Diddy Legally Barred From Saying Cassie's Name Following Settlement

Sean "Diddy" Combs infuriated critics when he didn't mention Cassie in his recent apology video, but there's a legitimate reason why he purposely left her out.

The Bad Boy founder faced a lot of backlash over the weekend after he took responsibility for the graphic security footage of him assaulting his ex-girlfriend at a hotel in Los Angeles. Combs made a general apology and claimed he sought therapy, but he refused to address his former partner. According to a new report TMZ published Monday, May 20, the troubled mogul was not allowed to refer to his ex in the video due to the settlement he agreed to last year.

Cassie, born Cassandra Ventura, made headlines when she sued Combs for physically and sexually assaulting her back in November. In the lawsuit, she claimed he displayed “a pattern of control and abuse that included plying her with drugs, beating her and forcing her to have sex with a succession of male prostitutes while he filmed the encounters.”

Combs vehemently denied the allegations at the time, but he managed to reach a speedy settlement for an undisclosed amount. As part of the agreement, they signed a strict NDA which forbids either of them from speaking about one another in public. Both parties have issued statements through their respective legal teams, but only Diddy has spoken out on social media.

Diddy didn't say her name in his recent post, but he reportedly wanted to. His apology video was heavily reviewed by his lawyers before it was posted to Instagram. Attorneys made sure the video followed the guidelines of the agreement, and didn't include any other incriminating language. Although he settled Cassie's case, Diddy is currently facing three other lawsuits that contain similar allegations. Anything he says could be used against him in the future.

Cassie might not be able to speak for herself, but her husband Alex Fine can. He recently posted a statement to his Instagram after the damning footage surfaced. See what he had to say below.