“My heart goes out to Cassie” — Julia Fox reacts to Diddy’s assault video after his apology

Julia Fox condemned Sean "Diddy" Combs' actions in light of the video of him assaulting Cassie Ventura in 2016, released by CNN on May 17, 2024. On Monday, May 20, the actress talked about the assault video and Diddy's subsequent apology, sympathizing with Ventura.

"My heart goes out to Cassie," she said.

Disclaimer: The following article contains mentions of domestic violence, abuse, r*pe and s*xual assault which may be triggering for some. Readers' discretion is advised.

The assault video, dated March 5, 2016, was obtained from CCTV cameras in the InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles. It graphically depicted the rapper shoving and dragging Cassie down the hotel hallways, clad in a white towel. Diddy can also be seen punching, kicking, and throwing various objects at Cassie.

In November 2023, Cassie Ventura filed a lawsuit against Diddy, who was her former boyfriend, accusing him of r*pe and a decadelong pattern of abuse that began when she was 19 years old.

The assault shown in the released video closely resembled an incident described by Cassie during the lawsuit. However, Diddy denied the allegations, and the lawsuit was settled out of court for an undisclosed sum of money the following day.

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Julia Fox labeled Diddy's behavior "disgusting"

According to Hot New Hip Hop, Julia Fox was approached by TMZ reporters on Monday. While a majority of the conversation was focused on the actress' recent comments about celibacy, the topic of Diddy's assault and apology video was broached when Fox was getting into her car.

When a reporter asked what her thoughts were about the latest video proof that detailed Diddy's assault on his long-term ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, Julia Fox immediately responded, "Disgusting." She also expressed sympathy for Cassie.

Julia Fox has always been outspoken about crimes committed against women by influential men. In her 2023 memoir, Down the Drain, the actress recounted being allegedly drugged and assaulted by a billionaire on a private jet.

She claimed that she did not proceed with taking legal action due to the lack of evidence and how other famous women were treated when they came forward, citing Amber Heard as an example.

As a vocal feminist, Julia Fox has also talked about being celibate for the past two and a half years to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

According to Us Weekly, Julia Fox first revealed her celibacy when she commented under a TikTok video criticizing the dating app Bumble on TikTok for one of its advertisement billboards that said, "A vow of celibacy is not the answer.”

“2.5 years of celibacy and never been better tbh,” Julia Fox commented.

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Diddy issued an apology after his 2016 assault on Cassie came to light

Two days after CNN posted the video detailing the assault Cassie endured under Sean "Diddy" Combs' hands, the rapper took to Instagram to apologize for what he deemed "the darkest times" in his life on May 19, 2024.

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f*cked up — I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” he said.

He further added,

“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry."

Since Cassie Ventura's lawsuit against Diddy, aka Puff Daddy, several women have come forward to accuse the rapper of s*xual assault. According to The Cut, authorities also carried out raids at his Miami and Los Angeles homes in March in connection with an ongoing federal s*x-trafficking investigation conducted by the Southern District of New York.

After the lawsuit with Ventura was settled in November 2023, Diddy claimed the allegations against him were untrue, adding he had “sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy.”

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Following his apology video, Meredith Firetog, an attorney for Ventura, called Diddy's apology "disingenuous", adding the rapper "denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday."

In a statement to CNN, she continued that the rapper was forced to apologize only after the video proving his assaults came to light.