Sean 'Diddy' Combs Admits to 2016 Assault on Cassie Ventura in Instagram Apology

Sean "Diddy" Combs apologized in a video for a violent attack on his then-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie Ventura, in a 2016 video that recently surfaced.

"It's so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that. I was f**cked up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses," Combs said in a video posted on Instagram. "My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in this video. They're disgusting. I was disgusted then when I did it, I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought professional help. I've been going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I'm so sorry, but I'm committed to being a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I am truly sorry."

Diddy uploaded a video where he says he’s sorry for assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie after the 2016 video was released. He does not mention her name in the video: pic.twitter.com/LR8RRF00XC

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) May 19, 2024

The video, dated March 5, 2016, shows Combs grabbing, shoving, and kicking Ventura, whose real name is Casandra Ventura. The footage corroborates allegations made in her lawsuit filed last November, describing an incident at the now-shuttered InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.

Combs previously denied the allegations through his attorney and in a social media post titled "Enough Is Enough." The post was deleted from his Instagram but remains pinned on his X account (formerly Twitter). In April, he posted a video of his 1998 song "Victory," where he is seen running from Los Angeles police, with the caption "Bad Boy for life" and a fist emoji.

In response to Combs' apology video, Meredith Firetog, a lawyer for Ventura with Wigdor LLP, told Variety: "Combs' recent statement focuses on himself, not the victims he has hurt. He initially denied the allegations, suggesting his accusers were motivated by money. Now that the video proves their claims, his apology lacks sincerity and won't sway anyone."

On November 16, 2023, Ventura filed a lawsuit in New York accusing Combs of raping and beating her throughout their relationship, among other allegations. Although the two parties reached a settlement the following day, Combs has since faced multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault.

In November, Joi Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit under the New York Adult Survivors Act, alleging Combs "drugged, sexually assaulted and abused" her and that she was the victim of "revenge porn" created and distributed by the rapper.

In December, another lawsuit filed by a Jane Doe alleged that Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall took turns raping her and her friends at Hall's apartment sometime between 1990 and 1991. Combs posted his denial that month, and in February denied a separate set of charges from an unidentified woman, calling them "entirely fictional."

Amid these allegations, Combs temporarily stepped aside as chairman of Revolt, and his Hulu reality show was scrapped.