Celebrities rally in support for Cassie Ventura after Diddy's verdict
American rapper-turned-mogul, Sean 'Diddy' Combs has been convicted on two charges of transportation for prostitution of former employee and ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura and another, unnamed woman, after a highly-publicised eight-week trial.
The Bad Boy record label exec was acquitted of three more severe charges faced, including two counts of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Cassie Ventura accused Diddy of sexual assault and abuse in November 2023, before further details emerged of an alleged sex trafficking operation the 55-year-old rapper headed.
Thirty-eight-year-old Cassie detailed horrific abuse she allegedly faced at the hands of her former boss, such as being forced to take part in drug-fuelled orgies that Combs infamously dubbed 'freak-offs," as well as physical abuse.
The court was shown CCTV footage, from 2016, of Diddy violently attacking Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway. Despite this and other evidence presented by the prosecution team, Combs evaded the lengthier charges.
A number of celebrities, some of whom are abuse survivors themselves, have come forward in support of Ms Ventura following the verdict.
Kesha
Kesha expressed her support for Cassie on social media, posting on X: 'Cassie, I believe you. I love you. Your strength is a beacon for every survivor.'
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The singer, who is the same age as Ventura, previously accused music producer and collaborator, Lukasz Gottwald, or 'Dr. Luke', of rape in 2014. Kesha fought for the termination of her contract with him, alleging he had "sexually, physically, verbally, and emotionally abused," her "to the point where [she] nearly lost her life".
Gottwald has always denied the claims, and, in 2023, a settlement was reached between the pair.
Rosie O'Donnell
'I guess a jury just never wants to believe that a woman stays because of power and coercion," comedian Rosie O'Donnell shared on Instagram following the Diddy verdict. She added: "Wow - they just think women stay because what? Money - fame - 'they love the abuse' - what a f****** joke - this decision got me angry #cassie."
Evan Rachel Wood
Elsewhere, actress Evan Rachel Wood, who accused her former partner Marilyn Manson of grooming and sexual abuse in 2021, which he denies, voiced her support for Cassie, too.
'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.'
Aubrey O'Day
Aubrey O'Day is a former member of Danity Kane, a group signed to Diddy's Bad Boy Records label. She has claimed she was fired from this role because she refused to do things "in other areas," under Combs' management. She too posted her support of Cassie.
'The cultural weight of this decision is immeasurable. It is heartbreaking to witness how many lives have been impacted by their experiences with Sean Combs - only for those stories to fall short in the eyes of a jury.
"I can only hope these jurors never have to watch someone they love endure what so many survivors have described. My heart is with Cassie. A woman who could've had a life and career free of fear and control. A woman who told her truth in a courtroom, only to have the world dissect her credibility instead of her courage.
'Let's be clear: the courtroom operates by the law, but that DOES NOT mean it delivers justice.'
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