopes that publicly revealing her identity will help protect her. She details how she and Cassie became close while writing songs together in 2015 and how one song in particular, “Loyal,” caught Diddy’s attention as it appeared to push back against the alleged pattern of abuse and manipulation he’d established in their relationship.
Red says Diddy confronted her at a surprise birthday party he threw for Cassie in 2015, where he also allegedly threatened Ventura while she was surrounding by his security guards. Later, Red describes an intoxicated Combs yelling at her at Cassie’s home, commanding her to tell Cassie “she wants some birthday dick.” The letter also reaffirms many of the accusations from Cassie’s lawsuit — that Diddy coerced her into taking drugs (getting “so high,” Red was worried she’d overdose), threatening her, and using her terminated record deal to keep her from speaking out.
Although Cassie and Diddy have settled the original lawsuit, the effects of having additional witnesses for her accusations of abuse could harm Diddy’s standing in the public eye — which could also spell trouble for him should the new lawsuits proceed to trial.
