The Price We Pay for Peace: Breaking Cycles of Abuse in the Black Community
From Puff Daddy to Predator, this Bad Boy nearly spent his life behind bars. Here’s our take on the infamous United States v. Combs case, and how it highlights what Black women have been saying for centuries.
Last month, a lawsuit was filed under a pseudonym by a female supporter of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, who contended that Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura and “All False Accusers of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs” were not victims, and were in fact, willing participants who should repay all the money earned from doing business with him. Although this suit has since been dismissed, it brings us to an all-too familiar conversation in our community– “Oh, I know them, they would never do something like that,” or “If you say something, you’re just sending another Black man to jail,” or “Did you see what she had on? She was asking for it.”
When victims of intracommunity violence are shamed into remaining silent, it creates cultural betrayal trauma–something that 75% of Black women abuse victims have experienced. This tendency shifts blame onto the victim, as seen in Defense Attorney Marc Agnifilo’s claim—“She was always free to leave. She chose to stay because she was in love with him.”
It’s no surprise that the Diddy’s trial has taken the nation by storm–and best believe, Black Women in Law are watching every move.
With constant court updates streamed through news and social media platforms, the highlight of this case points to the involvement of Combs’ ex-girlfriend and renowned R&B artist, Cassie Ventura. In the midst of all the discourse, Ms. Ventura’s role in the case is a representation of how Black women' s experiences in the legal system have been anything but easy and how these experiences are often invalidated.
According to the Los Angeles Times, “Jurors heard that Ventura was 19 when she met the 37-year-old Combs in 2005 . . . About two years later, he had Britney Spears come to her 21st birthday party, where Ventura and Combs kissed and their relationship began” During their relationship, Ms. Ventura engaged in multiple filmed “freak-offs” involving sex workers which Combs allegedly orchestrated and later used against her and her career. She stated that “If I pleased him with a freak-off, then my premiere would run smoothly,”
Although many viewed their relationship as a typical dynamic between a young singer and an older music mogul, what happened behind closed doors seemed to be more sinister than anyone could have imagined. Contrary to the Defense’s characterization of their “great modern love story”, Ms. Ventura testified to instances of domestic violence, specifically one instance where Mr. Combs attacked Ms. Ventura in her sleep and left a slash across her eyebrow. And, of course, described the events leading up to the infamous March 2016 video footage, which captured Mr. Combs punching, kicking, and dragging Ms. Ventura across a Los Angeles hotel floor. Since it was leaked to the press in 2023, the video has been viewed by millions, which thrust their relationship back into the spotlight.
Celebrities like Cedric the Entertainer were horrified by the video, and shared concern for women, wives and daughters, who could have potentially been in Ms. Ventura’s shoes. However, other celebrities like 50 Cent asserted that “Puffy” could never do such a thing and that the video evidence proved nothing. Just a few days ago, Ye and his daughter North collaborated on a new song supporting Diddy’s release. And even as they waited for the verdict to be delivered this afternoon, Diddy supporters surrounded the courthouse, pouring baby oil over each other and donning t-shirts with slogans like “A FREAKO is NOT A R.I.C.O”. Regardless of how his reputation has changed, the clip’s publication became an entryway for more victims to emerge.
While not the sole reason for Mr. Combs’ arrest, Ms. Ventura’s experience reshaped how this case is viewed by the court, the public, and the Black community.
To fully grasp the implications of this case, we must first lay out the facts. On November 16, 2023, Cassie filed suit against Combs, alleging that he had exposed her to ecstasy and opiates before establishing what would become an ongoing pattern of isolation from family and friends, violent outbursts in front of others, and eventually the infamous “Freak-Offs”. In this initial suit, Ms. Ventura alleged that Mr. Combs recorded these incidents, directing her movements and pushing her to perform even when she was so intoxicated she allegedly began to vomit. After enduring years of abuse, Ms. Ventura finally found the courage to walk away, and, after getting clean, filed a lawsuit demanding relief under acts in California and New York designed to protect survivors of trafficking and abuse.
This lawsuit was settled almost immediately, for what was recently revealed to have cost the music mogul a cool $20 million, but Cassie wasn't the first to accuse Combs of sexual misconduct. Former chef, Cindy Rueda, alleged that she was fired in retaliation for speaking out against the long work hours and non consensual exposure to a naked Mr. Combs and his guests. That lawsuit? Settled as well.
