Cassie Ventura's legal team has issued a response to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ apology video - which the rapper shared after damning 2016 surveillance footage surfaced online.
On Friday, CNN shared incredibly distressing footage from the now-defunct InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, in 2016.
The footage shows Combs confronting and assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie in the corridors of the hotel.
Dated March 5, 2016, the video shows Combs appearing to grab, shove, drag, and kick Ventura, echoing accusations outlined in a now-resolved federal lawsuit filed by the singer in November.
After the video went viral, a number of celebrities, social media users, and even her husband responded.
Following the intense backlash, Combs took to Instagram to share an apology. The video can be seen below:
The response to the apology was as vitriolic as the initial backlash to the surveillance footage, with one person writing: "Are just sorry because the world saw it? If you are sorry, publicly offer her an apology."
A second Instagram user commented: "You called her a liar. Time did exactly what it was supposed to and you deserve every awful thing that’s coming your way."
Now, Cassie's legal team has responded, branding the rapper's apology video "pathetic".
In a statement to Page Six, Meredith Firetog - a partner at Wigdor LLP, the legal firm representing Ventura - said: “Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt."
Firetog continued: "When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday.
"That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words."
In Combs' video, the 54-year-old said he was "truly sorry" for his actions and that he "f***ed up" and hitting "rock bottom".
Over the weekend, Cassie's husband - Alex Fine - penned an open letter that he later shared on Instagram.
In it, he voiced his solidarity with his wife, and condemned violence against women and girls.
Fine, who has been married to the musician since 2019, wrote: “Men who hit women aren’t men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men."
Additionally, Cassie's other attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, said in a statement over the weekend: "The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs.
“Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light."
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.
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