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Cassie Ventura Breaks Silence on Diddy Domestic Violence Video: Healing ‘Is Never Ending’
Cassie Ventura broke her silence six days after a video circulated of Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting her in 2016.
“Thank you for all the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet,” Ventura, 37, wrote in a statement via Instagram on Thursday, May 23. “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning. 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.”
She went on to thank “everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously” and asked her followers to be open to “believing victims the first time.” Ventura added, “It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in.”
Ventura wrapped up her statement by offering her hand “to those that are still living in fear.”
“Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone,” she concluded. “This healing journey is never ending but this support means everything to me.”
The “Me & U” singer broke her silence nearly one week after CNN obtained a video that showed Combs, 54, kicking and shoving Ventura in the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, on March 5, 2016. The altercation took place after Ventura tried to leave the building.
Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in 2023, claiming that he raped and physically abused her through their relationship that lasted from 2007 until 2018. The case was settled one day after it made headlines, while Combs adamantly denied Ventura’s allegations.
However, he owned up to his actions when issuing an apology on May 19. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life. But sometimes you gotta do that,” he began in a clip posted via Instagram.
Combs admitted that he “f–ked up” and “hit rock bottom” when the 2016 altercation occurred, adding that there are “no excuses” for his behavior. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” the “I’ll Be Missing You” singer continued. “I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
After the incident took place, Combs claimed that he “sought professional help” and began “going to therapy” and rehab. “I had to ask God for his mercy and grace,” he stated. “I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Ventura’s lawyer, Meredith Firetog, reacted to the apology just hours after Combs uploaded the video.
“Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt. When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday,” she said in a statement obtained by In Touch. “That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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