Cassie thanked “family, friends and strangers” for their “love and support” in a lengthy Instagram statement released nearly one week after a video of her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting her was released.
“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,” she posted on Thursday, May 23. “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.”
The statement continued: “Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously. My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in.”
Cassie offered her “hand” to anyone “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.”
On Friday, May 17, CNN released video footage from 2016 of Diddy, 54, running down a hallway at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. The music mogul struck this then-girlfriend Cassie, who was waiting at the elevator bay, knocking her to the ground. He then proceeded to kick her and drag her down the hallway.
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Cassie’s lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor told Us Weekly in a statement on Friday. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Diddy apologized for his “inexcusable” behavior captured in the video with a social media post on Sunday, May 19.
“It’s difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, sometimes you gotta do that,” he said, in part. “I was f—ked up. I mean, I hit rock bottom but I make no excuses.”
The musician took “full responsibility” for what was shown in the video. “I’m disgusted,” he added.
The apology video garnered widespread backlash, with Cassie’s lawyer Meredith Firetog telling Us that it was “more about himself than the many people he has hurt,” in a statement on Sunday. (He also didn’t mention Cassie by name. CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister reported on Tuesday, May 21, that she’s been informed by multiple sources Diddy is not allowed to say Cassie’s name.)
Diddy and Cassie dated on and off from 2007 to 2018. In November 2023, Cassie filed a lawsuit against her ex, accusing him of abuse and rape throughout their long term romance. The suit was settled one day later, but in the months that followed, multiple alleged victims have spoken out against Diddy. He has denied all the allegations.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
