Dee Barnes, a prominent voice against domestic violence in the music industry, has recently spoken out against Sean “Diddy” Combs following a video showing him assaulting his former partner, Cassie. Barnes, who herself survived a brutal attack by Dr. Dre, expressed her deep disappointment and described the footage as triggering for abuse survivors.
In a social media post on Friday, May 17, Barnes didn’t hold back her feelings. “Seeing that video is extremely triggering. #DrDre punched, slammed, kicked and stomped me out. #Concussion,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. She continued in a separate post, “I’m disgusted and disappointed with Sean Combs. I stand with #Cassie, #KimPorter and all the other victims of his violent abuse.”
Barnes’ history with domestic violence dates back to January 27, 1991, when she was attacked by Dr. Dre at a record release party in Hollywood, California. As detailed by Rolling Stone Magazine, Dr. Dre viciously assaulted her, repeatedly slamming her head and body against a brick wall, while his bodyguard kept bystanders at bay with a gun. The attack continued with Dr. Dre kicking her and attempting to throw her down a flight of stairs. Barnes managed to escape to a women’s bathroom, but Dr. Dre followed and continued his assault by punching her in the back of the head. The attack only ended when Dre and his bodyguard fled the scene.
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This attack was reportedly provoked by an interview Barnes conducted with Ice Cube on her show “Pump It Up,” in which Ice Cube mocked D.O.C.’s voice, an injury result from a car accident. Barnes subsequently filed a $22.75 million lawsuit against Dr. Dre, which was settled out of court.
Since we talking about Diddy and Cassie
lets not forget about Dee Barnes who was assaulted by Dr Dre pic.twitter.com/HVSeSYDupq— DeMarko (@freakymarko) May 18, 2024
Dr. Dre later addressed the assault in an interview for “The Defiant Ones,” expressing regret for his actions. “There is absolutely no excuse for it. No woman should ever be treated this way,” he stated. “Any man that puts his hands on a female is a fing idiot. He is out of his fing mind and I was out of my fing mind at the time. I fed up. I paid for it. I’m sorry for it and I apologized for it.”
While Barnes accepted Dr. Dre’s apology and appreciated his accountability, she has questioned the timing of his remorse. Now, with the emergence of the video of Diddy’s assault on Cassie, Barnes is once again reminded of her traumatic past and is vocal in her support for Cassie and other victims of abuse.
In her advocacy, Dee Barnes continues to shine a light on the issue of domestic violence within the music industry, urging for accountability and justice for all victims.