logo
Cassie's Lawyer Issues Statement Amid Sean 'Diddy' Combs Verdict

Cassie's Lawyer Issues Statement Amid Sean 'Diddy' Combs Verdict

Yahoo11-07-2025
Casandra 'Cassie' Fine's lawyer has released a statement following the verdict in the landmark sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs. On Wednesday morning (July 2), the 55-year-old was found guilty of two federal counts of transporting women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution, and acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges.
Fine's civil lawsuit, filed against Combs in November 2023, broke the ice on public allegations of rape and abuse against the Harlem native. Under New York State's Adult Survivors Act, she accused him of sex trafficking, sexual battery, sexual assault, and violations of New York City's gender-motivated violence law.
The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount in less than two days.
'Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution,' detailed Fine' attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, in a statement to Variety.
'By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice. We must repeat – with no reservation – that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion. This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors.'
The R&B singer not only filed the initial lawsuit against Combs, but she also testified during the shocking criminal trial. Video footage of a 2016 incident where Combs physically assaulted Fine was also included in the evidence.
'He would smash me in my head, knock me over, drag me, kick me, stomp me in the head if I was down,' detailed the 38-year-old on the witness stand.
According to CNN, Judge Arun Subramanian is expected to decide today if Combs should be released ahead of sentencing. His legal team has suggested that he return to his house in Miami and follow court-mandated conditions. Combs has remained behind bars since his September 2024 arrest.
More from VIBE.com
Funkmaster Flex Blasted For Rant Targeted At Cassie Following Diddy Verdict
Sean "Diddy" Combs Sex Trafficking Trial: Jury Deliberation Begins
Scott Storch Recalls Diddy Parties, Claims Mogul "Tried To Flirt" With Him
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New York agrees to settle lawsuit with ex-aide who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment
New York agrees to settle lawsuit with ex-aide who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment

Los Angeles Times

time6 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

New York agrees to settle lawsuit with ex-aide who accused Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment

The state of New York has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit from an ex-aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo who alleged he sexually harassed and groped her while he was in office. The former aide, Brittany Commisso, had sued Cuomo and the state, alleging sexual harassment from the then-governor and retaliation against her after reporting the incidents. The allegations were part of a barrage of similar misconduct claims that forced Cuomo to resign as governor in 2021. Commisso's lawyers said that the settlement announced Friday 'is a complete vindication of her claims' and that she is 'glad to be able to move forward with her life.' The settlement came as Cuomo is in the midst of a so-far bruising political comeback with a run for mayor of New York City. Cuomo lost the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani by more than 12 percentage points, and this week he relaunched his campaign to run in the general election as an independent candidate, beginning a potentially uphill battle in a heavily Democratic city where support is coalescing behind Mamdani. Cuomo, who has denied wrongdoing, has been dogged by the scandal during his campaign for mayor. 'The settlement is not a vindication, it is capitulation to avoid the truth,' Cuomo's lawyers said Friday in a statement in which they called Commisso's allegations false. The attorneys, Rita Glavin and Theresa Trzaskoma, added that they 'oppose the dismissal of Ms. Commisso's lawsuit.' 'Until the truth is revealed, the lawsuit should not be dismissed,' they said in the statement. Cuomo resigned as governor after a report from the state attorney general determined that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women, with some alleging unwanted kissing and touching, as well as remarks about their appearances and sex lives. Commisso filed her lawsuit in late 2023, just before the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a special law that created a yearlong suspension of the usual time limit to sue over an alleged sexual assault. She later filed a criminal complaint accusing Cuomo of groping her but a local district attorney declined to prosecute, citing lack of sufficient evidence. The Associated Press doesn't identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they decide to tell their stories publicly, as Commisso has done. Anthony Hogrebe, a spokesperson for current Gov. Kathy Hochul, said Friday that the state 'is pleased to have settled this matter in a way that allows us to minimize further costs to taxpayers.' Izaguirre writes for the Associated Press.

