Cassie Speaks Out After Release of Diddy Assault Video: “No One Should Carry This Weight Alone”
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Cassie is speaking out to express gratitude for the support she has received following her allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs and the recent release of the video showing Combs physically assaulting her in 2016.
“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning,” she wrote in a statement posted to Instagram on Thursday. “Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”
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She continued, “It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”
In harrowing footage from March 5, 2016 that CNN acquired and released last week, Combs is seen attacking his ex-girlfriend, whose full name is Cassie Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway, kicking and shoving her, then dragging her by her sweatshirt before throwing an object at her.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office had been aware of the footage and while they called the video “extremely disturbing,” they said they were unable to prosecute due to the statute of limitations for a crime of assault.
In an apology video, Diddy referred to that time period as “the darkest times” in his life. “I was fucked up — I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses,” he said. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
In a civil lawsuit filed in New York in November, Cassie had accused Combs of repeatedly raping and physically abusing her for nearly a decade during their on-and-off relationship. In the suit, which also names his label Bad Boy Records and Sony Music, the singer said she was “trapped by Mr. Combs in a cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking.” The filing recalls several instances where she claimed Combs “punched, beat, kicked and stomped” on her.
Cassie and Combs settled the case shortly after she filed her lawsuit.
Since the settlement, Combs has faced multiple lawsuits in recent months, accusing him of rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking. He has denied all of the allegations.
Yesterday, as news spread that Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson had sold a docuseries on the Diddy allegations to Netflix, Combs was hit with a new sexual assault suit from former model Crystal McKinney, claiming Combs drugged and sexually assaulted her during Fashion Week in 2003.
In her post on Thursday, Cassie thanked her family, friends, fans and strangers for the outpouring of support, and spoke directly to victims of domestic violence.
“My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time,” she wrote. “It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in.”
She concluded by saying “the healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me.”
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