Author: Staff

Cassie Ventura is speaking out for the first time following the release of a 2016 video that showed her being physically abused by ex-boyfriend, Sean “Diddy” Combs.

On Thursday, May 23, Ventura thanked her supporters in a statement released on Instagram, expressing her thanks “for all of the love and support from my family, friends, strangers and those I have yet to Meer” after footage of her being physically assaulted by Combs, 54, went public last week. Ventura, 37, continued: “The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but this is only the beginning.  Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”

Cassie also voiced her support for others experiencing abuse and asked people to do the same: “Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to take this matter seriously. My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in. I offer my hand to hose that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone .. The healing journey is never ending, but this support means everything to me. Thank you.”

CNN published a surveillance video May 17 that shows Combs appearing to grab, shove, drag and kick Ventura in a hallway of the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016. Combs apologized in a video posted to social media, but did not mention Ventura by name, saying in part:  “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”

Diddy and Cassie dated on and off from 2007 to 2018. Combs previously denied Ventura’s allegations of assault after she filed a lawsuit Nov. 16, 2023 that accused him of rape and years of abuse; the suit was settled one day later, but in the months that followed, multiple alleged victims have spoken out against Diddy, in which. he denied all the allegations. Ventura said at the time of the settlement: “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”

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Lady Gaga‘s long-awaited Chromatica Ball concert special will finally air this month following a two-year wait. An HBO concert special based on Gaga’s 2022 “Chromatica Ball” tour will premiere on the network on Saturday, May 25at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will be available to stream on Max.

Gaga shared a trailer for the film on her social pages, writing: “This film chronicles a time of immense creativity…the fashion, the dance, the music. Revisiting the tour leaves me speechless the way we had each other — you all showed up for music and art in a big way, and with a level of excitement and freedom that I will never forget. Stadium after stadium. Sold-out crowds. The deafening sing-alongs. Chromatica was colorful revenge. The chaos of it all became pure energy and life. With a texture best experienced live.” Gaga continued: “see yourself in every vocal, every fabric choice, the choreography, every image. Here’s the truth — no matter where life or my career has taken me, my time with you always is a path back to a very powerful part of myself. In a stadium filled with YOU it came to life. Thank you for that feeling. I hope you will feel seen when you watch this film. And know that I edited it carefully to honor you.”

The concert film, originally announced in 2022, was filmed before a sold-out crowd of 52,000 people at Los Angeles’s Dodger Stadium in September of 2022, and features the artist performing such hits as “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Shallow,” “Rain On Me,” “Stupid Love” and more.

Nina Rosenstein, HBO executive VP of programming, late night & specials, says: “Lady Gaga is a complete powerhouse. She’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist who never holds back, and ‘Gaga Chromatica Ball’ puts her endless list of talents on full display. We’re thrilled to partner with her once again for this breathtaking concert special.”

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Drew Barrymore will serve as the famed ‘center square’ on an updated, reimagined version of  the classic game show “Hollywood Squares,” set to air on CBS in January. Past “center square” celebrities have included Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Rivers, Martin Mull and Paul Lynde, with the show dating back to 1965.

CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach and CBS president/CEO George Cheeks revealed the news at a news conference, with a press release stating: ‘Hollywood Squares’ involves two contestants who play tic-tac-toe to win money and prizes, with the ‘board’ for the game is a vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants. The celebrities are asked questions and the contestants judge the legitimacy of their answers to win the game. Award-winning actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore will take her place as the famed ‘center square’ answering questions for the contestants.”

CBS president/CEO George Cheeks shared: “Drew’s already a part of our CBS family. She’s adorable, she’s engaging, she’s going to bring her friends under the squares. We think this is going to be a great 10 o’clock show for us. We now have a really solid Wednesday night of game shows to bridge the ‘Survivor’ seasons .. We’re reimagining ‘Hollywood Squares.’ We’re going to be true to to the the old school elements, but like having an anchor of somebody with that personality, those relationships, and just someone who actually is so such a diehard fan of that franchise. We’re super excited about her in the center square.”

Hollywood Squares will run on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET starting in January, paired with “The Price is Right at Night” (hosted by Drew Carey) at 8 p.m. and a new season of “Raid the Cage,” hosted by Damon Wayans, Jr. and co-host Jeannie Mai, at 9 p.m.

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Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac are set to star in the vampire thriller Flesh of the Gods, directed by Panos Cosmatos, the filmmaker best known for his 2018 horror film, Mandy. Flesh of the Gods is written by Andrew Kevin Walker, best known as the screenwriter behind 1990s classic Se7en, and is based on a story by Cosmatos and Walker.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, Flesh of the Gods is set in Los Angeles during the glittering 1980s. The story follows a married couple, Raoul (Isaac) and Alex (Stewart), who descend each evening from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into an electric nighttime realm of 80’s LA. When they cross paths with the mysterious and enigmatic woman and her hard-partying cabal, Raoul and Alex are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills, and violence. Cosmatos in a statement: “Like Los Angeles itself Flesh of the Gods inhabits the liminal realm between fantasy and nightmare. Both propulsive and hypnotic, Flesh will take you on a hot rod joy ride deep into the glittering heart of hell.”

Flesh of the Gods will begin filming later this year, and will be presented at the Cannes film market.

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