Cassie speaks out after Diddy assault video: 'Domestic Violence is THE issue'
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By now, many have seen the video of Sean “Diddy” Combs kicking, hitting and dragging then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.
Last November, Ventura filed a civil suit through New York’s Adult Survivor’s Act. The suit alleged instances of sexual abuse against Combs during their seven-year relationship. She also sued his companies, Bad Boy Entertainment, Epic Records and Combs Enterprises. The following business day, Combs had settled the lawsuit with Ventura.
Combs recently posted a video on his Instagram apologizing for his behavior but did not offer an apology to Ventura.
Cassie breaks silence after release of Diddy assault video
On Thursday, Ventura finally shared her thoughts on the recent events in an Instagram post.
"Thank you for all the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet," the post said. "Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become."
Domestic violence fatalities in Texas
According to a report by the Texas Council on Family Violence, 179 women were killed by an intimate partner or a stalking perpetrator in 2022. The number of women killed by men that year increased 6% from 169 women in 2021. Male-identified intimate partners killed 174 women, two women were killed by men who pursued unwanted romantic relationships and stalked them, and female-identified intimate partners killed three women.
According to the same report, statistics for men in Texas included 37 men killed by an intimate partner. The number of men killed by women increased 21% from 28 in 2021 to 34 men in 2022. Three men were killed by same-gender partners, a 57% decrease from seven men killed by same-gender partners in 2021.
Signs of domestic violence, abuse in relationships
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, signs of abuse in a relationship are not always recognized immediately.
However, there are indications that can point to abusive behavior.
Telling you that you never do anything right.
Showing extreme jealousy of your friends or time spent away from them.
Preventing or discouraging you from spending time with others, particularly friends, family members or peers.
Insulting, demeaning or shaming you, especially in front of other people.
Preventing you from making your own decisions, including about working or attending school.
Controlling finances in the household without discussion, such as taking your money or refusing to provide money for necessary expenses.
Pressuring you to have sex or perform sexual acts you’re not comfortable with.
Pressuring you to use drugs or alcohol.
Intimidating you through threatening looks or actions.
Insulting your parenting or threatening to harm or take away your children or pets.
Intimidating you with weapons like guns, knives, bats or mace.
Destroying your belongings or your home.
Non-physical signs of domestic violence, abuse
Domestic violence impacts people across ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation and socioeconomic status and can be more than just physical violence.
Victim advocate and author Beverly Gooden draws from her personal experience with intimate partner violence to support those in need. Her work focuses on raising awareness of the nature of domestic violence, emphasizing that it extends beyond physical abuse to include financial control. Gooden educates others on the fundamental issue of power dynamics at the core of domestic violence.
“Financial abuse is actually the most common form of abuse, and a lot of people don't know what financial abuse is,” she said in a 2022 interview. “It's when a partner, specifically a partner, uses money or any other financial tool or resources to control their partner. So that could look like running out their credit card so that they don't have access to money if they want to escape or opening credit cards using their Social Security number, and then running up those credit cards.”
Resources for domestic violence survivors in Texas
There are several resources for those looking to get out of an abusive relationship and those who need financial help or information about state laws that apply to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Womenslaw.org: Provides plain-language legal information for victims of abuse.
Domesticshelters.org: A searchable directory of domestic violence programs and shelters in the U.S. and Canada, which includes 147 organizations in Texas.
Texas Advocacy Project: Provides free legal services and access to the justice system for domestic violence survivors.
Love Is Respect: The organization shares information, support and advocacy with people between the ages of 13 and 26 who have questions or concerns about their romantic relationships.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: Shares tools and confidential support to help survivors of domestic violence live their lives free of abuse.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs other active cases
As of now, Combs has at least five active federal lawsuits filed against him. Here are the other lawsuits against Combs including another one filed this week.
Nov. 16, 2023: Cassie Ventura, an artist signed onto Bad Boy Records, filed a suit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, alleging that Combs provided her with copious amounts of drugs before sexually assaulting her. The former couple reached a settlement one day after the singer filed her lawsuit. A settlement amount was not disclosed.
Nov. 23, 2023: Joi Dickerson-Neal, filed suit in the Supreme Court of New York, New York County, alleging that Combs drugged her, sexually assaulted her and filmed a “revenge porn” tape of his assault.
Nov. 23, 2023: Liza Gardener filed suit in the Supreme Court of New York, New York County, alleging that Combs and Aaron Hall sexually assaulted her when she was a minor.
Dec. 6, 2023: Jane Doe filed suit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, alleging that when she was a minor, she was gang raped by Combs, Harve Pierre and a third unnamed assailant.
Feb. 26, 2024: Rodney Jones filed suit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, alleging that Combs sexually assaulted him and provided laced alcoholic beverages to minors.
May 21, 2024: Crystal McKinney filed suit in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, alleging that Combs attacked her after they met in 2003 during a Men’s Fashion Week event in New York City.
In one of several lawsuits, Combs is fighting claims of sexual assault from more than 30 years ago.
Combs wants to dismiss several claims of sex trafficking in a lawsuit filed by Dickerson-Neal.
Combs' legal team is arguing that some of the claims were brought under laws that didn't exist and against companies that were not formed at the time of the alleged incident, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY.
USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: What to know about domestic violence in Texas after Diddy, Cassie video
