John Legend expresses horror over the accusations against Sean "Diddy" Combs.
In an interview with CNN International's Christiane Amanpour about his new podcast "Afghan Star," John Legend expressed his shock and disgust over the allegations against Diddy, citing the hotel surveillance footage of an incident where Diddy physically assaulted Cassie Ventura in 2016.
"I was horrified by the descriptions I read before the video evidence came out," Legend said. "And of course, this is something that needs to be brought to light when it happens."
This incident was initially mentioned in a lawsuit Ventura filed against Diddy in 2023, which was later settled out of court. At the time, Diddy denied the accusations. Legend asserted his belief in women's claims of abuse and advocated for their support and accountability for the perpetrators.
"My default stance is to believe women when they make these accusations and to make sure that we do whatever we can to support them," he added. "My hope is that they're heard and that any kind of accountability and reparations can be made to make them whole again."
Legend also commented on the ongoing lawsuits against Diddy, which total eight and all involve allegations of sexual assault. Apart from admitting to the 2016 incident, Diddy has since denied the claims, with seven of the cases still active.
During their collaboration on Diddy's album "The Love Album: Off the Grid," Legend and Babyface worked on a song titled "Kim Porter," named after Diddy's former partner and mother of his three children. Porter passed away in 2018 due to pneumonia.
Legend also discussed his podcast "Afghan Star," a series about the hit Afghani reality show of the same name that discovered talented singers across Afghanistan.
"It's a beautiful story of the power of music, the power of the people's resilience, and a really remarkable show that was pretty revolutionary for its time," he said. "It really captured the attention of the nation... I find the story inspiring, but also it really shows you the power of music and the power of the human spirit."
"Afghan Star" debuted in 2005 and spanned 15 seasons. Legend acknowledged the show's revolutionary impact as it occurred during the Taliban's rule when music was heavily suppressed.
"Music is not dead in Afghanistan right now, even though the Taliban's back in charge," Legend remarked. "I think the spirit that was awakened and revived in Afghanistan by shows like 'Afghan Star' and other connections with music and entertainment, it's hard to put that back in the bottle."
This report was contributed to by CNN's Sandra Gonzalez and Elizabeth Wagmeister.
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Despite the ongoing controversies surrounding Sean "Diddy" Combs, John Legend continues to engage with him in the entertainment industry. For instance, they collaborated on Diddy's album "The Love Album: Off the Grid."
In light of the accusations against Diddy, it's essential for the industry to promote accountability and support for victims of abuse, a belief firmly held by John Legend.
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