Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura’s husband Alex Fine is standing by the singer after CNN released footage of Diddy kicking and dragging her in a hotel hallway in 2016. On Friday, Fine posted a letter on Instagram supporting survivors, sharing some pointed words for abusers.
“Men who hit women aren’t men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men,” read the letter. “As men, violence against women shouldn’t be inevitable, check your brothers, your friends, and your family. Our daughters, sisters, mothers, and wives should feel protected and loved. Hold the women in your life with the [utmost] regard. Men who hurt women hate women.”
In the letter, he emphasized the need to believe and support survivors of sexual and physical abuse. “To all the survivors you’re not alone, and there are men and women who care only for your well-being and safety. We want you to succeed and flourish,” Fine wrote. “To all the women and children, I’m sorry you live in a world where you’re not protected, and you don’t feel equal. I want to raise my daughters in a world where they are safe and loved.”
Fine ended his letter with pointed words directed at abusers, though he did not mention Sean Combs by name: “You’re done, you’re not safe anymore, you’re not protected anymore, the men by your side are just as weak, you’re so miserable with yourself that death would be considered a kindness,” he wrote.
The statement from Fine comes after CNN released surveillance footage from 2016 that captures Cassie being dragged, kicked, and chased by Combs. The video footage seems to correspond to an alleged incident from a sex-trafficking lawsuit filed by Cassie last November. Ventura noted in her lawsuit that video of the alleged attack existed, but she believed Combs had paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage.
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Ventura’s attorney Douglas Widgor said in a statement Friday. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
The security footage, which has no sound, shows a barefoot Ventura walking out from a hotel room with personal items in her hand while wearing an oversized hoodie. In her lawsuit, Ventura claimed she was at the hotel because Combs had her participate in a “freak-off” — where she was forced to have sex with male sex workers while Combs watched. During the freak-off, Combs “punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye,” the lawsuit claims, and Ventura waited until Combs was asleep to sneak out of the hotel.
Seconds after Ventura leaves the room, a nearly-naked Combs is seen sprinting down the hallway after her. Finding Ventura waiting for the elevator, he forcibly grabs her by the back of her sweater and throws her to the ground and kicks her. As Ventura lies on the floor in a fetal position, Combs picks up her bags and kicks her again. He then begins to drag her back toward the hotel room as Ventura appears to cry out.
Combs lets Ventura go, and he proceeds to carry her bags back to the hotel room as she waits near the elevator. Combs then returns and appears to shove her and throw a glass object at her. Combs has not yet responded to the unearthed footage and did not respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment Friday.
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