Diddy, Cassie, and the Dangerous Trend of Victim Blaming

Earlier this month, a TikTok search for Casandra Ventura's testimony in the federal sex trafficking case against Sean Combs quickly revealed autocomplete suggestions like "cassie is a liar diddy."

Ventura is not the defendant; rather, she is the prosecution’s key witness in the racketeering conspiracy trial against Combs. Several notable witnesses, including rapper Kid Cudi, who briefly dated Ventura, and Dawn Richard, former member of Danity Kane, have also testified about Combs's violent behavior. Additionally, hotel surveillance footage showing Combs physically assaulting Ventura has been publicly circulated, and Combs paid Ventura a multi-million-dollar settlement following her 2023 lawsuit alleging sex trafficking and sexual assault.

Given these facts, Ventura’s credibility as a witness to her own experience should be unquestioned. Nonetheless, social media users have sought to erode public trust in her testimony, casting doubt on Combs’s alleged guilt by selectively presenting her statements out of context. This strategy exploits a general lack of understanding about sexual assault and domestic violence among the public.

During cross-examination, defense attorneys had Ventura read text messages in which she appeared to respond positively to some planned sexual encounters. However, Ventura explained she felt pressured to act this way, aiming to appease Combs, who allegedly threatened to release private videos of their intimate acts if she resisted his demands.

Supporters of Combs seem to disregard this critical context. For instance, on the platform X, influencer Andrew Tate—who is known for his misogynistic views and faces multiple legal charges including rape and human trafficking—used derogatory language against Ventura, attacked her husband, and claimed, "No victims. Only volunteers."

The prevailing narrative among those discrediting Ventura concedes only to the evidence of physical abuse shown in the hotel footage but dismisses the broader allegations as fabrications motivated by bitterness and financial gain.