Dear Cassandra Ventura Fine...

Dear Cassandra,

It is with so much respect and humility that I write this e-letter of love and support for you and the many other "Cassie's" in the world. Your bravery in the midst of fear, heartbreak, abandonment, mental and emotional health, and ability to feel is remarkable to say the least. I can't imagine what it took to file...to share out each horrific detail...to relive each memory...and to still want to protect your own peace, heart, and family. You courageously paved the way for others to stand strong and straighten their posture and speak up for the voiceless who can't.

To be 19 and curious, hopeful about your career, feel like you landed a big break, and manipulated isn't surprising. However, to be 19 and contractually manipulated and assaulted by immense power, entitlement, and long money over a span of 10+ years by someone that is a father, son, and businessman, is tumultuous in so may ways. How could someone with children do this to a teenager? How can someone that is close to their mother do this to someone else's child? How can someone who claims to have worked so hard to break into the industry be compelled to abuse someone else's excitement about making a name for themselves in the same industry? Who can you run too? Who do you call? Where do you go? When everyone and everything around you is paid for and controlled by the same person who signs your checks, owns your home, owns your car, and controls how you show up for and perform your job duties? The mental and emotional agony of it all...

I can not imagine how scared you felt....how trapped you felt....how hopeless you felt...how anxious you felt....the threatening texts, calls, "pop-ups", car rides, meetings, "pillow talk" convos in exchange for your livelihood, survival, career mobility, sanity...for over 10 years. Your entire 20's were contractually bound to someone that only found self-esteem in ensuring yours was gone. And yet, during that same time, when you may have second guessed who was watching and looking out for you the Universe granted you angels along the way. You did what so many people are not (and were not) able to do - speak your truth even when other people doubted your claims. You spoke your truth against generational systems of oppression, against historical oppressive patriarchy, and against an industry filled with NDA-based silence for so many.

None of us will ever know how deeply that moment in time impacted who we knew you to be then and how (and if) we will all get to experience you in the future. But for those of us that have been in situations at work, school, life, play, etc where we've experienced moments of abuse and justified it as "okay" or "they didn't mean it" or "I shouldn't have done that to make them so upset" or "it was just one time" - thank you for speaking up. Abuse comes in so many forms and until you are set free you don't realize all that you've endured. Your lawsuit was for you solely, and yet also for all the people that wake up and find themselves trapped in abusive work environments, toxic relationships, exhausting friendships, and community under-the-table agreements that cause them to lose sleep at night.

I hope you feel stronger than ever. I hope you feel more empowered than ever. I hope that you feel at peace more than ever. I hope you know that sunshine prevails - every time. Thank you for finding the spark within to do that hard work and stand up to darkness, showing us all that "the truth does in fact set you free." May you get to finally experience all the "money, power, and respect" you deserve and more. <3

-Liss

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P.S. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call 800-799-7233 and/or visit National Domestic Violence Hotline. xoxo