Katy Perry nearly plummets from floating butterfly as giant prop malfunctions during her show
Katy Perry nearly plummets from floating butterfly as giant prop malfunctions during her show

Yahoo

time7 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Katy Perry nearly plummets from floating butterfly as giant prop malfunctions during her show

First Beyoncé, now Katy Perry. The 'Part of Me' singer was in San Francisco on Friday night performing as part of her Lifetimes Tour, when a giant butterfly prop she was riding malfunctioned as it hung suspended over the crowd. As seen in several video clips shared by audience members on social media, Perry was in the midst of performing her 2013 hit 'Roar' at the Chase Center when the prop – on which Perry was rigged – jerked and dropped suddenly. Perry immediately stopped singing and managed to regain her balance and composure, at first looking up at the contraption that connected the butterfly to cables above. As the prop swung, Perry soon began performing the song again. CNN has reached out to representatives for Perry for comment. The near-mishap is at least the second such incident at a major tour this summer, after a flying car prop feratured in Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter tour tilted midair during a concert in Houston last month. The singer was quickly lowered down and without injury, according to Beyoncé's entertainment and management company at the time. Solve the daily Crossword

Billie Eilish Says Music Industry Started to Become More Eco-Friendly ‘Because We Would Yell at Them'
Billie Eilish Says Music Industry Started to Become More Eco-Friendly ‘Because We Would Yell at Them'

Yahoo

time8 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Billie Eilish Says Music Industry Started to Become More Eco-Friendly ‘Because We Would Yell at Them'

Billie Eilish has long been leading the charge against the music industry's negative impact on the environment — and in an interview on an upcoming episode of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, the singer-songwriter looks back on the positive changes she's been seeing since she started speaking up. In an exclusive clip shared with Billboard from the singer's conversation with CNN Chief Climate Correspondent Bill Weir, Eilish opens up about the culture shock of going from growing up in an eco-conscious household to becoming famous in an industry marked by overabundance and excess. Eilish's mom and fellow climate activist, Maggie Baird, also joins her for the interview. More from Billboard Why Billie Eilish Insists on Sustainability In Her Career: 'It's a Never-Ending F–king Fight' Kesha Makes Chart-Topping Debut With New Album '. (Period)' Rauw Alejandro Gains Big: 'Carita Linda' Takes No. 1 Spot on Latin Airplay Chart 'We were meeting different brands, and I was going to go on tour and making perfume and my own clothing line,' Eilish recalls of the early years of her career. 'We learned how much unbelievable waste is going on that we don't really know is happening.' 'We stepped into this other world, and it was a little bit like, 'Oh my gosh, what is happening here?'' Baird added incredulously. The mother-daughter duo go on to say that the music industry didn't have any sort of 'plan' for minimizing its eco footprint back when Eilish first found fame around 2016 — but now, they say it's changing for the better. 'You would not believe how wasteful this industry is,' the nine-time Grammy winner says in the clip. 'They then started making plans, because we would yell at them. We would demand a plan.' 'I was raised to feel this way, but I think I also have my mom's gene of really caring about the world and animals and not wasting things,' Eilish adds. For years, the musician has been a fierce climate advocate. In addition to working with fashion brands such as Nike and Oscar de la Renta to create vegan designs and partnering with environmental nonprofit REVERB on tour, the star launched her very own climate summit, Overheated, in 2022. She's also been a key player in carrying out the initiatives of Support + Feed, an organization founded by Baird in 2020 with a mission to fight climate change and food insecurity. Eilish and Baird's segment on The Whole Story echoes what both women previously spoke with Billboard about last year. Recalling how 'bleak' it was to take meetings with record label executives who couldn't even speak to their companies' sustainability efforts — or lack thereof — the singer pointed out how wasteful unethically sourced merchandise and album variants can be. 'It is right in front of our faces and people are just getting away with it left and right, and I find it really frustrating as somebody who really goes out of my way to be sustainable and do the best that I can and try to involve everybody in my team in being sustainable,' she said at the time. 'Then it's some of the biggest artists in the world making f–king 40 different vinyl packages that have a different unique thing just to get you to keep buying more.' In that same interview with Billboard, Baird praised Universal Music Group for coming 'a long way' in its environmental practices since Eilish signed to them nearly a decade ago. The live music industry has also been making strides, from Lollapalooza implementing a battery-powered hybrid system for its main stage to Coachella debuting a zero-carbon stage in 2025. Eilish is just one of a few musicians featured on the latest installment of The Whole Story, which will premiere at 8 p.m. ET on July 20. Titled 'Change Amplified: Live Music and the Climate Crisis,' the episode will also include first-hand accounts from Bonnie Raitt, Jack Johnson, Perry Farrell and AJR's Adam Met about how they're personally working to revolutionize the music industry's approach to environmentalism. Watch the exclusive clip from Eilish and Baird's interview with Weir above. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart Solve the daily Crossword

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store