From denial to admission: How a surveillance tape held Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accountable

Sean “Diddy” Combs has issued an apology for physically assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016, an incident depicted in a surveillance video obtained exclusively by CNN .

Almost 48 hours after being shown physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016 in a surveillance video obtained exclusively by CNN, Sean “Diddy” Combs has apologized. Just before 1pm ET on Friday, CNN published the video in which Combs is seen grabbing, shoving, dragging and kicking Ventura during an altercation that matches allegations in a now-settled federal lawsuit filed by Ventura in November. At publication time, representatives for Combs, an influential figure in the music industry who founded the music label Bad Boy in 1993, had not responded to requests for comment. Combs, a rapper, producer and business mogul, was silent for nearly two days as backlash mounted – including in the comments section of his old social media posts – and a media storm swirled. Just after 11am ET on Sunday, Combs released a video on Instagram, in which he apologized for an incident he’d previously denied ever happening in the first place. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Combs said in a video statement posted to Instagram. “I was f**ked up — I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable.” He continued: “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I am disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”