Sean “Diddy” Combs broke his silence after a shocking video surfaced this week, showing him beating his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
The 54-year-old rapper apologized on Instagram Sunday afternoon, saying, “I hit rock bottom, but I’m not making excuses.” Looking into the camera, Diddy said, “It’s so hard to think about the darkest moments in your life, but sometimes you have to. I was messed up.”
“I think I hit rock bottom, but I’m not making excuses. My behavior in that video is unforgivable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that clip. I was horrified when I did it, and I’m horrified now. I sought professional help, entered therapy, and went to rehab. I had to ask God for his grace and salvation. I am so sorry. But I am committed to being a better man every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness, I’m truly sorry.”
The shocking surveillance footage showing Diddy violently attacking his ex-girlfriend Cassie at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016 surfaced this week.
In the video, obtained by CNN, the shirtless rapper with a towel wrapped around his waist is seen chasing Cassie down a hallway at the InterContinental hotel in Century City. As she tried to enter an elevator, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and threw her to the ground. He then kicked her as she lay motionless on the ground before grabbing two bags she had tried to escape with.
Diddy stood over her, kicked her again, and then dragged her back to their room. Cassie later claimed in a settled lawsuit that Diddy paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage after the attack, according to the Daily Mail. Two days after the attack, the couple appeared holding hands on the red carpet at the premiere of “The Perfect Match.”
In a statement to the Daily Mail this week, Cassie’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, said, “The stomach-churning footage further confirms Mr. Combs’ disturbing and predatory behavior. Words cannot express the bravery Ms. Ventura showed by bringing this to light.”
Cassie sued the rapper last year, alleging rape and a series of other offenses. They settled out of court in November for an undisclosed amount.
In her statement at the time, Cassie said, “I decided to resolve this matter amicably under conditions where I had some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans, and attorneys for their unwavering support.”
The couple was in a relationship from 2007 to 2018, after meeting in 2006 when she was 19, and he was 37 years old.
