John Legend has said he was “horrified” by the sexual assault and abuse allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The former Voice coach said the allegations were shocking even before the release of footage that showed the business mogul assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.
He said women should always be believed when they open up about sexual abuse and hoped reparations could be made.
“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,” Legend said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.
“But I was horrified by the descriptions that I read before the video evidence came out.
“And absolutely it’s something that needs to be brought to light when it happens.”
The video Legend is referring to is footage released by CNN in May, which shows Combs punching and kicking Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, down a hallway in the InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area in Los Angeles.
According to CNN, Combs bought the footage from the InterContinental Century City for $50,000.
The footage appears to corroborate allegations Ventura made in 2023 in a lawsuit, where she claimed she was trafficked, raped and beaten by Combs on many occasions over 10 years.
Legend said in the interview that women who have suffered abuse should be supported and he wants accountability for all the victims.
“My default stance is to believe women when they make these accusations,” he said.
“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.
“It’s quite a shame. I really just want accountability and hopefully some healing for all of his victims.”
Two days after the video was released, Combs posted an apology video in which he called his behaviour “inexcusable” and said he “takes full responsibility for his actions in the video”.
Ventura, 37, released a statement, saying: “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.”
Combs had signed the R&B singer to his label in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37, and the pair entered into a relationship before the singer says a cycle of abuse began.
Combs has been named in eight civil lawsuits since November accusing him of sex trafficking, sexual abuse, and rape. He has dismissed all alleged wrongdoing, and his attorneys have branded the lawsuits and their accusations as money grabs, labelling them “baseless” and “sickening.”
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
