NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 14: Singer-Songwriter Cassie attends Buttah Skin By Dorion Renaud Holiday Pop-Up on December 14, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage) LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 30: Sean Combs is seen on October 30, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Hollywood To You/Star Max/GC Images)
Nearly a week after surveillance footage showed Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs putting hands on Cassie, she has broken her silence on the 2016 assault.
Cassie’s statement on Thursday (May 23) is the first time she’s spoken following the viral assault video and Diddy’s controversial apology. Her lawyer, however, has given at least two statements, and her husband, Alex Fine, shared a letter on domestic abuse.
Cassie, legal name Casandra Fine, shared her first public statement on the incident via Instagram. In less than an hour, the post racked up over 16,000 comments and more than 212,000 likes. She began by thanking her “family, friends and strangers” for the “love and support.”
“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.”
She continued by thanking everyone who “has taken the time to take this matter seriously.” Her one request? That people open their hearts to “believing victims the first time.” Casandra added that “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.”
Read Casandra’s entire statement below.
Note that CNN exclusively obtained and released it on May 17. It shows the producer dragging, kicking, and throwing a glass object at the singer in a now-closed Los Angeles hotel hallway on March 5, 2016.
The footage corroborates at least one incident of abuse Cassie described in her now-settled lawsuit with Diddy. As previously reported, she accused him of sexual assault, abuse, and sex trafficking in the Nov. 2023 filing. They settled for an undisclosed amount one day later, but Diddy admitted to no wrongdoing at the time.
Over the weekend, he issued an apology that has received mixed reactions from social media users and fellow celebrities.
Like her ex-boyfriend, Cassie did not name-drop Sean Combs in her first response. Reported details on their settled lawsuit allege that the settlement had strict terms that banned them both from mentioning each other in the public eye.
As social media users, fans, and celebrities rally behind Mrs. Fine, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office is staying out of the mix. Though they confirmed seeing the “disturbing” footage, they will not pursue charges due to the state’s statute of limitations on this particular crime.
At this time, Justin Combs’ mother has been the only person in his inner family circle to also speak on the matter.
