We’ve seen time and time again that domestic violence can happen to anyone. A person’s race, sex, ethnicity, title, status, or background does not exclude him or her from becoming a victim.
For decades, there have been many outcries and allegations of domestic violence by celebrities and people of power. Aren’t you thinking about some famous couples right now? Ike and Tina Turner? Sean Penn and Madonna? Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown? Or maybe Chris Brown and Rihanna? In the last three years, there have been many domestic violence cases that have caught the media’s attention.
Cassie and Sean “Diddy” Combs
In November 2023, Cassie filed a lawsuit alleging the horrific abuse and trauma she endured during her decade long relationship with Mogul and Billionaire Sean “Diddy” Combs. In May 2024, video footage from 2016 was released of Combs hitting, kicking, and dragging Cassie near an elevator of a hotel for attempting to escape his abuse. After the video was released, Cassie broke her silence with an Instagram post:
“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.”
Grace Jabbari and Jonathan Majors
In December 2023, Jonathan Majors, Marvel’s newest breakout star, was fired after being found guilty of assaulting and harassing his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Majors was sentenced to a yearlong domestic-violence program for assaulting Jabbari on the night of March 24, 2023, while attempting to retrieve his phone from her. Jabbari later filed a lawsuit in March 2024 claiming that there were other incidents of domestic violence during their two-year relationship.
Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson
On November 9th, 2023, actress, singer, and talk show host Keke Palmer was granted full custody of her son, Leodis, and issued a temporary restraining order against her child’s father, Darius Jackson for a domestic violent incident that occurred on November 5, 2023. Palmer stated that Jackson entered her home without her consent, threatened her, and then physically attacked her. Palmer admitted that she had experienced physical violence for two years before finally ending their relationship in October 2023.
Amber Heard and Johnny Depp
Between April and June 2022, viewers worldwide tuned into the livestreaming defamation trial of actors Amber Heard vs Johnny Depp. Depp filed a complaint of defamation against defendant Heard claiming $50 million in damages; Heard filed counterclaims against Depp claiming $100 million in damages. During this trial, Heard accused Depp of physical abuse and sexual assault during their relationship and Depp counterargued that Heard was the aggressor in many of their altercations. The case concluded with Heard being found guilty of maliciously defaming Depp and was ordered to pay fifteen million dollars, which was later decreased to ten million dollars. Heard was awarded two million dollars, which later she appealed.
Although domestic violence is often published in the news and media, nearly half of these cases go unreported. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. If you are experiencing domestic violence and wish to speak with someone, please contact the 24-hour national hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
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