John Legend is addressing the sexual assault and abuse allegations in opposition to Sean “Diddy” Combs, with whom he collaborated on a tune final yr.
In an interview with CNN, the “All of Me” singer famous he was “horrified” by the a number of allegations that had come out about Combs even earlier than the information outlet launched a video of the music producer bodily assaulting former girlfriend Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles lodge in 2016.
“I used to be horrified by the descriptions that I learn earlier than the video proof got here out,” Legend mentioned of the allegations made in opposition to Combs by Ventura and several other different girls. “And completely, it’s one thing that must be dropped at mild when it occurs.”
The video, obtained by CNN, sees the music producer run out of a lodge room in a towel after a lady who seems to Ventura as she heads for the elevators. Combs then grabs her by the again of the neck, throws her on the ground and proceeds to kick her a number of instances, regardless of her not transferring.
“My default stance is to consider girls once they make these accusations and to make it possible for we do no matter we are able to to help girls [making them],” Legend mentioned, including that he hopes “they’re heard and that any form of accountability and reparations may be made to make these girls complete once more.”
He informed the information outlet that what Combs has been accused of is “shameful,” and he needs “the perfect” for Ventura and “all the opposite victims which have alleged that he’s abused them.” He concluded, “It’s fairly a disgrace. I actually simply need accountability and hopefully some therapeutic for all of his victims.”
Legend and Babyface collaborated with Combs on his tune, “Kim Porter,” named after the music producer’s former accomplice, with whom he shares three kids and who died of pneumonia in 2018. The monitor was featured on Combs’ 2023 album, The Love Album: Off the Grid.
Ventura filed a civil swimsuit in opposition to Combs in November, accusing him of repeatedly raping and bodily abusing her for practically a decade all through their on-again, off-again relationship. She famous within the swimsuit that she was “trapped by Mr. Combs in a cycle of abuse, violence and intercourse trafficking.”
They settled the swimsuit shortly after, with Combs’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, saying on the time that settling was in “no method an admission of wrongdoing.”
Since then, Combs has confronted a number of lawsuits, accusing him of rape, sexual assault and intercourse trafficking. He has denied all the allegations.
