Sean “Diddy” Combs has publicly apologized after a 2016 video surfaced showing him violently assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. The rapper and entrepreneur appeared somber in a Sunday morning video post, captioned, “I’m truly sorry.”
In the one-minute clip, Combs expressed his deep regret and acknowledged full responsibility for his actions, which he described as occurring during some of “the darkest times” of his life.
“I was fucked up,” he said in the video, which makes no direct mention of Ventura or the harm she suffered. “I mean I hit rock bottom. But I made no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” the recording artist said. “I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I am disgusted now.”
Despite his admission, the video did not directly address Ventura or the specifics of her suffering. Combs disclosed that he sought professional help, including therapy and rehab, following the incident and emphasized his commitment to personal improvement.
“I’m not asking for forgiveness,” he concluded. “I’m truly sorry.”
CNN released the disturbing footage on Friday, showing Combs attacking Ventura in the hallway of the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. This revelation comes six months after Ventura accused Combs of abuse in a federal lawsuit, alleging sexual, physical, and emotional abuse throughout their decade-long relationship. The lawsuit was settled shortly after her filing, with terms undisclosed. Combs’ attorney, Ben Brafman, stated that settling the lawsuit was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
Currently, Combs faces five other civil suits alleging various forms of sexual misconduct and coercion. Following his apology, the legal firm representing Ventura released a statement dismissing his apology as desperate and “disingenuous.”
“Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt,” Meredith Firetog, a partner at Wigdor LLP, told Deadline.
“When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday. That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
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