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Cassie Ventura has made her first public statement since the 2016 video showing her being assaulted by Sean “Diddy” Combs was released online.
Video of the violent assault, obtained by CNN, shows Diddy beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel.
Ventura has been silent for the better part of a week since the video went viral, but on Thursday she posted a message on Instagram addressing the assault.
“Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet,” Cassie wrote. “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but the 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,” Ventura continued. “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 situation 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. Thank you.”
Cassie, 37, filed a lawsuit against Diddy in November 2023, accusing him of “a pattern of control and abuse that included plying her with drugs, beating her and forcing her to have sex with a succession of male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters.”
The lawsuit was conspicuously settled just one day after it was filed.
Cassie Ventura and Sean Combs dated off and on from 2007 to 2018.
On Sunday, Diddy, 54, apologized in a video that was widely criticized for not being genuine.
In March, Combs’ homes in Miami, Florida, and New York City were raided by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) agents.
The raid was in relation to numerous accusations that have been made against the rapper, including amid accusations of lacing the alcohol of underage girls, sexual assault, sex trafficking, rape, and racketeering.