Sean “Diddy” Combs has publicly admitted to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016, following the release of a video showing the incident by CNN.
In a video apology shared on social media on Sunday, he expressed remorse, stating his actions were “inexcusable.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” Combs said in the viral clip.
The security footage, aired Friday, depicts Combs, dressed only in a white towel, punching and kicking Cassie, an R&B singer who was his protégé and longtime girlfriend at the time. The video also shows Combs shoving, dragging, and throwing a vase at her.
Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, sued Combs in November last year, alleging years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.
The lawsuit was settled the following day but triggered intense scrutiny of Combs, leading to several more lawsuits and a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation, which resulted in authorities raiding Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.
While Combs, 54, previously denied the allegations, neither he nor his representatives addressed the newly emerged video until Sunday.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Combs said. “I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
This marks his most direct response and first apology following six months of allegations that have threatened his reputation and career.
In December, after Ventura and at least three other women filed lawsuits against him, Combs posted a statement on Instagram broadly denying all allegations.
“Let me absolutely clear. I did not do any of the awful things being alleged,” he said.
The security camera video, dated March 5, 2016, closely matches the description of an incident at an InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles’ Century City area, as described in Ventura’s lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security video immediately after the incident. Neither he nor his representatives have addressed this specific claim.
The lawsuit details that Ventura had been trying to escape from a sleeping Combs, who had already punched her in the face before the video began.
Combs is not at risk of criminal prosecution for the assault, as the statute of limitations for the likely charges has expired. This is also the case for many allegations in the lawsuits, but federal investigators may be looking for other potential crimes they can prosecute.
Ventura signed with Diddy’s label in 2005, and the two had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship for more than a decade, beginning in 2007.
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