Entertainment

Cassie Ventura's husband speaks out after footage appeared to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting her in 2016

Cassie Ventura and Alex Fine attend The 147th Preakness hosted by 1/ST at Pimlico Race Track in May 2022 in Baltimore City.
Cassie Ventura and Alex Fine in May 2022 in Baltimore City. Johnny Nunez/WireImage
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Cassie Ventura's husband, Alex Fine, called out "men who hit women" after a video appeared to show Sean "Diddy" Combs physically assaulting her at a hotel in March 2016.

Fine shared the message via Instagram on Friday, hours after CNN published footage of an altercation between Ventura, 37, and Combs, 54, at the now-shuttered InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles.

The footage appears to match a physical assault incident Ventura described in her November 2023 lawsuit against Combs. The lawsuit said Combs had become intoxicated and punched Ventura in the face, leading to a black eye.

"Men who hit women aren't men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren't men," Fine wrote. "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. Men who hurt women hate women."

Sunny Fine, Alex Fine and Cassie Fine (Ventura) in May 2022.
Alex Fine, Cassie Ventura, and one of their children in May 2022.  Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Fine then addressed survivors, writing, "Your stories are real, and people believe you."

"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," the message read.

He finished the message by addressing "the abusers."

"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," Fine wrote.

Ventura married Fine in September 2019 after ending a decadelong relationship with Combs.

Representatives for Fine did not immediately respond to Business a request for comment from Business Insider. Ventura did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, but her attorney called the footage "gut-wrenching" in a statement to CNN.

Representatives for Combs declined to comment on the video footage, according to CNN.

Sean "Diddy" Combs photographed at an event.
Sean "Diddy" Combs has been hit by a series of lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault.  REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

The footage, compiled from multiple camera angles, showed Ventura leaving a hotel room and walking toward the elevators.

Combs, wearing a towel around his waist, runs down the hallway toward Ventura, whom he then grabs by the neck and throws on the floor. Footage showed Combs kicking, dragging, shoving, and throwing an object at Ventura.

Ventura filed a lawsuit last year accusing Combs of rape and physical abuse during their relationship. Representatives for Combs said he "vehemently denied" the allegations brought by the lawsuit.

The pair reached a settlement just one day after the lawsuit was filed, according to The New York Times.

However, Combs is still embroiled in legal troubles after several other women accused him of sexual abuse. Combs' Los Angeles and Miami homes were later searched by Department of Homeland Security officials.

Combs is a well-known business mogul who has ventured into several industries. He started in music, eventually founding Bad Boy Records, before entering fashion, education, media, and alcohol sales.

The wave of allegations against him has begun to affect his businesses. The cable network Revolt announced in November 2023 that Combs would step down as chairman. Hulu also canceled an upcoming reality show project based on the Combs family called "Diddy+7," according to Rolling Stone.

The outlet also reported that 23 brands cut ties with Combs' marketplace for Black-owned businesses, Empower Global, after Ventura's lawsuit.

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Lauren Edmonds
Lauren Edmonds is an award-winning reporter on the Business News team. When news isn't breaking, she covers how AI and data centers impact communities across the US. She also writes about personal finance, paths to financial freedom, and contributes to Business Insider's Young Geniuses series. Lauren has previously covered lifestyle and entertainment, digital culture, and more. She has a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and resides in New York City.Do you have an interesting story to tell? You can reach Lauren at ledmonds@jkmperu.com or on Signal at ledmonds0.07.StoriesThe bipartisan backlash to Big Tech's AI data centers is getting harder for politicians to ignoreI spent 4 hours at an AI data center town meeting. Things got rowdy.Meet the MAGA darling mobilizing Americans against Big AIKevin O'Leary defends his Utah data center project: 'Think about the number of jobs'Why Hollywood is paying this 17-year-old up to $20,000 to boost film trailers with TikTok editsHere's all the free money Trump's talked about giving Americans during his second term — and where it all standsA 17-year-old earned $72,000 after investing his e-commerce profits into stocks. Here's why he bet on the tech industry.Lawmakers float a nationwide basic income experiment that would cover the cost of a 2-bedroom apartmentAmericans ditch suffocating healthcare costs and divisive politics to retire in Italy: 'It's the way they approach life'