Sean “Diddy” Combs apologizes for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in a video posted on Instagram, following the resurfacing of footage from the violent 2016 incident this week.
Security footage from the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, shows Diddy chasing Cassie along a corridor, throwing her to the ground, and kicking her.
On Sunday, Diddy took to Instagram to break his silence about the footage. In the video, Diddy describes his actions as “inexcusable” and accepts “full responsibility for his actions shown in the footage.”
He describes the event as “one of the darkest times in his life,” admitting he was deeply troubled and “disgusted by his own behavior.”
He said he has “asked God for mercy and grace,” yet clarifies he is “not seeking forgiveness from others,” but expresses deep regret, mentioning his subsequent therapy and rehab efforts.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you have to do that,” he says.
“I was at my lowest—there’s no excuse. My actions in that video are indefensible.”
Before the security footage became known, Combs had vehemently denied all allegations against him, including accusations of trapping Cassie in “a cycle of abuse, violence, and sex trafficking” throughout their relationship.
He does not mention Cassie by name in his apology video.
Social media reactions to his apology were largely skeptical, highlighting his prior denials and suggesting that without the video’s release, he might never have acknowledged or apologized for his actions.
The security video captures Diddy, clad only in a towel, aggressively chasing Cassie before assaulting her near the elevators, then trying to drag her back along the hallway.
After knocking Cassie to the floor, Diddy picks up a purse and suitcase near the elevators. He then kicks her again as she lies on the ground.
Cassie is later seen in the video slowly rising and picking up items from the floor before using a hotel phone on the hallway wall near the elevators. Diddy returns, still in a towel and socks.
The security camera’s mirror shows Diddy pushing Cassie and then throwing an object at her.
CNN reports that Diddy later compensated the InterContinental Century City $50,000 for the hallway security footage.
The footage supports several claims in a 2023 lawsuit by Cassie, alleging she was trafficked, raped, and beaten by Diddy multiple times over a decade.
The lawsuit details an incident around March 2016, describing Diddy as highly intoxicated, punching Ms. Ventura in the face, resulting in a black eye.
After Diddy fell asleep, Cassie tried to leave the hotel room, but he woke up and chased her into the hallway, shouting at her.
He then grabbed her and threw glass vases at her as she ran towards the elevator, causing the glass to shatter around them, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also describes how Diddy introduced the singer to his extravagant, fast-paced, drug-fueled lifestyle shortly after they met, and signed her to his label in 2005 when she was 19 and he was 37.
Cassie described a pattern of abuse starting soon after their relationship began, culminating in 2018 when Diddy allegedly forced himself into her Los Angeles home and raped her.
The lawsuit was settled a day after it was filed for an undisclosed amount.
Despite the release of the footage, no criminal charges are anticipated against Diddy.
