Diddy Reportedly Under NYPD Investigation Amid Lawsuit By Ex Cassie

Sean "Diddy" Combs is reportedly being investigated by the New York City Police Department as he faces a lawsuit from his ex-girlfriend Cassie over accusations of sexual assault and abuse. According to law enforcement sources who spoke to TMZ, there is currently an "active" case at NYPD with the name "Sean Combs," though it is uncertain if it is the same Sean Combs as the Bad Boy Records mogul.

Details of the investigation are slim at this time, with TMZ reporting that the case file has been "locked," meaning access is restricted. As such, it is unclear who made the criminal complaint and if it is in any way related to the accusations made by Cassie. In a statement to the outlet, the NYPD confirmed the investigation is related to sexual assault and rape.

"The NYPD takes sexual assault and rape cases extremely seriously, and urges anyone who has been a victim to file a police report so we can perform a comprehensive investigation, and offer support and services to survivors," the department told the outlet. When TMZ reached out to law enforcement in other jurisdictions mentioned in Cassie's lawsuit, including Miami, Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, they were told that no police report has been filed as it pertains to Cassie or Diddy, and no investigation has been launched."

News of the investigation was first reported on just hours after Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, filed a complaint against Combs, on Thursday in New York. The two met in 2005 when she was aged 19 and split in 2018. In her complaint, Cassie alleged she was stuck in a decade-long "cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking" as soon as she met Combs and signed with Bad Boy in 2006. Cassie claimed that Combs had "complete control" over her life, "thereby ensuring her inability to escape his hold," and began giving her "copious amounts of drugs." He also became violent, beating her "multiple times each year." According to the lawsuit, Combs forced himself into Ventura's apartment after dinner in 2018 and sexually assaulted her while she "repeatedly said 'no' and tried to push him away." After that, she left him permanently.

Combs has denied the accusations. In a statement to PEOPLE, the musician's lawyer Ben Brafman said, "Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations," adding that "Ms. Ventura's demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail." Bafman added, "Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs' reputation, and seeking a pay day."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.