I have so much admiration for how Cassie has handled her business over the past year. She hired the right lawyers, weighed her options, gathered all of the evidence and put everything in the lawsuit. She sued Sean Combs, the man who abused her for years, the man who trafficked her and beat her and threatened her. Last year, Combs’ immediate reaction was to call Cassie a liar and say outright that she was just “looking for a quick payday.” Combs then settled with Cassie in 24 hours, and reportedly the settlement was eight figures. That alone should have let people know that Combs was guilty of everything, the fact that he settled so quickly and for so much money. But people didn’t *really* believe Cassie until CNN aired the 2016 video of Combs punching, kicking and dragging Cassie around a hotel. Well, Cassie has issued a statement on her Instagram about the video and about the support she’s received:
Casandra “Cassie” Ventura is speaking out for the first time following the release of a 2016 video that showed her being physically abused by ex Sean “Diddy” Combs.
On Thursday, May 23, Ventura, 37, released a statement on Instagram, expressing her thanks “for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet.”
She went on to explain that “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 said. “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 the past. This healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me…Thank you.”
I wish nothing but peace and happiness for Cassie and her young family. She has two daughters, Sunny and Frankie, with her husband Alex Fine. I hope she has a great support system and that continues to speak out wherever and whenever she wants. What she says in this post about believing victims/survivors the first time they say something is very important – this is what we went through six years ago with #MeToo and “believe women.”
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- Cassie Ventura at ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, A Bad Boy Story’ film screening, London, UK at the Brit Awards 2017. London, United Kingdom – Wednesday February 22, 2017.,Image: 512303354, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: James Shaw / Avalon
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- Cassie Ventura, Sean Combs at ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop, A Bad Boy Story’ film screening, London, UK,Image: 513061013, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: James Shaw / Avalon
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- Sean Puffy Combs and girlfriend Cassie attends the Costume Institute Benefit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 celebrating the opening of China: Through the Looking Glass in New York, New York, USA. photo by Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Photoshot,Image: 524079503, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Robin Platzer/Twin Images / Twin Images / Avalon
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- Sean ‘Diddy Combs’, Cassie Ventura attends the Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Fragrance Launch at Macy’s Herald Square on May 6, 2015 in New York City.,Image: 524126530, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Florida: +1 239 689 1883 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Dennis Van Tine / Avalon
This woman is a total shero. And pretty badass too! 👏👏👏
I believed her the first time. It was horrific what DIDDY did and said at the time and that was to blame her and say she just wants his money and he had the truth behind him. Well the truth came out in a horrific video that prove everything she said. I hope that she will be able to overcome this and it looks like she has but the trauma may last a long while.
Me too. I mean, DUH. She was so much younger than he was, she was so beautiful and talented and yet her career seemed to kinda never…go anywhere concrete. Something was going on behind the scenes. Plus you’re with someone forever who has babies with everyone else but you…something is going on. It’s just so obvious.
I wish the media would stop using pictures of Cassie with Sean Combs. It’s demoralizing to see “happy, smiling couple” pictures of them while we now know that he was her tormentor and abuser, forcing her to put on a public face that protected HIM. I want to see pics of Cassie solo, Cassie with a husband who supports her, Cassie with her life ahead or her. Not these photos of her in a dark past, in the literal grip of a monster while she’s forced to suffer through.
I wholeheartedly agree with you!
I’m glad that the CNN video has given Cassie a lot of support; and it sucks that this had to happen. Let’s not post pix of her with her abuser (and make that clear).
https://people.com/cassie-now-her-life-husband-alex-fine-their-daughters-8652088
And her husband and father of her gorgeous girls is FINE. Post pics of him, please, not the human-shaped crap that beat her.
I’m a publicist. About 5 years ago, I got a new author client who is a pretty big celebrity in his field. When you searched his name on social media on any given day, new stories about him being a rapist would pop up. He was accused MANY MANY TIMES but never convicted.
I raised this as a concern to my male boss, and said I felt very uncomfortable working with him and that it would make the whole company look bad, and his response was, “But what about false accusations?” and “He still sells out talks, so nobody agrees with you.”
I started looking for a new job after his reaction. I was incredibly disappointed in him, and I knew how he’d react if I was ever sexually harassed or assaulted in out workplace–he wouldn’t believe me.
I still think about this situation a lot and wish I had told EVERYONE and brought my boss down.
A beautiful message. All the best to Cassie.
It’s like that man or bear debate where one woman said if she was attacked by a bear, at least people would believe her.
I wish Cassie all the best and hope she can continue with her healing.
Before all of this came to light, I only new her as Diddy’s stunning longtime partner. Always looked at her in photos and thought “wow, she smiles so bright!” It’s crazy how clueless we can be about whatever a person may be going through at a given moment. Can’t begin to imagine how scared aand lonely she must have felt. I wish her all the best, nothing less.
I was thinking the same thing! Why keep posting pictures of Cassie with that monster? I don’t want to see any pictures of him.