Cassie breaks silence following release of Diddy assault video

Nearly one week after a "disturbing" video that showed her being beaten by her then boyfriend Sean 'Diddy' Combs was released, Cassie Ventura has released a statement.

CNN last Friday released the surveillance footage of a 2016 incident which took place in the hallway of the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. In the video, a barefoot Cassie making her way to the elevator from a room in the hotel, only to be caught by a shirtless Diddy, who had a white towel draped around his waist. The respected music mogul — who was awarded with the Key to the City of New York last September by Mayor Eric Adams — is seen grabbing Cassie, flinging her to the ground and then kicking her as she lies motionless in a foetal position.

The reaction of horror has been shared by thousands, amid an outpouring of love for Cassie, who had described a similar incident in a lawsuit filed against Combs in November 2023. On Thursday (May 23), Cassie posted her response on social media.

"Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet. 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

"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."

She added, "I offer my 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. The healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me. Thank you."

Following the video’s release, Diddy admitted that it was him in the footage by issuing an apology. In a video posted to Instagram, the millionaire businessman said he was "disgusted" by his behaviour, which he labelled “inexcusable”.

Some fans have dismissed the apology as fake, and pointed out that Diddy — who has since had other similar lawsuits filed against him — had insisted that he was innocent of all allegations, with his team saying that the accusers were simply looking for a big payday.