Cassie burst onto the music scene in 2006 with an irresistible blend of pop and R&B.
Although the singer, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, withdrew from the spotlight in the ensuing years, she’s still beloved by fans of 2000s club jams.
In 2023, she filed a lawsuit against Sean “Diddy” Combs, alleging abuse throughout their relationship, including rape. An attorney for Combs denied the allegations to Business Insider. Cassie is now a key accuser in Combs’ criminal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial, which began on Monday.
Here’s everything to know about Cassie’s career, her connection to Diddy, and what her life is like today.
Cassie broke out with the club hit ‘Me & U’
Before launching her music career, Cassie had done some modeling for brands like Delia’s.
In 2006, when she was 19 years old, she released her debut single “Me & U.” It became her first hit, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and No. 3 on the Hot 100.
“Me & U” set the tone for her self-titled debut album, which was praised by critics for its “hypnotic groove” and “flippant playfulness.” Rolling Stone later described the album as “the most brilliantly minimalist R&B album of its era.”
In a positive review for Slant, Sal Cinquemani also said, “‘Me & U’ has single-handedly revived his ailing Bad Boy imprint,” referring to Combs, then known as Diddy.
Cassie signed to Bad Boy Records in 2006
An archived feature from 2008 said that Combs heard “Me & U” in a club and felt inspired to help Cassie’s career.
Combs teamed up with Ryan Leslie, who wrote and produced the song, to record Cassie’s album.
In 2008, she announced her plans to release her sophomore album.
“I guess I grew up a lot but I’m still in essence the same person,” Cassie, then 21, told Billboard. “Lots has changed in my life, stuff that has made me think about things differently. I’m more vulnerable and you can hear my vocals better this time around. There’s real emotion and a much realer connection with my fans.”
At the time, Combs praised Cassie’s musical development, which he said was reflected in the album.
“We pulled out, we took our time, we developed her for like, a year-and-a-half,” he told Billboard in a 2008 interview. “People are just going to see her there and be like, ‘Wow, she’s really cocooned into a butterfly.'”
However, the album was delayed several times. She didn’t release new music until 2012, when she surprise-dropped a set of three mixtapes. She continued releasing singles sporadically in the years following.
Cassie has dabbled in acting
Cassie played Sophie in the 2008 film “Step Up 2: The Streets,” and has also appeared in “The Perfect Match” and on several episodes of “Empire.”
Additionally, she appeared in the 2022 TV movie “Hip Hop Family Christmas Wedding.”
Cassie was in a tumultuous relationship with Diddy for over a decade
Prior to her lawsuit, gossip news sites reported that Cassie and Combs maintained an on-again, off-again relationship. They reportedly started dating in 2007 and broke up in 2018.
Cassie’s 2023 civil lawsuit accused Combs of serious allegations, painting the music mogul as an extremely violent and angry ex-partner.
It details several instances when the music mogul physically and mentally abused Cassie, as well as used intimidation tactics to keep her in the relationship. Combs quickly settled the suit shortly after it was filed.
Combs has been accused of sexual assault, rape, drugging, and other forms of violence in more than 50 civil lawsuits. He was arrested in September following a grand jury indictment and has denied the charges against him and all other allegations of sex abuse.
Combs’ criminal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial began on Monday. Cassie, the prosecution’s key witness in the case, took the stand on Tuesday and Wednesday to testify against Combs.
Cassie married Alex Fine in 2019 and now has two children, with a third on the way
Following her split from Combs in 2018, Cassie began a relationship with Alex Fine, a professional bull rider, model, and personal trainer.
In June 2019, the singer revealed that she and Fine were expecting their first child together. The couple tied the knot in a small, surprise wedding in September of that year in Malibu, California. Their daughter, Frankie Stone, was born in early December.
Cassie and Fine welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Sunny Cinco, in March 2021.
In February 2025, Cassie revealed that she’s pregnant with their third child, a son.
Libby Torres contributed to an earlier version of this story.
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