After the release of footage depicting Sean 'Diddy' Combs allegedly assaulting his ex, Cassie Ventura, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has spoken out.
CNN obtained shocking footage from a surveillance camera at a hotel reportedly showing the 54-year-old rapper physically assaulting his former girlfriend.
The incident - which occurred at InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles back in March 2016 - appears to show Combs running after Ventura, throwing her to the ground before kicking her and dragging her away.
The 'Me & U' singer attempts to re-compose herself, but Combs, who is wrapped in only a towel, appears to shove her before throwing objects in her direction, as seen in a nearby mirror.
The footage immediately went viral, and the 'Last Night' rapper spoke out to address it in a recent video posted to social media.
Taking to both Instagram and Facebook in a clip captioned "I'm truly sorry", Diddy referred to his actions as "inexcusable."
Warning: the below contains distressing footage"I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he said in the video statement posted on Sunday (May 19).
"It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that," he continued, before adding: "I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.
"But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry," he concluded.
Have a look at the full statement below:In the wake of the footage being released, a representative from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has spoken out about why the police can't do anything about the surfaced video.
"We are aware of the video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles. We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch," they started their statement as per Entertainment Tonight.
"If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately, we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted," the statement continued.
"As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs, but we encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to report it to law enforcement or reach out to our office for support from our Bureau of Victims Services," they added.
It comes as Ventura filed a lawsuit against her former lover after alleging years of abuse.
In the documents, which were filed in November 2023, the 37-year-old accused Diddy of forcing his way into her home and raping her toward the end of their romance, as per Page Six.
She also claimed that Diddy made her perform sex acts on male prostitutes while being filmed, also accusing him of “frequently beat [her] savagely.”
"She again and again tried to escape his tight hold over her life,” the lawsuit stated. "Every time she hid, Mr. Combs’s vast network of corporations and affiliated entities found her, and those who worked for Mr. Combs’s companies implored her to return."
In a separate statement to the outlet, Ventura said: “After years in silence and darkness, I am finally ready to tell my story, and to speak up on behalf of myself and for the benefit of other women who face violence and abuse in their relationships.
"With the expiration of New York’s Adult Survivors Act fast approaching, it became clear that this was an opportunity to speak up about the trauma I have experienced and that I will be recovering from for the rest of my life."
At the time, Combs denied all the allegations against him via the suit.
If you or someone you know is struggling with domestic violence, help is out there. Please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline for more information.