Alleged Freak-Off Worker Promises Cassie To Stop Harassment

BY Aron A.
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Boxing: Mayweather vs McGregor
Aug 26, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dancer Cassie Ventura and personality and recording artist Sean 'Puffy' Combs aka Diddy in attendance of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight against Conor McGregor during a boxing match at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Clayton Howard promises not to harass Cassie any further as the trial takes place.

While Diddy received some good news lately, it appears that Cassie has, as well. According to All Hip Hop, the man suing both Cassie and Diddy told a judge that he has removed a controversial video from the internet. Furthermore, he agreed to refrain from publicly commenting about the case as litigation is ongoing.

Clayton Howard, a sex worker hired for the alleged freak-offs, filed a $20M lawsuit against the former couple, and his latest statement came in response to Cassie’s request for a protective order after a nine-minute video posted online drew renewed attention to the dispute.

According to court filings referenced by Cassie’s legal team, the video included language they interpreted as threatening. Her attorneys said that the content went above and beyond criticism, demanding court intervention to limit harassment. 

Howard told the court he has since deleted the video and confirmed he will not make additional public statements about Cassie or her counsel while the case is active. He also submitted a written assurance to Judge Anne Hwang outlining his commitment to avoid further online commentary tied to the litigation.

Alleged Freak-Off Worker Pushes Back Against Characterizations

However, Howard did not agree with the characterization of his earlier remarks as threats. In his filing, he argued the language cited in the video was figurative and should be understood as a rhetorical expression rather than literal intent. He pointed to common idioms and disputed the claim that his comments amounted to intimidation.

Howard also pushed back against a request from Cassie’s legal team to bypass the standard meet-and-confer process, saying such a move would place him at a disadvantage as a pro se litigant. He suggested instead that any required communication could take place by email.

In the same filing, Howard issued a formal disavowal of any intent to threaten or harm Cassie, her attorneys, or anyone involved in the lawsuit, while maintaining that his speech is protected under the First Amendment.

The defense’s responses to Cassie’s motion to dismiss is due June 20, 2026.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.

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