(CNN) – Cassie Ventura is now composing her own song.
The “Me & U” singer took back control of her story when she detailed years of disturbing abuse allegations for the first time in a lawsuit filed against her ex-boyfriend and former producer Sean “Diddy” Combs last November.
Although his lawsuit was quickly settled, suspicion surrounding Combs only grew.
“Mr. Combs’ decision to settle the lawsuit in no way undermines his adamant denial of the allegations,” Combs’ attorney said at the time.
At least nine other civil lawsuits and a federal investigation followed. Then, on Tuesday, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking in a federal indictment alleging he “abused, threatened and coerced victims” from at least 2008 to the present. Combs has pleaded not guilty.
CNN has reached out to Ventura’s representatives for comment on Combs’ criminal indictment, which might not have occurred had she not had the courage to share her testimony.
Born Casandra Elizabeth Ventura in New London, Connecticut, in August 1986, Ventura began her career in show business as a model. She became involved with producer and songwriter Ryan Leslie and released her debut album in 2006.
Ventura quickly became a sought-after star. Her talent and beauty caught the attention of Combs, who signed Ventura to his Bad Boy Entertainment label.
In one 2006 interviewVentura talked about what his family thought about his newfound fame.
“It happened so fast that I don’t think anyone could stop it,” she said at the time. “They always want to make sure I’m happy and everything is going well. It’s more about whether I’m happy and content with what I’m doing.”
The following year, Ventura became a spokesmodel for Combs’ Sean John fashion line. She leaned into both acting and music, appearing in the dance film Step Up 2: The Streets and contributing a song to the film’s soundtrack.
Ventura released other singles, including “Official Girl,” featuring rapper Lil Wayne in 2008, and “Must Be Love,” with Combs performing under one of his professional aliases, Puff Daddy, in 2009.
Ventura and Combs first went public with their relationship in 2012 and quickly became regulars at Hollywood fashion shows and parties.
“Just being around him is a completely inspiring experience,” said to Madam Noire about Combs in 2013. “Starting my own empire would be great.”
Although she would release more singles, including 2017’s “Don’t Play It Safe,” which Gallows Considered “his best song in nearly half a decade and possibly his proper comeback,” a long-awaited Combs-produced album – and his own “empire” – never materialized.
Despite speculation about their engagement in 2014, the couple was never set to tie the knot. Combs explained his dating philosophy to New York radio show “The Breakfast Club.”
“If I’m in a relationship with you, like 25 percent of the time, you’re going to feel like, ‘Oh, I hate it here, this guy cheated on me, he lied to me.’ That’s 25 percent,” said in 2015“But then there’s 75 percent of, ‘I’m going to make you the happiest woman in the whole world.’ I’m going to be there to support your dreams. I’m going to be there to hold you, to listen to you. I’m going to be there to be your best friend, and I promise you’ll smile more.”
In her lawsuit, Ventura painted a dark picture of a relationship that appeared to be picture-perfect in public. Behind closed doors, she alleged, Combs controlled every aspect of her personal life, forced her to have sex with other men and “introduced” her to a lifestyle of “excessive alcohol and substance abuse.”
When Ventura tried to end her relationship with Combs in 2018, she alleged that he broke into her home and raped her. Combs has denied her allegations.
Ventura, according to her complaint, still suffers from “immense emotional distress” and at one point checked into a hospitalized rehabilitation center after having suicidal thoughts that she linked to the abuse.
She later married coach Alex Fine, with whom she shares two daughters.
When Combs received the lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards in 2022, he referenced Ventura in his acceptance speech.
“I’m going to speak 100 percent to all of you, I was in a dark place for a few years,” Combs said onstage before thanking “Cassie for holding me up through the dark times. Love.”
Ventura filed her complaint just as New York’s Adult Survivors Act was expiring, temporarily eliminating the civil statute of limitations for sexual assault survivors.
“After years of silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak out on behalf of myself and other women facing violence and abuse in their relationships,” Ventura said in a statement to CNN last year. “As the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act approached, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak out about the trauma I have suffered and will be recovering from for the rest of my life.”
Not everyone believed him.
“We can’t just go by what he says, what she says… It’s tough to see so many people want to see him go down like this,” rapper Slim Thug said at the time. “I don’t want to see a black man go down that made it this far, almost a billion dollars.”
In May, when CNN published surveillance video showing Combs physically abusing Ventura in 2016 at a Los Angeles hotel, public opinion about Ventura’s claims changed.
“I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and sought professional help. I started going to therapy, rehab,” Combs said in a video shared on social media days after the video was released. “I had to ask God for mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to being a better man every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Ventura thanked her followers and turned her attention to survivors of domestic violence.
“Domestic violence is THE problem. It made me into someone I never thought I would become,” she said. “With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”
“All I ask is that EVERYONE opens their hearts to believe the victims from the beginning,” he added. “It takes a lot of heart to speak the truth from a situation in which you were powerless.”
Now, she is no longer.
