Sean “Diddy” Combs, a well-known music mogul, recently admitted to physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016. The admission came after CNN released security camera footage of the incident, prompting Combs to issue a video apology in which he expressed his disgust with his actions and took full responsibility for his behavior.
The disturbing video, dated March 5, 2016, shows Combs, wearing only a white towel, punching, kicking, shoving, and dragging Cassie, an R&B singer who was his protege and longtime girlfriend at the time. He is also seen throwing a vase in her direction.
In November, Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit against Combs, alleging years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. Although the suit was settled the following day, it triggered a series of events, including additional lawsuits and a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led to raids on Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.
Initially, Combs denied the allegations in the lawsuits, but the emergence of the security video prompted him to address the situation directly. In his apology video, Combs acknowledged the difficulty of reflecting on the darkest times in his life and revealed that he had sought professional help, including therapy and rehab.
Despite Combs’ apology, Meredith Firetog, the attorney representing Ventura and other women who have sued him, criticized the statement, calling it “more about himself than the many people he has hurt.” She pointed out that Combs had previously denied the allegations and suggested that his victims were seeking financial gain.
The incident captured on the security camera video closely resembles the description of an event at an InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles, as detailed in Ventura’s lawsuit.
Although criminal charges are unlikely due to the expiration of the statutes of limitations, federal investigators are likely looking for potential crimes they can prosecute under the law.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.