Casandra Elizabeth Ventura ( ven-TUU-rə; born August 26, 1986) is an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her musical career in 2004 after meeting producer Ryan Leslie, who signed her to his record… Casandra Elizabeth Ventura ( ven-TUU-rə; born August 26, 1986) is an American singer, dancer, actress, and model. Born in New London, Connecticut, she began her musical career in 2004 after meeting producer Ryan Leslie, who signed her to his record label, NextSelection Lifestyle Group. She was then discovered by Sean Combs, who signed her to a joint venture with his label, Bad Boy Records, to commercially release her 2006 debut single, "Me & U". The song marked the first of her two entries on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number three.
With "Me & U" as its lead single, Ventura's self-titled debut studio album (2006) peaked at number four on the Billboard 200 and spawned the follow-up single, "Long Way 2 Go". In 2008 and 2009, she released the singles "Official Girl" (featuring Lil Wayne), "Must Be Love" (featuring Combs), and "Let's Get Crazy" (featuring Akon). She signed with Interscope Records to release her debut mixtape, RockaByeBaby (2013), which was promoted by the videos for its singles "Numb" (featuring Rick Ross) and "Paradise" (featuring Wiz Khalifa).
Ventura signed with Lewis modeling agency Wilhelmina Models early in her career, and later One Management. She has modeled for Calvin Klein and been featured in magazines including GQ, Seventeen, and Bust. She was the face of ASOS's 2013 spring collection. She has also starred in advertising for Delia's, Adidas, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Clean & Clear. She has appeared in films such as Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) and The Perfect Match (2016).
In late 2023, Ventura settled a high-profile sexual assault and abuse lawsuit against her former partner, Sean "Diddy" Combs. Numerous lawsuits regarding sexual misconduct were filed in the following months.
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