HOLLYWOOD, CA - MARCH 07: Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura attend the premiere of "The Perfect Match" at ArcLight Hollywood on March 7, 2016 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)
Days after Diddy dragged and kicked her in a hotel hallway on March 5, 2016, Cassie braved the red carpet cameras.
The singer was hand-in-hand with Sean Combs and flashing smiles at the premiere of her film, ‘The Perfect Match,’ on March 7, 2016. Cassie starred in the movie as Terrence J.’s love interest.
Ventura wore a sparkling, low-cut, black, and gold gown that showed off her Africa outline tattoo on her side and bareback. She styled her brunette-blonde hair in a side part. Her makeup was beat and natural. Meanwhile, the hip hop mogul was dressed in a black suit with a black-and-white tie.
On the outside, the couple appeared happy and maybe even in love. In the throwback photos, they shared smiles, laughs, and private lil’ talks and seemingly posed effortlessly.
After the premiere, Cassie and her then-boyfriend stepped out to the Lionsgate film’s afterparty with the rest of the cast. Ventura swapped her gown for a mini dress, sparkling in green with long sleeves and black pumps. Again, she appeared to be in a mostly cheerful mood in photographs of the event. She exchanged conversations with other celebs and posted with her man — who appeared to stay near her throughout the party.
As mentioned, just two days before her Hollywood moment, cameras captured the aspiring actress in a much different light. Surveillance footage from the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, showed Diddy abusing Cassie in a hallway.
Wearing only a towel, the producer caught up with a barefoot Cassie and yanked her by her hair, slamming her to the ground. Additionally, he kicked her twice, dragged her, and threw a glass vase in her direction.
The footage, which CNN exclusively released on May 17, corroborates an incident Cassie described in her Nov. 2023 lawsuit. Ultimately, the 35-page filing accused Diddy of sexually assaulting Casandra on several occasions after allegedly coercing her into a relationship. They met in 2005 when she was 19 and Sean Combs was 37. She described him as a “vicious, cruel and controlling man.”
Diddy settled with her for an undisclosed amount one day after Cassie filed against him. However, he never formally admitted guilt or offered any apologies, just “all the best” to Cassie and “her family.”
At the time, his lawyer doubled down on no wrong-doing:
“Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing. Mr. Combs‘ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best.”
Cassie still hasn’t offered a direct statement about the surfaced footage or apology, but the lawyer representing the singer in her lawsuit has been keeping her foot on Diddy’s neck. In a follow-up statement, she slammed his apology.
Celebrities like Cedric The Entertainer and Erica Campbell had already begun showing their support for Cassie after the video. Most recently, his former artist, Shyne, dragged Diddy and denounced domestic violence, similar to Bishop T.D. Jakes and Bobby Shmurda.
