Aubrey O’Day, Cassie and Diddy. Getty Images (3)
Aubrey O’Day is reacting to the disturbing footage of Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie.
“The picture is getting a lot more clear for you all I can imagine,” O’Day, 40, wrote via X on Friday, May 17, after CNN released a 2016 surveillance video of Diddy, 54, appearing to shove, drag and kick Cassie, 37, in an altercation at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
The “Show Stopper” singer also issued a warning about the footage, writing, “Abuse survivors or anyone that triggers easily might not want to watch (images are disturbing).” She concluded her message by giving her “prayers” to Diddy’s “victims,” citing Cassie and Kim Porter, the rapper’s late ex who died in 2018.
O’Day’s history with Diddy dates back to the early ‘00s when she auditioned for his MTV series Making the Band 3, where she, along with Dawn Richards, Shannon Bee, D. Wood and Aundrea Fimbres formed the girl group Danity Kane. In 2006, Diddy kicked O’Day out of the group, claiming at that time that there was “no bad blood” between them.
Years before two of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes were raided in connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation, there was conversation about what went on at the rapper’s residences. After the March 2024 raid made headlines, a clip resurfaced of Usher recalling his experience living with Diddy as a teenager. “I got a chance to […]
O’Day, however, later alleged during a 2022 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she was fired because she “wasn’t willing to do what was expected” of her — “not talent-wise, but in other ways.” (Diddy did not respond to her claims.)
Earlier this year, O’Day claimed that Diddy then tried to buy her silence by turning over publishing rights on his label, Bad Boy Records. As for what O’Day believed Diddy’s “motivation” was, she alleged, “I think you would probably be making moves to keep as many people quiet as possible.”
Since leaving the group, O’Day has been vocal about Diddy’s alleged abuse, including in regards to Cassie, who dated Diddy on and off from 2007 to 2018. In November 2023, Cassie named the rapper in a lawsuit accusing him of rape and repeated physical abuse that lasted for nearly a decade.
O’Day was an advocate of Cassie and supported her coming forward. “Been trynna tell y’all for years. Prayers up for this queen 🙌🏼 @cassie,” she captioned her Instagram Story. “Only day ya’ll are gonna put some respect on my name when I tell you things.”
Paras Griffin/Getty Images While Sean “Diddy” Combs has fervently denied ex-girlfriend Cassie’s rape and assault allegations, multiple women have come forward with similar claims of alleged misconduct by the music mogul. Us Weekly confirmed in November 2023 that Cassie (real name Casandra Ventura) filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of rape and repeated physical […]
Diddy, for his part, denied all the claims.
“Mr. Combs vehemently denied these offensive and outrageous allegations,” the music mogul’s lawyer Ben Brafman told Us in a statement at the time. “For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail. Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’s reputation and seeking a payday.”
Just one day after Cassie filed the lawsuit, the exes announced that they had reached an agreement. “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control over,” Cassie told Us in a statement sent via her attorney Douglas Wigdor. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Diddy also released a statement hours later. “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best,” he wrote in a statement shared with Us, signing the note with his “Love” nickname.
Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images Sean “Diddy” Combs and ex-girlfriend Cassie weathered many ups and downs during their romance before parting ways for good in 2018. While Cassie (real name Cassandra Ventura) has since married Alex Fine and become a mother, her relationship with Diddy hasn’t stopped making headlines. The New York Times reported in November 2023 […]
O’Day, meanwhile, was one of the first people to speak out about the settlement. “Money > accountability. Every time,” she wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “Welcome to another chapter of the system is well in place 💔.”
As for the resurfaced footage of Diddy and Cassie released on Friday, Cassie’s lawyer Wigdor reacted to the video in a statement on Friday, telling Us, “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Diddy has not yet addressed the video footage. Us has reached out for comment.