"I could remove myself from him" - 'The View' host Alyssa Farah Griffin shares her past-abuse story amid Diddy lawsuit

Alyssa Farah Griffin, 34, reflected on the recent release of a 2016 video showing Sean 'Diddy' Combs kicking and throwing his then-girlfriend, Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, in a hotel hallway. Griffin spoke candidly about it on the May 20 episode of the ABC talk show The View.

The television personality addressed the common question often asked in such situations:

"Part of this conversation I’ve seen since this video emerged was this question of, ‘Why didn’t she leave?’ And I want to speak to that. I once was a victim of domestic abuse in a prior relationship." Alyssa Farah Griffin shared, "It happened once. I was one of the lucky ones where the power dynamics were in my favor — where I could leave, I could walk away, I could remove myself from him. In the vast majority of cases, that is not the case."

She clarified that this experience did not involve her current husband, Justin Griffin, and emphasized her fortunate ability to leave due to favorable power dynamics.

"I want to make it very clear, this was not my husband, Justin," she said, reinforcing the distinction between her past and present relationships.

Diddy is currently facing several lawsuits against multiple women and music producers.

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Alyssa Farah Griffin opens up about past abuse amid Diddy lawsuit

As conversations regarding toxic relationships have resurfaced, Alyssa Farah Griffin shared some experiences she had with an unhealthy relationship on The View. Since a new video of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs punching and dragging ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 surfaced, Alyssa Farah Griffin, 34, opened up about the disturbing clip on the ABC talk show.

Expressing her perspective, the former White House Director of Strategic Communications conveyed her belief that Cassie "had no hope to get away from" Diddy, considering the dynamics of their relationship, his prominence in the music industry, and the harsh realities of escaping abusive situations.

Alyssa Farah Griffin elaborated that Diddy's control over Cassie extended beyond physical actions, encompassing financial manipulation and emotional coercion. She emphasized that the rapper's vast wealth and influential network intensified the difficulties faced by Cassie in escaping the abusive relationship.

In surveillance footage from a 2016 incident between the former couple, which CNN released on May 17, Combs, now 54, is seen grabbing Cassie, throwing her to the ground, and forcefully kicking her before dragging her back toward their hotel room.

This footage aligns with the allegations Cassie, now 37, included in a lawsuit filed last November, which has since been settled. In a statement to PEOPLE, Cassie's attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, said the video "has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs."

The attorney of the Los Angeles District stated on Friday that the offense depicted in the said video might not be prosecutable due to the elapsed time. After that, several other women reported to the police and filed cases of sexual and physical assault by this rapper.

His residences in Los Angeles as well as Miami, Florida were recently searched following a federal bust on human trafficking. It was alleged that the two began a relationship when she was 19 years old and he was 37 years old.

On May 19, the music mogul took to Instagram to address the video, describing it as "the darkest time" in his life.

"I hit rock bottom but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable," he said.

Diddy expressed that he takes complete accountability for his actions depicted in the video. He stated that he was repulsed by his behavior at the time of the incident and continues to feel disgusted by it.

Alyssa Farah Griffin, a talk show host, shared her experience of leaving an abusive relationship and spoke about the complexities victims face. The video of Diddy abusing his ex-girlfriend Cassie has sparked conversations about power dynamics and the difficulty of leaving abusive relationships.