John Legend is breaking his silence on the abuse allegations lodged against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The Grammy-winning artist addressed the scandal during a CNN interview on Thursday, May 30, roughly two weeks after the network released video of Diddy assaulting ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Legend, who collaborated with the embattled music mogul in 2023, said he was “horrified” and expressed support for Cassie as well as other Diddy accusers.
“You know, 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 told CNN International’s Christiane Amanpour.
The 45-year-old artist continued, "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. And my default stance is to believe women when they make these accusations, and to make sure that we do whatever we can to support women who are making these allegations. And make sure that they’re heard, and that any kind of accountability and reparations can be made to make these women whole again.”
"It's shameful, what Mr. Combs has been accused of," he added. "I only want the best for Cassie, but also for all the other victims that have alleged that he abused them. ... I really just want accountability and hopefully some healing for all of his victims."
The surveillance footage was captured in 2016 and shows Diddy beating his then-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway. Cassie had accused the Bad Boy Records boss of rape and other forms of abuse in a 2023 lawsuit, which was settled shortly after.
Diddy repeatedly denied the allegations while his attorney accused Cassie of trying to “blackmail” his client. Diddy ultimately apologized for his actions shortly after CNN published the damning video.
“It's so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life. Sometimes you gotta do that. I was fucked up,” said Diddy, 54, in a video uploaded to his Instagram. “I mean, I hit rock bottom but 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, I'm disgusted now.”
Others, including Diddy’s former employee Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, have accused the multi-hyphenate of various crimes, including sexual assault, nonconsensual filming of pornography, and sex trafficking.
“It’s shameful what Mr. Combs has been accused of and I only want the best for Cassie, but also for all the other victims that have alleged that he has abused them,” Legend continued. “It’s really tough to see those descriptions and to see those videos. It’s quite a shame. I really just want accountability and hopefully some healing for all of his victims.”
