Cassie Ventura reacts to Sean "Diddy" Combs video of apparent attack in hotel

Cassie Ventura has reacted to newly released surveillance video that appears to show her ex-boyfriend Sean "Diddy" Combs attacking her in a hotel. The singer, who previously sued the rapper and businessman for years of alleged abuse, thanked people for the outpouring of support.

Ventura's November lawsuit against Combs was settled the day after it was filed, but Combs soon faced several more suits and a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation.

In her suit, Cassie describes a 2016 incident at an InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles, which matches the details of the surveillance video recently released by CNN. The suit alleges Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security video and is unclear how CNN obtained it. Combs has denied the allegations in the lawsuit. 

Combs has since posted a video on social media apologizing for the incident in the video, saying his behavior was "inexcusable" and he takes "full responsibility" for his actions.

Now, Ventura, 37, has broken her silence, sharing a statement on social media Thursday. "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 wrote. 

"Domestic violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become," she said. "With a lot of hard work, I am better today but I will always be recovering from my past."

She asked people to open their hearts and believe victims. "It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth about a situation that you were powerless in," she said.

Following the release of the video, Douglas Wigdor, an attorney for Cassie who has filed other lawsuits against Combs, released a statement calling it "gut-wrenching." 

The video "has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs," he said. "Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light."

Combs has faced several allegations since Ventura filed her lawsuit in November. A woman alleged he sexually assaulted her in 1991 and another claimed he and two other men raped her when she was 17 in 2003. Combs' legal team have taken action to dismiss parts or the entirety of these suits.

In March, search warrants of his Los Angeles and Miami homes were conducted by Homeland Security in their sex-trafficking investigation, which is continuing.

Combs has not been charged and his lawyer said the investigation is a "a gross use of military-level force."

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a eenior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.