Misa Hylton, the fashion designer who has a child with Sean “Diddy” Combs, said her “heart goes out” to Cassie following the release of surveillance footage showing Combs kicking and dragging the singer in 2016.
“I am heartbroken that Cassie must relive the horror of her abuse,” Hylton wrote on Instagram Tuesday, May 21. “I know exactly how she feels, and through my empathy, it has triggered my own trauma.”
She continued: “These young people were raised by women that want the best for them — we put God and education first and have always been united in our mutual effort to support their dreams. Two of the youngest do not have their mother here and it has been our duty to support them. Their father needs help and I am praying that he truly does the personal work and receives it.”
Hylton and Combs dated in the early 1990s, and they had one child together, Justin. Hylton has never leveed any specific accusations against Combs, though she has appeared to allude to him and his behavior in past posts. When Justin was arrested for a DUI last June, Hylton seemed to address Combs when she said, “everyone has to sit around for years and act like there isn’t anything wrong with you. This is where the buck stops for me.”
The harrowing surveillance footage of Combs attacking Cassie was originally obtained by CNN and released last week. Dated March 5, 2016, it showed a towel-clad Combs chasing then-girlfriend Cassie (real name Cassandra Ventura) down a hotel hallway as she flees. After finding her waiting for an elevator, Combs can be seen throwing Cassie to the ground, kicking her several times, and attempting to drag her away.
In the lawsuit she filed against Combs last fall — which was quickly settled — Ventura seemed to describe an alleged attack similar to the one seen in the video. The lawsuit also suggested that video for the alleged attack existed, but Ventura alleged that Combs had paid the hotel $50,000 for the security footage.
Following the release of the surveillance video, Combs released a statement saying he was at his “rock bottom” when he attacked Ventura. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that,” Combs said in an apology video. “I was fucked up, I mean I hit rock bottom, and I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, and I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. Had to go into therapy, go into rehab, had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry, but I’m committed to being a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
