Disgraced new music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs reported over the weekend that he had “hit rock bottom” at the time of 2016 movie footage displaying him assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie. Her authorized group uncertainties the sincerity of his apology.
“Combs’ most the latest assertion is much more about himself than the several folks he has damage,” attorney Meredith Firetog, who represents Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, said in a assertion to The Times. “When Cassie and numerous other females came ahead, he denied all the things and proposed that his victims were searching for a payday.”
Diddy, struggling with several allegations of sexual abuse and sexual intercourse trafficking, seemingly apologized Saturday for the 2016 assault, a working day soon after CNN printed resort protection footage of the incident. The movie displays the hip-hop star and entrepreneur chasing, kicking, dragging and hurling a glass vase at Cassie in a Los Angeles lodge.
“It’s so tough to mirror on the darkest instances in your existence, but often you got to do that,” Combs explained in his Instagram apology. “I was f— up — I strike rock base — but I make no excuses. My habits on that online video is inexcusable. I choose entire accountability for my actions in that video clip.”
The footage seemingly confirms at the very least some of the bodily abuse allegations Cassie lifted towards Combs in a lawsuit she filed in November — accusations Combs originally denied. The grievance, filed in the U.S. District Court docket for the Southern District of New York, details an alleged incident in which Combs “became really intoxicated and punched” her in the encounter, “giving her a black eye” through an attack in March 2016 — the exact same time as the functions in the video clip.
Cassie and Diddy settled the suit a working day just after it was filed.
“That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ after his repeated denials were being proven phony displays his pathetic desperation, and no 1 will be swayed by his disingenuous words and phrases,” Firetog’s assertion included.
When the video surfaced Friday, Diddy’s legal workforce did not answer to The Times’ request for remark. Cassie’s law firm Douglas H. Wigdor dubbed the video clip “gut-wrenching” and reported it “only additional verified the disturbing and predatory conduct of Mr. Combs.”
Diddy caught warmth from far more than just Cassie’s authorized team around the weekend. Former Undesirable Boy rapper and Belizean politician Shyne condemned Comb’s “repugnant behavior” in the 2016 video clip in an Instagram statement shared Sunday.
“There is no location for Violence versus Girls everywhere on the earth. As a father of a precious daughter, a worldwide citizen and the subsequent Key Minister of Belize I want absolutely practically nothing to do with people who interact in this pattern of diabolical behavior,” he claimed. “My prayers are with Cassie and all the other victims who have appear ahead with horrendous allegations in opposition to Mr Combs.”
Shyne (born Jamal Michael Barrow) served 8 a long time in prison, from 2001 to 2009, for a 1999 capturing that included Combs and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Place of work also acknowledged the video clip about the weekend, calling it “extremely disturbing and difficult to watch.” On the other hand, LAPD mentioned there was no recent investigation into it.
“If the carry out depicted transpired in 2016, sadly we would be unable to cost as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline wherever a crime of assault can be prosecuted,” the law enforcement assertion mentioned. “As of now, law enforcement has not introduced a scenario related to the assault depicted in the online video from Mr. Combs.”
The spectacular safety footage surfaced as Combs is going through a federal probe and multiple lawsuits, like one from producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, who accused the Undesirable Boy records founder and previous Revolt chairman of sexual assault and harassment.
In March, U.S. Office of Homeland Stability brokers introduced lookups of Combs’ Holmby Hills and Miami mansions as section of a federal inquiry into sex-trafficking allegations. At the time, Aaron Dyer, a person of Combs’ attorneys, referred to as the raids a “witch hunt.”
Times personnel writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.
