Kanye West Faces Backlash for Defending Diddy’s Assault on Cassie and Profiting from the Incident
Kanye West has come under intense criticism for defending Sean “Diddy” Combs’ violent assault on Cassie and for selling merchandise tied to the incident.
Over the weekend, West took to X (formerly Twitter) to justify the 2016 attack, which was captured on security footage. In a series of inflammatory posts, he suggested that Diddy’s actions were an expression of “true love” and dismissed the widely condemned assault as an unfortunate byproduct of deep emotional ties.
“When [a] man truly loves a [woman] he may express it in rage. I empathize with both sides,” he wrote. “You have to truly be in love to get to the point of risking everything.”
His remarks sparked outrage, particularly as he continued to question whether public instances of domestic violence should be categorized as such. He also posted a screenshot from the attack, cryptically adding: “IM JUST ASKING FOR A FRIEND.”
West went further by claiming that Diddy was being unfairly targeted, comparing the backlash to how the Grammys allegedly mistreated Drake. “WHEN I SEE THE PUFF CASSIE VIDEO REPOSTED IT DOESNT CHANGE THE FACT THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF HIM,” he wrote.
The controversy escalated when West revealed he was selling hoodies identical to the one Cassie wore during the attack. The sweatshirt, dubbed the “Love Hoodie” in a reference to Diddy’s “Brother Love” moniker, was listed on his website. West later boasted that he had sold over 1,500 units, generating more than $30,000 in revenue.
Cassie has not publicly addressed West’s remarks, but social media users swiftly condemned him, with some branding him “evil” and others accusing him of exploiting the singer’s trauma for profit.
West’s posts were part of a larger online tirade that began on February 6, during which he voiced support for Diddy, who is currently facing federal charges related to sex trafficking and racketeering. “FREE PUFF,” he wrote, before criticizing other celebrities for not defending the embattled music mogul. He also appealed to former U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to intervene in Diddy’s case.
Amid his posts, West made additional inflammatory statements, declaring himself a “racist” and a “Nazi” while continuing to espouse antisemitic rhetoric. His X account has since disappeared, though he has hinted at launching his own Discord channel to continue his online activity.
