Diddy apologises for attack on partner caught on video

Sean “Diddy” Combs has posted an Instagram video apologising for beating his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, in the wake of footage of the 2016 incident being released.

- OLIVER O'CONNELL

Security camera footage from the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, was first obtained and published by CNN. It shows Diddy chasing Ms Ventura down a hotel hallway, throwing her to the ground and kicking her.

Yesterday, the music mogul took to Instagram to break his silence over the footage. In the video, Diddy calls his behaviour “inexcusable” and says he “takes full responsibility for his actions in the video”.

He refers to the incident as “one of the darkest times in his life”, saying that he was “fucked up” and is “disgusted by his actions”. He says he “has asked God for his mercy and grace” but is “not asking for forgiveness”, adding that he is “truly sorry” and that he sought professional help and went to therapy and rehab in the aftermath of the 2016 incident.

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” he says. “I was fucked up – I hit rock bottom – but I make no excuses. My behaviour on that video is inexcusable.”

Prior to the hotel security footage coming to light, Combs had strongly denied all of the allegations against him including claims that he had trapped Ms Ventura in “a cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking” during their relationship.