Singer-songwriter Tiffany Red penned an open letter to Sean Combs that was published in Rollingstone.com. Red corroborated the claims of abuse made by singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in her $30 million lawsuit against Combs.
Despite denying Ventura’s allegations, Combs quickly settled the lawsuit within 24 hours.
Red – who has written songs for Zendaya, Joe Jonas, Jason Derulo, and Tamar Braxton, among others — is a close friend of Ventura’s.
Red (R) recalls an incident when she felt “helpless and scared” watching Combs scream and curse at Ventura on the night of Ventura’s second album release party (the album was never released).
Red says she attempted to intercede on Ventura’s behalf when an “intoxicated” and furious Combs demanded Ventura leave with him. She says she was later “disturbed to [the] core” when she learned that Combs had allegedly abused Ventura that night.
For years, Red silently supported Ventura and even became her manager in 2019. Now, Red is coming forward to share the trauma she felt that night and to hope that others will be unburdened and share their stories.
“I’m stepping forward to recount my experience as a witness to events detailed in my friend Casandra Ventura’s now-settled civil lawsuit against you,” Red writes. “I’m breaking my silence, freeing myself from haunting recollections, standing in solidarity with Cassie, and standing up for myself. I fear for my safety as her suit alludes to me, although not by name. I hope that revealing my identity to the public will afford me some measure of protection.”
Red (R) describes meeting Combs in person in August 2015 at a surprise party he threw for Cassie’s 29th birthday at a hotel in Los Angeles.
“We arrived at the area reserved for her party at the hotel, and you popped out singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ There were many friends, a few famous faces, and cameras recording as we sang. She was definitely surprised,” Red writes.
Red said Combs approached her and introduced himself, saying, “So you’re the one writing all these songs about me?” When Red said yes, Combs “stared back and said, ‘That means she’s talking to you, huh?'”
After the party, they went back to Cassie’s house. Red recalls Cassie saying she didn’t want to go with Combs. But someone packed a bag for her anyway.
Red wrote:
“One of our friends was packing an overnight bag for her. I’ll never forget it; it was the biggest Birkin bag I’d ever seen. It was blue. I kept asking why they were packing her stuff if she clearly said she didn’t want to go with you, and this person said, ‘She always goes.’ You arrived at the door and whisked her away. Cassie looked uneasy. I didn’t know where you were taking her. Once you left, the person who packed the bag said, ‘They’ll be back; watch.’ It was almost like they had seen this movie before.”
Red continued her open letter to Combs:
“A few hours later, I was woken up by you screaming, ‘Emotional singing bitch, where are you?!’ You and Cassie were back, it was around 3 or 4 a.m. When I walked out of her bedroom where I was asleep, you yelled, ‘Emotional singing bitch, there you are.’ I was mortified, humiliated, and scared when I realized you were talking to me. You were visibly intoxicated, and so was Cassie. She appeared sedated and very withdrawn. It was the first time I saw her this way. You started screaming at us, ‘Tell your girl she wants some birthday dick. I flew all the way from Miami. She gone get this birthday dick!’ You were visibly angry that she didn’t want that from you. I was terrified; I said, ‘She doesn’t have to have sex with you if she doesn’t want to.’ You just kept screaming, ‘She gone get this dick.’ All I kept thinking about was how, before you came to get her and she was sober, she kept telling us she didn’t want to go with you.”
