Cassie has broken her silence after video emerged of her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking her in a hotel hallway.
The model and singer said she would “always be recovering from my past” and urged her followers on Instagram to “open your heart to believing victims the first time”.
She said: “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 who 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.”
She added: “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.”
Earlier this week, Combs said the leaked CCTV footage from 2016 was “inexcusable” and that he was “disgusted”.
Footage obtained by CNN last week shows Combs wearing only a white towel as he punches and kicks Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway on 5 March 2016.
The footage also shows Combs shoving and dragging the singer and throwing a vase in her direction.
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