Cassie Ventura is speaking out for the first time following the release of a 2016 video that showed her being physically abused by ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.
On Thursday, May 23, Ventura thanked her supporters in a statement released on Instagram, expressing her thanks “for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to Meer” after footage of her being physically assaulted by Combs, 54, went public last week. Ventura, 37, continued: “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.”
Cassie also voiced her support for others experiencing abuse and asked people to do the same: “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. I offer my hand to hose that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone .. The healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me. Thank you.”
CNN published a surveillance video May 17 that shows Combs appearing to grab, shove, drag and kick Ventura in a hallway of the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016. Combs apologized in a video posted to social media, but did not mention Ventura by name, saying in part: “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. 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.”
Diddy and Cassie dated on and off from 2007 to 2018. Combs previously denied Ventura’s allegations of assault after she filed a lawsuit Nov. 16, 2023 that accused him of rape and years of abuse; the suit was settled one day later, but in the months that followed, multiple alleged victims have spoken out against Diddy, in which. he denied all the allegations. Ventura said at the time of the settlement: “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
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