A psychotherapist has weighed in on Diddy‘s alleged abuse of Cassie Ventura – as the rapper’s blockbuster trial continues to shock the entertainment world.
Janet Bayramyan, who specializes in narcissism, told the Daily Mail the allegations leveled against him are commonly on display in relationships like theirs.
She said the use of coercion, control, sexual and physical violence are often reported by victims to their therapists.
But she noted the main difference between Diddy’s alleged actions and that of most other abusers lies in the scale in which it occurred.
It comes as R&B singer Cassie delivered horrifyingly graphic testimonies alleging the music mogul physically and psychologically abused her for more than a decade.
The 38-year-old detailed regular beatings, blackmail, depraved sex acts and the medical toll she suffered as a result.
Cassie Ventura was 19 years old when she first met 37-year-old Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Bayramyan said all abusers have one thing in common, and she has seen the same outcome from the ongoing trial.
Rather than anger, she explained a desire to ‘control’ is at the heart of a lot of abuse. ‘Abusers believe they have a right to dominate their partner’s emotions, body, time and decisions,’ she said.
‘Tools like violence, sex, money, and threats are used to enforce that control.’
She said in the context of Diddy, there appears to have been an aspect of career control over Cassie, as well as financial, cultural and social power and influence.
Essentially, he had enough power to make it hard for people to believe her or support her.
She continued: ‘He had the means to surveil, intimidate, and retaliate without immediate consequence.’
Bayramyan said Cassie’s testimony about Diddy is an example of someone who was groomed – especially considering she was 19 and he was 37 when they met.
‘She also describes experiences related to isolation, and limitations in who she could contact and spend time with,’ she said.
Cassie was also seen with a large bruise on her upper lip during her relationship with Combs
In another picture Cassie was seen with a large cut over her left eye, which she claimed she sustained in Canada when Diddy threw her into a bed frame
‘This isolation is a common tactic used to increase the victim’s dependence on the abuser. There also included discussion of coercive control.
‘She described having to engage in forced sex, sex that was recorded, and threats to expose the recordings should she not follow what he stated she needed to do.’
Bayramyan said it sounds like Cassie trauma bonded with Diddy.
When Cassie’s mother Regina took the stand to testify against Diddy, she said he had allegedly threatened to leak sexual videos of Cassie to the public.
Bayramyan continued: ‘Revenge porn, or the threat of exposing private, sexual images or videos, is a method of post-breakup control.
‘It’s meant to humiliate the victim, and pressure them into continued silence and following their ‘rules’.’
‘It can also deter them from leaving the relationship as well, and continue to reinforce dominance.’
She said for someone like Diddy – who has power, wealth and influence – threats like these serve to intimidate victims into silence.
But abuse like this doesn’t just start overnight. Bayramyan explained that most abusers reveal certain signs of abuse early on.
Some of these include love bombing, quick commitment – such as like pushing for exclusivity early on – jealousy disguised as love, monitoring, criticism and a disrespect of boundaries.
But just because these signs can be detected early into a relationship doesn’t mean that abuse can always be ‘avoided’ or ‘escaped.’
Cassie also showed images of her bruises that she alleged were inflicted by the rapper
Even in less severe cases, factors like fear of violence, emotional attachment, shame and self-blame, financial dependence, threat to one’s livelihood, and a lack of social support can all cause victims to stay in their abusive dynamics.
And in Cassie’s case specifically, Bayrayman said it could have been all of that and more.
‘Diddy was her boss, producer, and partner,’ she said. ‘He allegedly controlled her finances and career opportunities.
‘He was connected in nearly every corner of the industry. He had legal teams, media power, and publicists to protect his image.’
She said speaking out could have meant being blackballed, smeared, or harmed.
‘This is what trauma therapists call a ‘closed system of power’ – there’s no safe exit when the abuser controls every door.’
Diddy denies sex-trafficking ex-girlfriend Cassie, who completed her evidence earlier this week, and a second unidentified woman.
He also denies racketeering. Diddy’s lawyers concede he is a domestic abuser, after a 2016 clip of him beating up Cassie in a hotel hallway stunned the world.
