Sean “Diddy” Combs posted a video apology to his Instagram on Sunday, stating his behavior in footage released two days ago that appeared to show him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 was “inexcusable.”
The surveillance footage, dated March 5, 2016, was first obtained by CNN and appears to match the claims that Ventura made in a now-settled lawsuit that alleged Diddy was repeatedly abusive and violent towards her.
"It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f****d up. I mean, I hit rock bottom but I make no excuses," Combs said in his apology video. "My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I'm disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now."
He had previously denied all of Ventura’s allegations, with his lawyer calling them “baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs's reputation and seeking a payday."
"I'm so sorry. But I'm committed to becoming a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm truly sorry," Combs continued in his apology.
Ventura declined to comment following the release of the footage on Friday, but her attorney gave Scripps News a statement.
"The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs," Ventura's attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor. "Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light."
Combs and Ventura dated on and off from 2007 to 2018. She filed her lawsuit against him in federal court in November, alleging the music executive started abusing her when she was 19. This abuse, Ventura alleged, included beatings, provision of drugs like ecstasy and cocaine, forcing her to have sex with male prostitutes while he filmed them, and Combs raping her in 2018.
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She also alleged she was a victim of sex trafficking due to the multiple sexual encounters she says she was coerced into across the country. Federal authorities searched two of Combs' homes in March in a sex trafficking investigation, according to The Associated Press.
The lawsuit was settled a day after it was filed.
Combs has faced allegations in other lawsuits, including one from a music producer who claimed Combs ran a RICO enterprise set up to acquire and transport drugs, firearms and sex workers — some being minors.
He has denied all of the allegations against him in the remaining lawsuits, calling them "sickening."
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The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office released a statement on social media Saturday that it was aware of the video circulating online and "found the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch."
However, the DA's office added that if the conduct from the video did occur in 2016, it's past "the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted."
"We encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to report it to law enforcement or reach out to our office for support from our Bureau of Victims Services," the statement concluded.
