Cassie breaks silence on release of video showing Diddy assault in hotel
Cassie Ventura is speaking out publicly for the first time since the release of a video from 2016 showing her then-boyfriend Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulting her inside a hotel.
"Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet," Ventura wrote on Instagram Thursday. "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," Ventura 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."
Ventura ended her statement with a message to others who are experiencing similar situations, saying: "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. Thank you."
Combs apologized in a video earlier this week after the surveillance footage was released by CNN on May 17 showing Combs chasing Ventura down a hallway, grabbing her by the back of the neck, shoving her to the ground and kicking her as she lay on the ground.
"I hit rock bottom -- but I make no excuses," he said, in part. "My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video."
Ventura's lawyer issued a statement in response to Diddy's video, saying, "Combs' most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt."
In November 2023, Ventura settled a lawsuit against Combs that had accused him of sex trafficking and sexual assault. According to court filings, Ventura alleged Combs "often punched, beat, kicked and stomped" on her during their relationship.
Combs faces a slew of civil lawsuits that accuse the music mogul of allegations including rape, sex trafficking and more. The latest, the sixth overall, was filed this week by former model Crystal McKinney, who alleges she was "drugged and sexually assaulted" by Combs after meeting him at a 2003 Fashion Week event in New York City.
ABC News has reached out to Combs regarding McKinney's civil lawsuit but hasn't heard back.
Combs is also the target of an ongoing federal probe into allegations of human and sex trafficking, which resulted in his Los Angeles and Miami homes being raided by federal agents in March. He has denied any wrongdoing relating to this investigation.
If you or a loved one are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or access help through their chat at thehotline.org.
ABC News' Julia Reinstein contributed to this report.
