Cassie Ventura breaks her silence on a video showing the attack by Sean “Diddy” Combs in a Los Angeles hotel

Cassie Ventura is speaking out publicly for the first time since releasing a 2016 video showing her then-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking her in a hotel.

“Thank you for all the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to meet,” Ventura wrote on Instagram Thursday. “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to feel comfortable and safe now, but this is just the beginning.”

“Domestic violence is THE problem. It has made me into someone I never thought I would be. Through a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always have to recover from my past,” continued Ventura. “Thank you to everyone who took the time to take this issue seriously. I just ask that EVERYONE open their hearts to believe the victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to get the truth out of a situation to say in which one was powerless.”

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Ventura ended her statement with a message to others who find themselves in similar situations: “I extend my hand to those who still live in fear. Reach out to your people, don't cut them off. No one should have to bear this burden.” This healing journey alone never ends, but this support means everything to me. Thanks.

Combs apologized in a video earlier this week after CNN released surveillance footage on May 17 showing Combs chasing Ventura down a hallway, grabbing her by the neck, pushing her to the ground and kicking her as she lay on the ground.

“I’ve hit rock bottom – but I’m not looking for excuses,” he said, among other things. “My behavior in this video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in this video.”

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Ventura's attorney issued a statement in response to Diddy's video, saying, “Combs' recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt.”

In November 2023, Ventura settled a lawsuit against Combs accusing him of sex trafficking and sexual assault. According to court documents, Ventura claimed that Combs “often hit, slapped, kicked and stomped” her during their relationship.

Combs faces a series of civil lawsuits accusing the music mogul of rape, sex trafficking and other allegations. The latest lawsuit, the sixth lawsuit overall, was filed this week by former model Crystal McKinney. She claims she was “drugged and sexually abused” by Combs after meeting him at a Fashion Week event in New York City in 2003.

Combs is also the target of an ongoing federal investigation into allegations of human and sex trafficking that led to his homes in Los Angeles and Miami being raided by federal agents in March. He has denied any wrongdoing related to that investigation.

If you or a loved one are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or access help via chat at thehotline.org.

ABC News' Julia Reinstein contributed to this report.