Case #1:23-cv-10098 · United States District Court, Southern District of New York
Ventura v. Combs et al
Closed
Sean Combs
Bad Boy Entertainment
Bad Boy Records
Epic Records
Combs Enterprises, LLC
Doe Corps. 1-10
Parties
Casandra Ventura Plaintiff
Sean Combs Resident of California, rapper and record executive, founder of Bad Boy Entertainment and Combs Enterprises, LLC.
Bad Boy Entertainment Music, media, and entertainment company founded by Sean Combs, based in New York.
Bad Boy Records Delaware LLC with principal place of business in New York, NY, record label under Bad Boy Entertainment.
Epic Records New York-based record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment.
Combs Enterprises, LLC New York LLC, affiliated with Sean Combs.
Doe Corps. 1-10 Unnamed corporations/entities affiliated with Sean Combs and other defendant corporations.
Factual Allegations
Disclaimer: allegations as pled by the plaintiff, summarized by Grok.
Casandra Ventura met Sean Combs in 2005 or 2006 at age 19, signing a ten-album deal with Bad Boy Records in February 2006. Combs, then 37, lured her into a romantic relationship marked by control, violence, and abuse from 2007 onward. He exerted dominance over her career and personal life, providing lavish gifts, apartments, and drugs while subjecting her to physical beatings (e.g., January 2009 in Los Angeles, 2015 in Las Vegas), forced sexual acts with male sex workers termed 'Freak Offs' (FOs) from 2007 across multiple cities (New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta), and rape in September 2018 in Malibu, California. Combs used his network to track her when she fled, including after blowing up Kid Cudi’s car in 2012. Ventura escaped in 2018-2019, suffering lasting trauma requiring medical and psychological care.
Prayer for Relief
Compensatory damages (consequential damages, lost wages, earnings) with interest, damages for mental pain and severe emotional distress, punitive and exemplary damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, prejudgment and post-judgment interest, and other relief deemed just by the court.
Causes of Action
FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION Sex Trafficking under 18 U.S.C. § 1591
et seq. (All Defendants)
SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION Violation of The New York Services for Victims of Human Trafficking
N.Y. Servs. Law § 483-bb(c) (All Defendants)
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION Violation of The California Trafficking Victims Protection Act
Cal. Civil Code § 52.5 (All Defendants)
FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION Battery/Sexual Battery Under New York Law
(Defendant Sean Combs)
FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION Sexual Assault pursuant to The California Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act
Cal. Civ. Proc. § 340.16 (All Defendants)
SIXTH CAUSE OF ACTION Violation of the Victims of Gender-Motivated Violence Act
N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 10-1101, et seq. ('VGMVPL') (All Defendants)
SEVENTH CAUSE OF ACTION Sexual Harassment
Gender Discrimination, and Hostile Work Environment under New York State Human Rights Law, N.Y. Exec. Law §§ 290, et seq. ('NYSHRL') (All Defendants)
EIGHTH CAUSE OF ACTION Sexual Harassment
Gender Discrimination, and Hostile Work Environment under New York City Human Rights Law, N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101, et seq. ('NYCHRL') (All Defendants)
Disposition
Dismissal with Prejudice — November 20, 2023
Pursuant to an agreement between the parties, Plaintiff dismissed the action with prejudice and without costs or fees to either party, per Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i).
Docket
| Date | No. | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 16, 2023 | 1 | COMPLAINT against Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, Sean Combs, Combs Enterprises, LLC, Doe Corporations 1-10, Epic Records. (Filing Fee $ 402.00, Receipt Number ANYSDC-28580075)Document filed by Casandra Ventura..(Wigdor, Douglas) (Entered: 11/16/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 16, 2023 | 2 | CIVIL COVER SHEET filed..(Wigdor, Douglas) (Entered: 11/16/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 16, 2023 | 3 | REQUEST FOR ISSUANCE OF SUMMONS as to Sean Combs, re: 1 Complaint. Document filed by Casandra Ventura..(Wigdor, Douglas) (Entered: 11/16/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 16, 2023 | 4 | NOTICE OF APPEARANCE by Meredith Anne Firetog on behalf of Casandra Ventura..(Firetog, Meredith) (Entered: 11/16/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 16, 2023 | 5 | NOTICE OF APPEARANCE by Michael John Willemin on behalf of Casandra Ventura..(Willemin, Michael) (Entered: 11/16/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 17, 2023 | 6 | ELECTRONIC SUMMONS ISSUED as to Sean Combs..(pc) (Entered: 11/17/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 20, 2023 | 7 | NOTICE OF VOLUNTARY DISMISSAL pursuant to Rule 41(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, the plaintiff(s) and or their counsel(s), hereby give notice that the above-captioned action is voluntarily dismissed, with prejudice and without costs against the defendant(s) Bad Boy Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, Sean Combs, Combs Enterprises, LLC, Doe Corps. 1-10, Epic Records. Document filed by Casandra Ventura. Proposed document to be reviewed and processed by Clerk's Office staff (No action required by chambers)...(Wigdor, Douglas) (Entered: 11/20/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 21, 2023 | 8 | NOTICE OF DISMISSAL WITH PREJUDICE: Pursuant to an agreement between the parties, Plaintiff hereby dismisses this action, with prejudice and without costs or fees to either party, pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(1)(A)(i). So ordered. Sean Combs, Epic Records., Sean Combs, Combs Enterprises, LLC, Doe Corps. 1-10, Epic Records, Bad Boy Entertainment and Bad Boy Records terminated. (Signed by Judge Denise L. Cote on 11/21/2023) (vfr) (Entered: 11/21/2023) | View PDF |
| Nov 17, 2023 | 6.1 | Magistrate Judge Barbara C. Moses is designated to handle matters that may be referred in this case. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. Section 636(c) and Fed. R. Civ. P. 73(b)(1) parties are notified that they may consent to proceed before a United States Magistrate Judge. Parties who wish to consent may access the necessary form at the following link: https://nysd.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/AO-3.pdf. (pc) | No document |
| Nov 17, 2023 | 6.2 | CASE OPENING INITIAL ASSIGNMENT NOTICE: The above-entitled action is assigned to Judge Denise L. Cote. Please download and review the Individual Practices of the assigned District Judge, located at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/judges/district-judges. Attorneys are responsible for providing courtesy copies to judges where their Individual Practices require such. Please download and review the ECF Rules and Instructions, located at https://nysd.uscourts.gov/rules/ecf-related-instructions..(pc) | No document |
| Nov 17, 2023 | 6.3 | Case Designated ECF. (pc) | No document |
| Nov 17, 2023 | 6.4 | ***NOTICE TO ATTORNEY REGARDING PARTY MODIFICATION. Notice to attorney Douglas Holden Wigdor. The party information for the following party/parties has been modified: Doe Corporations 1-10. The information for the party/parties has been modified for the following reason/reasons: party name contained a typographical error;. (pc) | No document |
Attorneys
Douglas H. Wigdor
Wigdor LLP
Plaintiff
Meredith A. Firetog
Wigdor LLP
Plaintiff
Michael J. Willemin
Wigdor LLP
Plaintiff
Erica A. Wolff
Sher Tremonte
Civil Defense