The rapper, Diddy, is a huge figure in the hip hop. Performer, producer, influential executive. Cassie, his accuser in this lawsuit, real name Cassandra Ventura. She is a successful singer and actor. She signed to his label in 2005, and they began an on-off relationship. She was 19 when it began. He was 37. She says over the course of the next decade, she was plied with drugs, trafficked, raped, and beaten on many occasions by him. She says the rapper took control of all aspects of her life, from health care to career opportunities. And as such, she felt completely beholden to him. She says that she felt isolated and afraid of the repercussions should she speak out. She has said in a statement that, After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to speak up for myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse. Lawyers for Diddy have issued a statement of their own. They call these allegations outrageous and offensive, saying that he vehemently denies them, alleging that his accuser, Cassie, is out to tarnish his reputation and, as they put it, seek a payday.