Cassie has shared a statement following the release of surveillance footage showing Diddy assaulting her at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.
"Thank you for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet," Cassie wrote in an Instagram update on Thursday morning. "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."
Cassie, who did not directly mention Diddy or the video in her statement, also commended those who have been taking this issue “seriously,” adding that it’s crucial to also help those who may find themselves in similar situations in their own lives.
"I offer my hand to those that are still living in fear," she said.
See the full statement below.
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. 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.
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.
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
Previously, a lawyer for Cassie spoke out against Diddy’s apology video, which the Bad Boy Records founder shared after CNN released the 2016 surveillance footage in question. In the footage, Diddy is seen grabbing, dragging, kicking, and chasing Cassie at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City.
"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," Meredith Firetog, a partner at the Wigdor LLP firm, said last weekend.
Diddy did not mention Cassie in his subsequent apology video.
"My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” he said in the IG-shared clip. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm disgusted.”
Last November, Cassie alleged rape and abuse in a lawsuit against Diddy. The suit was ultimately settled, though Diddy then faced additional since-denied allegations from other parties, including in a lawsuit from producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones. As previously reported by TMZ, the Cassie lawsuit settlement terms are claimed by sources to stipulate that neither party can publicly use the other's name.