Between the two settlements, few dared to come forward until last September, when the Southern District of New York brought charges against Combs –one count of racketeering, two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution and two counts of sex trafficking–crimes which could land him in prison for the rest of his life. Since opening arguments in May, the defense has stood its ground on its right-to-privacy argument–acknowledging Combs’ drug use and history of domestic violence, but refuting the claims that any of his behavior amounted to sex trafficking, playing off the alleged lubed-up, drug-fueled, voyeuristic encounters with escorts as just another part of the celebrity’s private sexual preferences–and something that all of his accusers willingly consented to.
Although Cassie is the most famous witness to take the stand, and an anonymous ex-girlfriend, referred to as ‘Jane’, provided heartwrenching testimony of how Combs’ also kept her under his thumb by beating her, threatening his own suicide and threatening to release the sex tapes he recorded to Janes’ family.
Since Combs’s arrest, nearly seventy victims, several of whom were underage when the alleged incidents occurred, have accused Combs of assault, and the use of money, power, and influence to discourage victims from making their accusations public. Several of the accusers have allegedly remained silent for decades out of fear that speaking out would just lead to retaliation.
The Cost of Coming Forward:
United States v. Combs is not the first time a Black woman has been put on the stand and grilled about why she chose to stay. Over thirty years ago, Yale law school alumnus Anita Hill was publicly humiliated during a highly-publicized interrogation by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which at the time was solely composed of white men. “I’ve got to determine your motivation for [coming forward]. Are you a scorned woman? Do you have a martyr complex?” Senator Howell Heflin pressed. “If what you say this man said to you occurred, then why in God’s name would you speak to a man like that the rest of your life?” Senator Allen Simpson probed. Despite being thrown a barrage of questions on her character and the motivation and authenticity behind her allegations, Hill contended that she was sexually harassed and that, fearing retaliation, she delayed making allegations against Clarence Thomas until his 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings. In spite of her testimony, Thomas was confirmed by a slim 52-48 margin just four days later. This reflected the nation’s attitude–not only towards Hill, but towards all victims of sexual assault and harassment, especially Black women.
In 2018, a study compared the shift in public attitudes towards sexual assault allegations against two Supreme Court nomineees—Thomas in 1991 versuss Kavanaugh in 2018. In 1991, nearly 70% of respondents contended that their elected officials endorsement of Thomas would not affect their vote, unlike the latter, where nearly half of respondents stated that endorsing Kavanaugh would cost their Senator their vote. This speaks not only to the evolution of how victims of sexual assault and harassment are treated but also to the identity of the victim and the accused. Accusing one of the most powerful Black men in the nation brought great controversy within the African-American community, something that derailed Hill’s career, and could have cost her her life.
In the last 40+ years since Thomas’s confirmation hearings, our country’s attitude towards believing victims has improved significantly; however, the cycle of abuse and betrayal trauma in the Black community remains perpetuated–either covertly by one-off remarks and family-room debates, or overtly in propagandized media. Even one of BusinessInsider’s latest bylines regarding the ongoing trial reads: “Diddy Demonstrated Confidence by Resting His Case Without Calling a Single Witness.” He’s still human. The humanization of those who commit heinous crimes to get involved in an industry with extreme barriers to entry while assaulting young people looking for an opportunity is truly disheartening for so many but not entirely unfamiliar.
In our community, the abuser is so often the pastor, the uncle, the babysitter. And no matter what they do, they hold onto their humanity, to the point where victims may feel as if speaking up about abuse is like betraying one of their own. In “Black Women and Girls & #MeToo: Rape, Cultural Betrayal, & Healing”, Jennifer Gomez explains, “The same loyalty to innocent Black men who are abused by discriminatory police and judicial systems can also transfer to rapists: Black women are charged with protecting their attackers at the expense of themselves.”
Believing Black women is not enough to break the cycle of trauma and abuse. It will take accountability. Studies have shown that victims of sexual violence are prone to long-term physical, psychological, and emotional manifestations of their trauma, and these can be passed on genetically to their descendants. If the lives of victims are permanently altered by these events, so should the lives of the abusers. When allegations are substantiated, accountability must follow—regardless of the abuser’s race.
After years of silencing and shaming Black women, Cassie Ventura’s case is an opportunity for America to redeem itself. Finding Diddy guilty on all charges would have sent a much needed message to powerful men everywhere, especially to those that are influential within the Black community—no one is above the law, and no amount of fame or influence can prevent justice from being served. ■
This piece was co-authored by Nia McCombs and Lelah Tekhna. You can learn more about us below.
