24th May, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Cassie Ventura, the ex-girlfriend of embattled rapper Sean Diddy Combs, has finally reacted to the recent video showing the US rapper assaulting her.
Diddy and Cassie have been in the news since last November after the singer claimed the rapper sexually assaulted her.
In a now-settled lawsuit, Cassie alleged that she was trafficked, raped, and beaten by Diddy on many occasions over 10 years.
However, last week, a shocking video footage obtained by CNN, captured Diddy repeatedly kicking and throwing objects at his then-girlfriend Cassie in 2016.
The music executive also admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend, saying he was sorry and that his actions were “inexcusable”.
But in a statement on Thursday, Cassie called domestic violence “the issue,” stating that it “broke me down to someone I never thought I’d become”.
The singer thanked her family and the public for their support, adding that the “outpouring of love” has helped her younger self settle and feel safe.
She also urged people to believe victims who speak out about abuse.
“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,” she wrote.
“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 those that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone.
“This healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me.”
The Los Angeles county district attorney’s office recently revealed that Diddy will not be prosecuted over the assault video.
The rapper first made headlines in November 2023, when Cassie accused him of rape, abuse, and human trafficking during their 10-year relationship. The lawsuit was, however, settled out of court one day after it was filed.
Shortly after his case with Cassie, Diddy was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed in the Manhattan supreme court. A woman named Joi Dickerson-Neal accused Diddy of drugging and raping her when she was a college student at Syracuse University in 1991.
A third woman, on the same day, accused the rapper of sexual assault. The lady alleged that Diddy and singer-songwriter Aaron Hall took turns raping her and a friend in New York City more than 30 years ago.
In December, Diddy was accused of sexual assault by a fourth victim. A woman accused Diddy, Harve Pierre, the former Bad Boy Entertainment president, and a third individual of sex trafficking and gang rape when she was 17.
On February 26, Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, a former producer and videographer for Diddy, filed a lawsuit alleging that the rapper sexually harassed and drugged him.
The latest was filed on Tuesday by McKinney.