Cassie’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor made it clear that she is not a “winner” after the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial came to an end.
“Obviously, Cassie Ventura, at that point in time and today, is not the winner,” Wigdor told CNN on Wednesday, July 2. “She endured 10 years of abuse where she had to engage in days long sexual acts with UTIs, she alleged that she was she was raped.”
He added, “To call her a winner, even though she did get $30 million part from, as she testified, part from Sean Combs, part from the hotel, no amount of money is going to ever undo what she had to endure and what she had to go through.”
Cassie testified against Diddy in May, detailing alleged physical and sexual abuse she endured throughout their on-and-off relationship from 2007 to 2018.
Wigdor noted that Cassie is “really trying to look forward” in the aftermath of the trial.
“Both she and I didn’t really take well to that as her being ‘a winner,’” he added.
Wigdor’s statement came days after Diddy’s defense attorney Marc Agnifilo claimed in court on June 27 that Cassie — real name Casandra Ventura — came out of Diddy’s trial on top.
“If you had to pick a winner in this whole thing, it’s Cassie,” Agnifilo said at the time. “She is sitting somewhere in the world with $30 million.”
Wigdor spoke with CNN on Wednesday after the verdict in Diddy’s two-month trial was delivered. A New York jury found the music mogul guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution. He was further acquitted on two counts of sex trafficking and one racketeering conspiracy charge. Diddy faces up to 20 years in prison if given the maximum sentence.
During the same interview with CNN, Wigdor noted that there were “a lot of mixed emotions in that courtroom” after Diddy’s verdict was read.
“Obviously, we would’ve liked to have seen convictions on the RICO charges and the sex-trafficking charges, but Cassie prompted this investigation by the Southern District and now Sean Combs stands before this court as a convicted felon of two crimes,” he added, noting that this is “not the exact outcome that we wanted.”
Cassie is finding peace as the trial against Sean “Diddy” Combs comes to an end. “Cassie feels relieved now that she is removed from the trial,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “She is glowing and finally feels free. This marks the final chapter in her long and painful history with Diddy, and she is […]
Despite Diddy’s acquittal on three charges, Cassie is “comforted in knowing that not only has she played a role in the criminal prosecution but that she shined a light on this behavior,” Wigdor added.
Cassie broke her silence on the verdict in a statement to Us Weekly on Wednesday, released through Wigdor.
“This entire criminal process started when our client Cassie Ventura had the courage to file her civil complaint in November 2023,” the statement read. “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.”
Cassie “left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice” by coming forward, the statement continued.
“We must repeat — with no reservation — that we believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial,” the statement read. “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.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support. If you or someone you know is a human trafficking victim, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.