Cassie Says She Left U.S., Seeks New York Venue in Clayton Howard Case 1 Year Later
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 2
Cassie Says She Left U.S., Seeks New York Venue in Clayton Howard Case 1 Year Later
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 2
Summary
A May 1 court declaration shows Cassie now lives outside the United States and does not intend to return, as she asked to move her legal fight with Clayton Howard from California to New York.
New York would make travel for proceedings "significantly more convenient," according to the filing, though Cassie did not disclose which country she moved to.
Howard's lawsuit centers on allegations tied to alleged drug-fueled "freak offs" involving Cassie and Sean "Diddy" Combs, claims that later surfaced during Combs' 7-week federal trial.
That trial ended July 2, 2025 with Combs convicted on 2 prostitution-related counts, acquitted on racketeering and sex-trafficking charges, and later sentenced to 50 months in prison.
The filing adds a new turn to the fallout from Cassie's 2023 suit against Combs, which settled for $20 million and helped trigger broader scrutiny; a separate Combs case is now under review in Los Angeles.