Cassie has broken her silence on the shocking footage of Diddy assaulting her in a hotel in 2016.
The R&B singer issued a statement on Instagram on Thursday (May 23) addressing both the vicious attack and the outpouring of support that she has received since the video surfaced last week.
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“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,” she began.
“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.”
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Cassie, who sued ex-boyfriend Diddy for rape, domestic violence and sex trafficking last November, also urged doubters and critics to be more inclined to believe victims of abuse when they come forward.
“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,” she continued. “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. Thank you. Love Always, Cassie.”
The video in question was obtained by CNN last Friday (May 17) and shows Diddy brutally assaulting Cassie in a hallway of the since-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016.
The Bad Boy boss can be seen running out of his hotel room wearing nothing but a towel and throwing the singer to the floor as she waits for an elevator.
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He then kicks and stomps her as she lies on the floor before dragging her back to his hotel room. The CCTV footage also shows him pushing her up against a wall as she tries to use a hotel phone and throwing a vase in her direction.
The video appears to corroborate Cassie’s account of such an incident in her aforementioned sexual assault lawsuit, which was quickly settled for an undisclosed sum the day after it was filed.
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Following a string of other lawsuits that were filed against him in the subsequent weeks, Diddy vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as attempts to “assassinate” his character and earn a “quick payday.”
After the footage of his attack on Cassie was made public, however, the 54-year-old mogul acknowledged the incident and apologized for his behavior.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was fucked up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses,” he said in a solemn clip posted on Instagram.
“My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
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He added: “I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
The apology has been widely criticized, with Cassie’s lawyer Meredith Firetog calling it “disingenuous.”
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“Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt,” Firetog said in a statement. “When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.
“That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
