Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs apologizes for an attack, apparently on his former girlfriend – a few days earlier a video with shocking scenes of violence emerged.
With his head slightly bowed, Sean “Diddy” Combs speaks directly into the camera. “I’m really sorry,” says the 54-year-old at the end of his one-minute video message, in which he apologizes for a physical attack, apparently on an ex-girlfriend. The US rapper was reacting to a surveillance video from a hotel that was said to be from 2016 and surfaced on Friday.
The US broadcaster CNN published the video footage with shocking scenes of violence in a hotel corridor. However, the rapper cannot be prosecuted under criminal law because of the video: According to the public prosecutor’s office, the behavior shown in it is already statute-barred.
Combs’ statement sparked a flood of comments online, with many questioning his words. People wrote on Instagram that he would now only be remorseful because he was caught as the perpetrator.
He was at an absolute low point
The footage from the hotel apparently shows Combs abusing his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura in a hallway. In the video, he can be seen hitting the woman, throwing her to the ground, kicking her several times and dragging the victim across the floor. The woman, on her way to an elevator, is fully clothed and has two bags with her. Combs runs after her, wearing only his socks, with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“My behavior in the video is inexcusable,” Combs said in his recording on Instagram. He takes “full responsibility” for his behavior; he was disgusted by it then and now. This was one of the “darkest” times in his life. He was at an absolute low point, but after that he sought help and went to therapy and rehab.
A statement from Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón regarding the video said: “We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch.” However, if the incident described dates back to 2016, it is now statute-barred and unfortunately no charges can be brought anymore. Law enforcement authorities have also not initiated any investigations against Combs in connection with the video.
There are also allegations from other women
The Ventura singer, whose stage name is Cassie, did not respond to Combs’ statement, but her lawyer spoke out. The rapper’s statement is more about him than about the many people he has hurt, wrote lawyer Meredith Firetog in a statement that was available to the German Press Agency. He had previously denied the allegations of several women and made it seem as if these women were only after his money. He wouldn’t change anyone’s mind with his “insincere” words.
Cassie and Combs were in a relationship on and off for a good ten years starting in 2007 and also worked together during this time. Last November, the singer accused the musician in a civil lawsuit of, among other things, sexual abuse, rape, intimidation and physical violence during their long-term relationship. In the statement of claim, she also mentioned the physical incident in the hotel in which she suffered injuries. There was no trial, but rather a quick settlement. Details of their arrangement were not known. They said they had resolved the matter “amicably”. The musician had vehemently rejected allegations of violence.
Cassie’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor responded with a statement after the video was published on Friday. In it, he wrote that the “heartbreaking video” was further evidence of Combs’ “disturbing” behavior. Wigdor noted his client’s “courage” and “strength” in bringing this behavior to light.
Several women have made similar allegations against the rapper in the past. Combs, one of the most successful representatives of the hip-hop industry, who also works as a record producer, actor and in other business areas, had always rejected such allegations. “Enough is enough,” he wrote on Instagram last December. People would try to destroy his reputation with “vile” accusations. He has not done any of these “horrible things” and he will fight for his name, his family and for the truth.
Last September, Combs (“Bad Boy for Life”, “I’ll Be Missing You”) was widely celebrated at the MTV Video Music Awards. He received the “Global Icon Award” for his career and his influence on the music world. But then the hip-hop star faced multiple civil lawsuits alleging rape and abuse.
In December 2023, an unnamed woman filed a lawsuit. She accused Combs and two other men of drugging and raping her when she was 17 in the rapper’s New York studio in 2003.
In February, producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who worked with Combs on his Grammy-nominated record “The Love Album: Off the Grid,” filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York. He accuses Combs of sexually harassing, drugging and threatening him over a period of over a year. Jones also witnessed several times how the rapper, his employees and other people engaged in “seriously illegal activities,” the NBC broadcaster quoted from the lawsuit.
In March, raids in Los Angeles and Miami made headlines. US investigators searched the rapper’s houses there. However, the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agency initially did not provide any information about the background. Combs’ lawyers reacted quickly and spoke of a “witch hunt” as a result of “unfounded allegations” made in civil lawsuits against Combs. The musician is innocent and will continue to fight to clear his name.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
