Cassie Ventura addressed the disturbing video that showed her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting her in a hotel back in 2016 for the first time Thursday, saying it “broke me down to someone I never thought I would become.”
“Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers, and those I have yet to meet,” Ventura, 37, wrote in a statement posted to Instagram.
“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.”
The “ME & U” hitmaker 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,” she went on to write.
“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. Love Always, Cassie,” she concluded.
In the video released by CNN over the weekend, Combs, 54, was seen throwing Ventura, his then-girlfriend, to the floor in a hotel before kicking her, dragging her down a hallway and then throwing things at her.
Combs has since released an apology video, in which he said he took “full responsibility” for his actions before waxing about how he was at “rock bottom” when the video was filmed.
Combs said he’d been going to therapy since then to become a better person, and that he was “disgusted” with himself at the time of the beating, and still is today.
The music honcho notably did not mention Ventura’s name in his apology video, reportedly for legal reasons.
Ventura dated Combs from 2007 to 2018.
She has since moved on with personal trainer Alex Fine, whom she wed in September 2019. The pair share two daughters, Frankie, 4, and Sunny, 3.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
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