LOS ANGELES (TND) — Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter John Legend during an interview with CNN said he is "horrified" about abuse accusations lodged against Sean "Diddy" Combs.
When a reporter recently asked Legend about the claims, Legend spoke up on behalf of Diddy's ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, as well as the other women who have come forward with claims of sexual and physical assaults.
I was horrified by the allegations that I heard about Mr. Combs and, of course, horrified by the video evidence that was released after that -- but I was horrified by the descriptions that I read before the video evidence came out," Legend, who previously collaborated with Diddy, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. It is absolutely something that needs to be brought to light when it happens and my default stance is to believe women when they make these accusations and to make sure that we do whatever we can to support women who are making these allegations and make sure that they are heard and that any kind of accountability and reparations can be made to make these women whole again," he continued. "It's shameful what Mr. Combs has been accused of and, you know, I only want the best for Cassie, but also for all victims that have alleged that he has abused them."Legend went on to say that it is "really tough" to see the descriptions of abuse and the video that appears to corroborate Ventura's claims. He added that he hopes everyone involved finds "some healing."
Legend is referring to surveillance footage that recently surfaced that appears to show Diddy attacking Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016. CNN obtained the video May 17, with the footage showing Diddy punching, kicking, and dragging Ventura, his then-girlfriend.
Ventura broke her silence by sharing a statement on Instagram last week. She expressed gratitude to loved ones and fans for helping her through some of the hardest times of her life.
Thank you for all the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet," she wrote. 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 becomes. With a lot f hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.Ventura also said she appreciates everyone who "has taken the time to take this matter seriously" and urged people to listen to domestic assault victims when they open up about abuse they've endured.
In an apology video, Diddy said he was "truly sorry" and his actions were "inexcusable."
I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now," the music mogul said in the video posted Sunday to Instagram and Facebook.He added that he is "committed to being a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness."
Hip-hop star Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson and pop star Aubrey O'Day -- who both previously worked alongside Diddy in the music industry -- aren't buying it. They criticized Diddy in their own social media posts.
O'Day also shared her feelings about Diddy's apology. She said he didn't seem to seek forgiveness from Ventura, but rather from the public.
In O'Day's post, she included a screenshot of Diddy's previous assertion that he was innocent.
Diddy did not apologize to Cassie. He apologized to the world for seeing what he did," O'Day wrote on X. "He says he's 'disgusted w himself now, and he was disgusted w himself then' ... but apparently he wasn’t disgusted enough w himself to not PIN this statement out calling her a liar & denying all of it.. leave god and mercy out of this, they aren’t present here, and you know it."Celebrities weren't the only ones commenting about the hotel footage.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in an Instagram post said while it is aware of the footage that shows the attack and finds "the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch," there is nothing it can do about it.
If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted," the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office noted in the post. "As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs, but we encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to report it to law enforcement or reach out to our office for support from our Bureau of Victims Services."According to 50 Cent, "they know they can’t charge him with what we saw, but they know we can’t un see [sic] what we saw."
The news comes nearly two months after federal authorities raided at least two of Diddy's homes as he faces a slew of accusations, including sex trafficking and sexual assault.
Diddy, who is the founder of Bad Boy Records and a three-time Grammy winner, previously denied the accusations.
For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy," Combs wrote on Instagram in December. "Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth."Meanwhile, 50 Cent said he sold a multi-part docuseries about the allegations lodged against Diddy to a major streaming app.
NETFLIX wins the bidding war but if more victims keep coming out I’m gonna need more episodes," 50 Cent recently wrote on X.___________
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ncG1vNJzZmivmpawtcKNnKamZ56axLR7xKernqqklravucSnq2ihpKh6tLTAppyfrZxixKmt02akq2WTpLqjv4yhmKxlkpqyr3nAnJquq5WZerCyjKOmoaZdobKosc2dZKyZqah6sLKMmpmuq5Virq24xKCYraGfo8Bur8CsqqKdXauyr8DUq5hmoJmleqm7z2akqK2XmrluwsidnKhlkaW8rbvGsmSaq6OWwq3AjKSgnKOZo7RuvNSnmqGhnpx6scHSoaCnn12otbDCyKeeZqSfqHqiusaeo56rXZ28tbHLZp%2BapJysrrp50p6arqqZqcZuss6oq5qflWKvorCMm6ayZaKasLC%2Bw6w%3D