Clayton Howard, a self-described “independent male companion” who filed a lawsuit last year against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie Ventura, is pushing back against allegations that comments he made online amounted to “explicit threats of violence.” The dispute stems from a video Howard posted in June. Ventura’s attorneys argued the video contained statements that crossed the line from criticism into intimidation. Consequently, her legal team later asked a California judge to prevent further public comments. They viewed those comments as potentially harmful to the proceedings.
In a June 10 letter, Ventura’s lawyers pointed to several statements from Howard’s video. They argued these statements qualified as threats. “Mr. Howard directly threatened Ms. Ventura, stating: ‘Bitch, I’m going to burn you out with fire’ and also stated, regarding both [attorney Douglas H. Wigdor] and Ms. Ventura, ‘He wants to play stupid games, you want to play stupid games, you can win stupid prizes.’ These constitute true threats of violence,” the attorneys wrote.
Howard has rejected that interpretation, saying his words were being taken out of context. According to court records obtained by TMZ, he acknowledged posting the nine-minute TikTok video on June 7. However, he denied that it was intended to threaten Ventura, her attorneys, or anyone else involved in the case. He has agreed to “refrain from public commentary” moving forward.
Howard Defends Remarks Amid Legal Battle
“I have never threatened physical harm or violence against [Cassie Ventura], against any member of her legal team, or against any person, whether in the video or otherwise,” Howard stated in a June 16 filing. “Nothing I said in the video was said with the intent to threaten, intimidate, or place any person in fear of physical harm, and I did not consciously disregard any risk that my words would be understood that way.” Howard argued that the phrase “burn you out with fire” was a “figure of speech.” Also, he stated that “play stupid games, win stupid prizes” was a “common idiom referring to consequences.”
The lawsuit itself remains tied to broader allegations Howard made against Combs, Ventura, and Bad Boy Records. In an amended complaint filed last October, Howard claimed he endured “an eight-year period of systematic sexual exploitation, trafficking, and abuse” beginning in 2009. Moreover, he argued that a “misleading public narrative” had developed around the case. He claimed Ventura was viewed only as a victim rather than “an active and engaged participant.”
Ventura previously testified against Combs during his federal trial, which ended with his conviction on Mann Act violations. Combs, 56, is currently scheduled to be released from prison in February 2028.
Leave a Reply