Shortly after the release of a shocking violent video showing rap star Sean “Diddy” Combs beating up his then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, Combs has now spoken out about the incident and apologized. In a video on Instagram, he said he took “full responsibility” for his actions in the surveillance camera recording.
He was “disgusted” when he beat up Ventura then and he is the same now, Combs said. “I was completely fucked back then, completely down. But that doesn’t change anything: my behavior was inexcusable,” the rapper continued.
After the incident, he went into therapy and rehab. “I’m so sorry,” he explained with tears in his eyes. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m really sorry.” This ends the Instagram clip.
Shortly before his post, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office released a statement. It states that Combs cannot be legally prosecuted for his attack due to the statute of limitations in the US state of California.
“We are aware of the video circulating online that purports to show Sean Combs attacking a young woman in Los Angeles,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón told US magazine Deadline just a few hours ago. after the US news channel CNN made the surveillance video public. The statement from the public prosecutor’s office, which was also shared on Instagram, continued: “We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to view. If the behavior shown took place in 2016, we are unfortunately not in a position to bring charges because the behavior occurred beyond the time period in which a crime of bodily harm can be prosecuted.”
In the state of California, the statute of limitations for domestic violence is five years. The statute of limitations for simple and serious bodily harm is one year and three years, respectively, reports Deadline. Combs’ alleged attack on his then-partner Ventura is said to have occurred on March 5, 2016, more than eight years ago.
Meanwhile, several prominent US stars have spoken out on social media and strongly condemned Combs’ alleged behavior. For example, rapper 50 Cent, who has been at loggerheads with Combs for some time, posted a series of posts. The 48-year-old shared the violent video broadcast by CNN on Instagram and wrote sarcastically: “Well I’m sure Puffy didn’t do it, he’s innocent, that doesn’t prove anything! That’s what his lawyers will say, God help us all,” followed by praying hands.
Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski also spoke up. On X (formerly Twitter) she simply wrote: “Monster.”
Note: This article has been updated.