(Los Angeles) Sean “Diddy” Combs admitted to beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016 after CNN released video of the attack. He said in an apology video that he was “truly sorry” and that his actions were “inexcusable.”
“I take full responsibility for my actions in this video. I was disgusted at the time when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” the music mogul said in a video statement posted on Instagram and Facebook on Sunday.
CCTV footage released Friday shows Combs, dressed in just 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 and dragging Cassie, then throwing a vase in her direction.
Watch the video (Warning: images may be shocking)
Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, sued Combs in November for what she claimed was years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse. The case was settled the next day, but sparked increased scrutiny of Combs, with several other lawsuits filed in the months that followed, as well as a federal sex trafficking investigation that led authorities to raid the rapper’s mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.
He had denied the allegations in the lawsuits, but neither he nor his representatives had reacted to the new video until Sunday.
“It’s hard to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you have to,” Diddy says in the video. He adds: “I went to seek professional help. I went to therapy, to rehab. I had to ask God for mercy and grace. I am really sorry. But I am committed to becoming a better man every day. I am not asking for forgiveness. I am really sorry. »
In this apology video, taken from a selfie angle, Combs looks grim and is wearing a t-shirt; he appears to be on a terrace. It was the hip-hop mogul’s most direct response and first apology after six months of allegations that threatened his reputation and career.
In December, after Ventura and at least three other women filed complaints against him, Combs posted a statement on Instagram largely denying the veracity of any such complaints.
“Let me be clear. I did not do any of the horrible things that are alleged,” the post read.
The security camera videotape, dated March 5, 2016, closely resembles the description of an incident at the InterContinental Hotel in the Century City neighborhood of Los Angeles, described in M’s lawsuit.me Ventura.
The complaint claims Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security video immediately after the incident. Neither he nor his representatives have responded to this specific allegation. CNN did not say how it obtained the footage.
According to the complaint, Ms. Ventura was trying to get away from the sleeping Mr. Combs, who had already punched her in the face before the footage began.
Combs is not likely to face criminal charges for the beating. The statute of limitations for the assault and battery charges he may face expired years ago.
The same is true of many of the allegations in the lawsuits, but federal investigators tracking Combs are likely looking for potential crimes they could pursue under the law.
Ventura signed with Diddy’s record company in 2005. The two were romantically involved for over ten years starting in 2007.
SOME RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND THEIR LOVED ONES
SOS domestic violence: 1 800 363-9010 (toll-free line) or 438 601-1211 (by text)
Federation of women’s shelters (Montreal): 514 878-9757
Grouping of homes for women victims of domestic violence: 514 878-9134
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