Cassie Ventura’s lawyer issued a statement on her behalf after Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison on Friday for his conviction on two prostitution-related offenses.
Ventura, an ex-girlfriend of Combs, was a key witness in the prosecution’s case against him.
In a statement to ABC News, Ventura’s lawyer Doug Wigdor said, “While nothing can undo the trauma caused by Combs, the sentence imposed today recognizes the impact of the serious offenses he committed.”
Wigdor continued, “We are confident that with the support of her family and friends, Ms. Ventura will continue healing knowing that her bravery and fortitude have been an inspiration to so many.”
Leading up to Combs’ sentence, Ventura wrote a letter to Judge Arun Subramanian, pleading to consider her and other victims’ experiences, and recalled her testimony in court as “the most traumatic and horrifying chapter in my life.”
She added that in her time dating Combs, she found herself “in a constant state of hypervigilance.”
“I still have nightmares and flashbacks on a regular, everyday basis, and continue to require psychological care to cope with my past,” she wrote.
“My worries that Sean Combs or his associates will come after me and my family is my reality. I have in fact moved my family out of the New York area and am keeping as private and quiet as I possibly can because I am so scared that if he walks free, his first actions will be swift retribution towards me and others who spoke up about his abuse at trial,” Ventura added.
Ventura testified for four days during the first week of Combs’ trial.
Combs was ultimately found not guilty of the most serious charges against him — racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking — but was found guilty on two counts of transportation for the purposes of prostitution.
Gloria Allred, who represents alleged victims of Combs, reacted to his sentencing to reporters outside of the Manhattan courthouse on Friday, saying the music mogul “has to pay the price for what he did.”
“Many of my clients were very concerned that he might walk free by the end of this year, time served and then a couple more months,” she said.
“And they were very much afraid that he would retaliate against them. And so I think that they will be happy that he will be at least in prison for a number of years,” Allred added.
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