After an eight week trial-by-jury saw Sean “Diddy” Combs being acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges, celebrity survivors are coming forward to support Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura.
The verdict comes after Ventura, Combs’ ex-girlfriend, accused Combs of sexual assault and abuse in November 2023. During the trial, Ventura detailed horrific abuse at the hands of Combs: she claimed that she was forced to engage in drug-fuelled orgies along with prostitutes that Combs dubbed “freak-offs,” and that he assaulted her both physically and sexually. Amongst the evidence was CCTV footage of Combs violently assaulting Ventura in the hallway of a hotel in 2016.
Despite a mountain of evidence, Combs was acquitted of his two most serious charges. He was found guilty on two lesser charges of transportation of former girlfriends for prostitution. The news of his acquittal is devastating for many — and a sobering reminder of how difficult legal proceedings can be for survivors of abuse.
A number of celebrity survivors have already come forward to speak out in support of Ventura following the verdict.
Slaven Vlasic
Evan Rachel Wood
Actress Evan Rachel Wood accused her ex Marilyn Manson of grooming and sexual abuse in 2021, claims has has strongly denied. On July 2, she shared a message in support of Ventura on her Instagram Stories. “There is no consent in a domestic violence relationship. Period,” she wrote. “Once the threat of violence is there, you comply. You do not consent. It is self preservation and survival. It is not freely or willingly given. It is forced and coerced out of you. We clearly have a long way to go in our understanding of this.”
NBC
Kesha
Kesha accused music producer Lukasz Gottwald “Dr. Luke” of rape in 2014. She sought to be released from her contract with him, claiming he had “sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused [Kesha] to the point where [she] nearly lost her life”. A judge denied the petition and Dr Luke has always denied the claims against him. A settlement was reached in 2023.
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