In a media culture obsessed with clicks, controversy, and viral commentary, murder victims often receive more dignity and protection than survivors of abuse who are still alive. This is dramatically obvious in the current trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Disturbing, graphic, and often traumatic details of alleged rape, abuse, and sex trafficking are being laid bare in the courtroom —yet the woman at the center of it all, Cassie Ventura, is being treated more like clickbait than a survivor.
In a media culture obsessed with clicks, controversy, and viral commentary, murder victims often receive more dignity and protection than survivors of abuse who are still alive. This is dramatically obvious in the current trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Disturbing, graphic, and often traumatic details of alleged rape, abuse, and sex trafficking are being laid bare in the courtroom —yet the woman at the center of it all, Cassie Ventura, is being treated more like clickbait than a survivor.
To be crystal clear: Cassie is not on trial. And yet, her name is being dragged through headlines, content thumbnails, social media posts, and podcasts with zero restraint. Although cameras are not allowed in the courtroom, this trial does not have a formal media ban and media outlets still have full access to the filings, testimonies, and exhibits—and they are using them. Graphic, disturbing testimony of physical, sexual abuse, rape, drugging, and coercion are being widely reported and picked apart in detail, often without trigger warnings or context—and then reshared with commentary by social media ‘journalists’. It has become viral content – with Cassie’s testimony not just being reported—but dissected, shared, re-edited, and repackaged with sound effects and memes.
And it is her name that continues to be front and center— her trauma replayed for public entertainment.
In many murder investigations, victims’ names are withheld. In sexual assault trials involving minors or vulnerable individuals, pseudonyms or initials are standard. Even dead victims are sometimes given more dignity than Cassie is receiving—and she’s alive. She is reliving the worst chapters of her life in real time as the media reduces her story to content.
Contrast this with the case of E.M., the woman at the center of the Canadian hockey gang rape investigation. Media outlets have respected her anonymity even as the case has gained international attention. Her story is serious, graphic, and deserving of justice—but she’s not the one being paraded across the internet.
So why is Cassie?
Think back to how Bill Cosby’s early accusers were treated—often anonymized and shielded by court orders—but in Cassie’s case, different rules seem to apply. Could it be because the victim is a Black woman? Could it be that the accused, Sean 'Diddy' Combs is a cultural icon with influence and decades of loyal fans? Or could it that the media and public at large sees her pain as profitable?
White female victims—especially when harmed by men of colour—are often protected, shielded, and supported by the media. But when the accused is a powerful Black man and the survivor is a Black woman? The narrative changes. We saw it with R. Kelly, where decades of victim-blaming delayed accountability. We’re seeing it again now with click-bait, sensationalized headlines and hooks, showing little to no regard for the victim's dignity. In just the first two days of the trial with horrifying testimonies, social media creators are using Cassie’s pain for views, for likes, for engagement. Graphic phrases – too disturbing to print in full – are being casually read aloud on livestreams. No trigger warnings. No context. Just content.
While traditional and social media descends into an all-out feeding frenzy, most aren't pausing to consider: What message does this send to future victims?
If murder victims can be protected and their families shielded from sensationalism, why not extend that same basic decency to Cassie?
She is not the criminal. She is not the one being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. She is not the one whose homes were raided by federal agents. But she is the one facing scrutiny, mockery, and doubt in the public arena. This is not only unjust – it's dangerous.
Media morality is collapsing. Journalism has always walked the line between informing and sensationalizing, but today’s digital-first ecosystem rewards the latter. With fewer editors and even fewer ethics, the “Wild West” of content creation has blurred the lines between storytelling and spectacle. And it's survivors who pay the price.
We need to ask ourselves: if this is how we treat someone brave enough to tell the truth, why would anyone else come forward?
Cassie deserves better. Survivors deserve better. Because what we’re witnessing isn’t just a case study in celebrity downfall – it's a failure of collective humanity.
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