Aubrey O’Day Says She Feels ‘Validated’ Following Diddy’s Arrest: ‘Things Are Finally Changing’
Aubrey O’Day is hopeful for the future following Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest.
“The purpose of Justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing,” the former Danity Kane member tweeted.
O’Day has a longtime history of speaking out against Diddy. Danity Kane was formed back in 2005 on Diddy’s Making the Band and the group was also later signed to his Bad Boy Records label. O’Day was kicked out of the group in 2008, and she alleged on Call Her Daddy in 2022 that her departure was related to her refusal to fulfill non-music requests for the rapper.
Diddy was arrested Monday (Sept. 16) in New York City, and Manhattan federal prosecutors have since unveiled the substance of their case against Combs — accusing him of operating a criminal enterprise centered on his “pervasive pattern of abuse toward women.”
The indictment, obtained by Billboard, includes allegations of sexual abuse, accusing rapper and music executive of running a racketeering conspiracy that included sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson and bribery. If convicted of the charges, Combs is facing a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life behind bars. Combs is expected to be arraigned later on Tuesday at a Manhattan federal courthouse.
In a video obtained by CNN earlier this year and dated March 5, 2016, Combs appears to shove his longtime former partner, Cassie Ventura, to the ground near an elevator bank, kick her several times while she lies on the ground and drag her down a hallway. The contents of the video mirror an assault allegation Ventura made in a now-settled lawsuit she filed against Diddy in November.
Ventura was the first to accuse Diddy of sexual assault, filing a lawsuit in November in which attorneys for Cassie claimed she “endured over a decade of his violent behavior and disturbed demands,” including repeated physical attacks and forcing her to “engage in sex acts with male sex workers” while he masturbated. According to the complaint, after she attempted to separate from him in 2018 after an on-and-off public relationship for 11 years, Combs allegedly “forced her into her home and raped her while she repeatedly said ‘no’ and tried to push him away.” The case was soon settled, but Combs was then sued by multiple other women who claimed they were sexually abused by the hip-hop mogul.
O’Day has previously spoken out in defense of Ventura. “I am in full support of Cassie,” O’Day shared in a statement to ET in November. “It isn’t easy to take on one of the most powerful people in this industry and be honest about your experience with them. I know what her heart is feeling right now, because I have done so as well. May her voice bring all the others to the table, so we can start having more transparent conversations about what is actually happening behind the scenes. There is a lot more to all of our stories!”
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, please call the confidential National Domestic Violence Hotline toll-free at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org.
Rania Aniftos
Billboard
