Diddy responds to 2016 surveillance video of him physically assaulting Cassie: 'I hit rock bottom'

"I was disgusted then when I did it. I'm disgusted now."

Sean "Diddy" Combs is taking “full responsibility” for his behavior shown in the recently surfaced 2016 video in which the musician and mogul physically assaults his then-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, a.k.a. Cassie.

"It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that,” Combs said in a new video he posted to Instagram on Sunday, two days after the video first obtained by CNN was released to the public. "I was f–--ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”

In the surveillance footage, which has no audio, Combs is seen running down a hotel hallway in a towel and socks, chasing Ventura while she waits for an elevator and then grabbing her by the neck and throwing her to the ground. He is then shown kicking her while she curls up on the ground, dragging her from one area to another, and later shoving her and throwing an object at her.

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Combs continued his apology, saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought professional help. After going to therapy and 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’m truly sorry.”

Ventura's attorney, Meredith Firetog, responded to the video in the following statement shared with Entertainment Weekly: "Combs' most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt.  When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.  That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”

Ventura and Combs were romantically linked for more than a decade before parting ways in 2018. Ventura sued Combs in November 2023, accusing him of sexual assault and years of physical abuse. The lawsuit — which also named Combs’ label, Bad Boy Records, and Sony Music — accused the rapper of rape and physical abuse, alleging, "Every time she hid, Mr. Combs's vast network of corporations and affiliated entities found her, and those who worked for Mr. Combs' companies implored her to return to him."

Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs slams federal agents raiding his homes: 'Gross overuse of military-level force'

Combs denied all of the allegations the day the lawsuit surfaced, and he and Ventura settled the suit the following day. In the aftermath of Ventura's claims, several other accusers sued Combs, who has consistently denied their allegations. Federal agents raided the rapper’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March.

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.