‘She had knots on her head and a black eye’

Cassie’s former make-up artist has claimed she witnessed Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs beating the singer up six years before the filmed assault at a Los Angeles hotel

Mylah Morales told CNN’s Laura Coates that she first witnessed the rapper and producer physically assault his ex-girlfriend Cassie in 2010, leaving her with a black eye.

 

 

‘I have kept this secret for, like, 14 years,’ Morales said, recalling an incident where she saw the former couple go into a hotel room and get into a violent argument. 

 

 

Morales continued: ‘They went into the bedroom and shut the door and all I could hear was screaming and yelling… 

‘Whatever was going on in there I don’t know, but all I could think of was to grab Cassie’s things and start packing it up and just getting her out to safety and bringing her to my house.’

The make-up artist said that Cassie was ‘badly beaten’ when she came out of the room, with ‘ a lot of knots all over her head,’ a black eye and a ‘busted lip.’

Morales said they did not go to the police because of fear of Diddy.

‘Puffy is a very powerful person and we were quite terrified,’ she said.

Diddy is currently facing criminal charges, as a grand jury has been selected to hear evidence against him in a federal probe.

The DOJ is gearing up to bring a criminal indictment against him as his accusers have been told they could be brought to testify in New York City, CNN reports.

The rapper and producer has been named in eight lawsuits accusing him of sexual assault and human trafficking.

The potential witnesses have not yet been prepped to testify for the prosecution, as Homeland Security investigators are still reportedly gathering evidence in the case.

A source told CNN that detectives want their indictment against Diddy to be ‘bulletproof.’

The indictment would not be related to Diddy’s filmed assault of his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.

Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, sued Combs in November over what she said was years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse, including beatings and rape.

The suit said he plied her with drugs, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her in her home as she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Diddy, through his attorney, ‘vehemently denies’ the accusations. 

 

Diddy, however, apologized after video emerged showing him brutally assaulting Cassie in the hallway of a hotel. 

The 54-year-old rapper took to Instagram , saying: ‘I hit rock bottom, but I make no excuses.’

Looking into the camera, Diddy said: ‘So difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, sometimes you got to do that. I was f***ed up.

‘I mean I hit rock bottom, but I make no excuses, my behavior in 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 am disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help, I got into going to therapy, going to rehab.

 

‘Had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I am committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness, I’m truly sorry.’

Sources said Diddy went to rehab following the 2016 incident and continues to seek both therapy and spiritual work.

 

 

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck’s friends are reportedly divided over whether the couple can salvage their failing marriage amid their relationship woes. 

 

 

Amid rumors that the actor, 51, believes he was ‘temporarily’ insane when he made the decision to walk down the aisle, friends and family of the Gigli costars, who rekindled in 2021 after nearly two decades, are torn about what the future holds for them.

 

 

‘Some believe they can work it out with time and effort, pointing to their deep bond. Others think the relationship has run its course,’ a source told Us Weekly. 

 

 

Another insider claimed that the two-time Oscar winner has ‘been checked out’ and that they are on ‘two completely different pages most of the time.’ 

 

 

‘The honeymoon phase has worn off,’ they noted.

 

 

As pointed out by another source, the stars ‘both have demanding careers that often require them to be in different cities.’

 

 

The Let’s Get Loud hitmaker, 54, is currently busy preparing for her 30-date This Is Me…Now Tour, which kicks off next month. 

 

 

‘Jennifer had started ramping up her work commitments and prepping for her tour,’ the insider said. ‘She’s very focused on work and overextends herself.’ 

 

 

Affleck recently started shooting The Accountant 2 in Los Angeles while the mother-of-two has been in New York City filming the musical, Kiss of the Spider Woman. 

 

 

As they navigate their work obligations, often from opposite coasts, communication has also become a source of contention between the duo. 

 

 

‘Over time, Jennifer and Ben found it increasingly difficult to communicate effectively,’ another source told the outlet.   

 

 

This has made ‘small misunderstandings’ grow ‘into significant arguments.’

 

The couple also have ‘fundamentally different approaches to conflict’ as Affleck tends to withdraw and Lopez prefers to talk things out. 

 

 

Us Weekly also claims that arguments over finances and parenting their respective children ‘have exacerbated’ their issues.

 

 

Lopez is also reportedly disappointed by the idea of a fourth divorce.

 

‘She’s upset,’ one source told the outlet. ‘And, really did think she and Ben would be endgame this time around.’ 

 

 

The Atlas star has also allegedly been more ‘committed to working on the marriage’ from the start, whereas Affleck was initially hesitant, but has started to ‘invest more’  into working things out. 

 

 

Since moving out, Affleck has reportedly ‘struggled with loneliness’ and ‘realized how much he misses Jen.’ 

 

 

While apart, ‘Ben and Jen kept in touch primarily to discuss essential matters and updates.’ 

 

 

Now they are both said to be ‘reassessing their priorities’ and ‘[figuring out] what they truly want from the marriage.’ 

 

 

The couple got engaged for the first time, near the end of 2002, but broke the engagement in late 2003, before ending their relationship entirely in 2004.

 

 

Jennifer went on to marry and divorced her third ex-husband Marc Anthony, with whom she welcomed her 16-year-old twins Max and Emme.

 

 

Meanwhile, Ben married and divorced Jennifer Garner, with whom he amicably co-parents three children – Violet, 18, Seraphina, 15, and Samuel, 12.