Sensationalism and Pandering to Misogynists: How the Media is Dismissing Stockholm Syndrome in Cassie's Testimony

How the Media is Dismissing Stockholm Syndrome in Cassie's Testimony

Cassie, whose full name is Casandra Ventura, has finished her four-day testimony in the highly publicized Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial. During the sex trafficking trial, Cassie's testimony gave insights into the 10-plus-year relationship, including physical violence, forced sexual encounters known as 'freak offs', intimidation, and drugs. As transcripts of her testimony poured in, the media and public opinion proved incapable of sympathizing with Cassie, and blatant ignorance surrounding victims of sexual assault and domestic violence persisted.

Understanding Stockholm Syndrome in Cassie's Testimony & IPV

Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological survival response that can occur when a victim develops emotional bonds with an abuser over time. In cases of intimate partner violence or IPV, this syndrome can explain why some survivors remain in abusive relationships or even defend their abusers despite suffering physical, emotional, or psychological harm.

While the media and everyone with an opinion are misinterpreting text exchanges and looking for moments to make Cassie appear culpable, they ignore the reality. She was 19 years old when she met Diddy in 2005, when he was 37. Aside from the nearly 20-year age difference, there was a significant power imbalance. He wasn't just one of the most notable and connected figures in entertainment. Sean Combs was her "boss," who signed her to a 10-album record deal. He held her career in his hands, as well as her security and financial stability.

In abusive intimate relationships, the abuser often uses a cycle of manipulation, fear, threats, and intermittent kindness to gain control. With Combs, that control was easy to access with the promise of a thriving music career. The average victim becomes isolated from friends, family, and other support systems, making the abuser their sole source of validation, safety, or affection, even when that "safety" coexists with violence. Because celebrity culture is layered in secrets and power dynamics, isolation simply looked like others turning a blind eye to the abuse. 

The bond formed in this context is not love in a healthy sense, but a coping mechanism. Victims may begin to see the world through the abuser's perspective, internalizing blame and minimizing the abuse. Periods of calm or kindness from the abuser may be perceived as signs of genuine care or change, reinforcing hope and deepening the attachment.

The Problem with Asking "Why Didn't Cassie Leave?"

Stockholm Syndrome can also be exacerbated by trauma bonding, financial dependence, fear of retaliation, or societal judgment, factors that make leaving not only difficult but dangerous. In this specific case, claims of Combs' threats to "disappear" individuals, his willingness to be violent publicly without consequences, including blowing up cars, should put the question to rest entirely.

It's important to understand that Stockholm Syndrome is not a weakness or a choice. It's a human response to prolonged trauma and captivity. What Cassie endured was a nightmare, and it should be perceived as such. However, misogyny has men and, unfortunately, women downplaying the horrors she experienced as if wealth changes the idea of abuse and who's considered a victim.

The media will continue to cast doubt and create clickbait, knowing they have an audience who will eat it up. And while the incels and misogynists gather to create narratives voided of common sense and understanding of what victims of intimate partner violence and sexual assault go through, Cassie will move forward and thrive.