"My default stance is to believe women" – John Legend reacts to ongoing Diddy scandal, reveals he's “horrified” by Cassie footage 

American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer John Legend has reacted to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ viral video, where he assaulted his former girlfriend and singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. The footage dating back to March 2016 was released by CNN earlier this month.

On Thursday, May 30, during an interview with the same publication, John Legend opened up about the clip and claimed he was “horrified” by it.

“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,” the 45-year-old multiple-time Grammy winner told CNN.

John Legend also extended solidarity to Cassie saying he only wants the “best” for her.

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John Legend wants Diddy to take “accountability” for his alleged misconduct

On Thursday, John Legend sat with CNN International and got candid about the ongoing Diddy scandal. He told the interviewer Christiane Amanpour that everything Sean Combs has been accused of was “shameful.”

“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. 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,” Legend observed.

He further added how he always believes women by “default” when it comes to abuse/ assault allegations and makes sure to “support” them in any way he can. John Legend shared how as a community, we should ensure that the victims are “heard” and realize 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. I only want the best for Cassie, but also for all the other victims that have alleged that he abused them. 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,” he added.

John Legend and Diddy collaborated for the first time in 2023 for the latter’s album The Love Album: Off the Grid. The Oscar winner appeared on the 23rd track of the album titled Kim Porter alongside Babyface.

On May 17 this year, CNN leaked the previously unseen video of Diddy shoving, kicking, and dragging Cassie across a hotel hallway in Los Angeles from an incident that took place in March 2016.

Shortly after the footage was released, Diddy took to his Instagram and issued a public apology, calling his behavior inexcusable and disgusting, and took “full responsibility” for his actions. He also claimed to have sought professional help and therapy and pledged to be a “better” person.

Last November, Cassie, who on-and-off dated the hip-hop mogul from 2007 to 2018 filed a civil lawsuit against Sean Combs accusing him of s*xual assault, trafficking, kidnapping, and other similar charges. He denied the allegations yet settled the suit for $30 million within a couple of days.

Over the months, many others have come forward and accused the Bad Boy Records owner of assault/ abuse. At least eight lawsuits have been filed against Combs, all of which are pending.

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John Legend is gearing up for his upcoming podcast Afghan Star

Legend is currently promoting his new podcast Afghan Star, which revolves around the singing reality show of the same name in Afghanistan and the inspiring stories of the participants. It began in 2005 and ran for 15 seasons.

“It’s a beautiful story of the power of music, the power of the people’s resilience, and a really remarkable show that was pretty revolutionary for its time. It really captured the attention of the nation… I find the story inspiring, but also it really shows you the power of music and the power of the human spirit,” Legend shared with CNN.

The Ordinary People singer went on to explain how music was not yet “dead” in the Middle Eastern country and wished that the “spirit” of the reality show helped the common people there to hope for a better tomorrow.