Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs hasto CCTV footage appearing to show him assaulting his former partner.
It comes after singer Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura accused Combs of abuse in a lawsuit last year. Her lawyers described Combs as a “vicious, cruel, and controlling man”. The rapper denied the allegations and the matter was settled out of court.
Now, he’s apologised for a 2016 incident at a Los Angeles hotel.
Here’s the latest.
Background
Combs and Ventura met in 2005. The pair dated on-and-off until 2019.
Ventura launched legal action against Combs last year. Her lawyers alleged she was “lured” into a “fast-paced, and drug-fuelled lifestyle”. Combs denied all allegations and both parties agreed to settle out of court for an undisclosed amount.
There are several more sexual assault court cases against Combs, who is part of an ongoinginvestigation.
CCTV footage
In her lawsuit against Combs, Ventura accused the rapper of paying over $US50,000 ($AU74,000) to secure CCTV footage from an LA hotel in 2016.
Last week, U.S. news outletpublished what it suggested was that footage, which appears to show Combs kicking and dragging Ventura in a hotel hallway.
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In a video posted to Instagram, Combs apologised for his “inexcusable” behaviour. However, he did not name Ventura in the statement.
Response
In the video, Combs said he’s attended therapy and rehab since the 2016 incident. “I take full responsibility for my actions… I was disgusted then… I’m disgusted now,” he said.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office said they were “aware of the video” but couldn’t take action against Combs. Assault charges in the state of California must be laid within a year of an incident.
One of Ventura’s lawyers accused Combs’ video of being insincere, claiming: “He was only compelled to ‘apologise’ once his repeated denials were proven false.”
Australia
Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has called for Australians to boycott Combs.
Ley said: “We cannot forget that the woman at the centre of this matter is a real person who has suffered severe domestic violence.”
“I am asking Australian businesses to reconsider any activities… that may be financially benefiting Mr Combs… Radio stations [should] take any of his music off their channels today,” she added.
Several brands have cut ties with Combs in recent months.
