Kristin Chenoweth talks about her experience with domestic abuse.
On Saturday, May 18, the Broadway actress, 55, shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) addressing the recently released video of Sean “Diddy” Combs, in which he can be seen physically assaulting his then-girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
“Honestly, I have my reasons why the Sean Combs video bothers me so much,” Chenoweth wrote. “The main thing I need to do is pray for him. Really.”
When a commenter responded to Chenoweth’s post by saying she should be praying for “victims” and not “evil abusers,” the actress spoke out for the first time about her own experience with dating violence.
“I never wanted to reveal it, but here it is,” she began. “I was seriously abused a few years ago. It took therapy and prayer to realize that I deserve better.”
“I was deeply hurt physically and spiritually,” she continued. “The only thing I knew how to do when I got out was pray. Pray for me. Pray for him growing up abused. So. There he is.”
Kristin Chenoweth.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty
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“It was the lowest I’ve fallen in my life,” she wrote, sharing several more posts. “I have to admit I haven’t forgiven yet. It’s beyond me. God help me through that part.”
“However, the victim has to deal with it [she/he/they] should and is best for them,” Chenoweth continued, adding that by sharing her experience, “maybe it helped someone.”
Chenoweth is currently married to singer Josh Bryant. The couple married on September 2, 2023 in Texas.
The actress’ social media posts come after CNN released surveillance footage from 2016 on Friday, May 17, of Diddy, 54, grabbing, pushing and kicking his ex-girlfriend.
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The video shows Ventura leaving the hotel room and walking toward the elevator before Combs follows her, grabs her by the neck and throws her to the ground. He can then be seen kicking her and then dragging her towards the hotel room. Combs then walks away, before sitting on a chair and throwing an object at her.
Combs’ actions depicted in the video match the allegations made by Ventura, 37, in a now-settled lawsuit filed in November.
Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, told PEOPLE in a statement that “the harrowing footage only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs.”
“Words cannot express the courage and strength Ms. Ventura showed in coming forward to bring this to light,” Wigdor added.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education