"In November 2023, singer Casandra Ventura filed a civil lawsuit against music producer Sean "Diddy" Combs, alleging years of abuse and exploitation. Although the case was settled within 24 hours, it triggered a federal investigation. Combs was arrested in September 2024 on charges including sex trafficking and racketeering. His trial began on 12 May 2025 in New York City. On 2 July 2025, he was acquitted of the most serious charges but convicted on two counts of transportation for prostitution."
""She wanted to stay, she could have left so many times!"-These are the claims legal analyst Bernarda Villalona quoted while covering Ventura's case for Eyewitness News, not representing her own view, but to illustrate the dominant public narrative. In legal settings, such statements frequently shape how courts and juries assess agency, credibility, and consent. They influence how victim testimony is received, how intent is interpreted, and how responsibility is distributed."
"In 2009, Cassie messaged Sean Combs saying she was "ready to freak off" for him anytime. The phrase has been used to suggest that her participation in what she later described as abusive and degrading sexual acts was voluntary. However, consent is not a one-time grant of permission that carries forward indefinitely. Legally and ethically, it is understood as a contextual, ongoing process-one that must be freely given, informed, and subject to withdrawal at any point."
Casandra Ventura filed a civil lawsuit accusing Sean "Diddy" Combs of years of abuse and exploitation; the case settled quickly but spurred a federal investigation and later criminal charges. Combs faced arrest and trial, resulting in acquittal on the most serious counts but conviction on two counts of transportation for prostitution. Public narratives framing participation as voluntary influenced assessments of agency and consent. Consent functions as a contextual, ongoing process that must be freely given, informed, and withdrawable; a single prior message cannot establish enduring consent amid alleged coercion, intimidation, or psychological manipulation.
Read at Psychology Today
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