Security footage shared by CNN on Friday showed the rapper abusing his then-girlfriend in 2016.
Former Danity Kane member Aubrey O'Day is weighing in on Sean "Diddy" Combs' public apology after the video of him assaulting ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, was released.
On Friday, an alarming never-before-seen video of Combs, 54, assaulting Ventura, 37, was released by CNN. The footage -- obtained and published by the news outlet and dated March 5, 2016 -- shows Combs grabbing, shoving, dragging, and kicking his then-girlfriend in clips compiled from multiple camera angles. The footage corresponds to an incident highlighted in Ventura's explosive 35-page lawsuit, in which she made graphic and disturbing allegations against Combs, including a claim that he raped her in 2018. A day after the "Me & U" songstress filed her lawsuit against Combs, the two reached a settlement.
On Sunday, O'Day took to her Instagram Story to respond to Combs' video message apologizing for his actions. The 40-year-old singer wrote that Combs' message wasn't an apology to Ventura, but rather a message intended for the public.
"Diddy did not apologize to Cassie. He apologized to the world for seeing what he did," O'Day wrote.
"He says he's 'disgusted w himself now, and he was disgusted w himself then'.. but apparently he wasn't disgusted enough w himself to not PIN this statement out calling her a liar & denying all of it...," O'Day added, including a screenshot of a previous statement shared by Combs refuting the numerous allegations against him in several current lawsuits.
She concluded, "leave god and mercy out of this, they aren't present here, and you know it."
When Ventura and Combs settled her lawsuit against him in November, Combs' attorney, Ben Brafman, said a settlement "is in no way an admission of wrongdoing."
"Mr. Combs' decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best," Brafman added in a statement to ET.
According to CNN, the unearthed footage appears to show the father of seven during an incident that, per Ventura's complaint, occurred at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
In the video, Ventura is seen exiting a hotel room and walking to a bank of elevators. Combs, holding a towel around his waist, runs after the model and grabs her by the back of the neck, throwing her to the floor. He then turns to kick her as she lies on the ground.
Combs retrieves Ventura's dropped purse and weekend bag from the floor near the elevators before turning to kick Ventura again. He then begins to drag Ventura by the neck of her sweatshirt toward a room before walking away.
Douglas H. Wigdor, Ventura's lawyer, shared a statement with ET in response to the video's reveal. "The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs," he shared. "Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light."
The footage came several months after the two reached a settlement in her rape lawsuit against the music mogul. Ventura and Combs went public with their romance in 2012 -- though it was speculated that they were together around 2008. However, the pair officially ended their romance in 2018.
In Combs' video message posted to his Instagram page, the somber-looking mogul says to the camera, "It's so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f**ked up -- I hit rock bottom -- but I make no excuses."
"My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. 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," he continued.
The Bad Boy Records founder ended his message with an apology.
"I had to ask God for his mercy and grace," he said. "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."
Ventura's legal team responded to the video in a statement to ET on Sunday.
"Combs' most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt," Meredith Firetog, partner at Wigdor LLP, said. "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."
Ventura's husband, Alex Fine, also took to social media to speak out and defend his wife -- and other victims of domestic violence -- following the release of the video.
"To all the survivors, your stories are real, and people believe you. To all the survivors you're not alone, and there are men and women who care only for your well being and safety," his message read in part. "We want you to succeed and flourish. To all the women and children, I'm sorry you live in a world where you're not protected, and you don't feel equal. I want to raise my daughters in a world where they are safe and loved."
On Saturday, the Los Angeles District Attorney also released a statement stating that they would not be able to file charges as a result of the incident.
"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," the statement said. "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 continues.
"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."
Combs currently faces five other civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct and other illegal activity. Combs broke his silence after the fourth lawsuit was filed in less than a month from the first three lawsuits, issuing the statement that O'Day screenshot in her Instagram Story.
He wrote, "For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth."
Back in March, Combs' homes were raided with reports saying the raids were tied to sex trafficking allegations and that the probe was helmed by the U.S. District Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York. His sons, Christian and Justin Combs, were handcuffed outside their Los Angeles home amid a raid executed by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which also raided the embattled music mogul's home in Miami.
In a statement to ET, HSI would only say that the raids were "part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners."
At this point, it's unclear if any of the litany of sexual assault lawsuits filed against Combs are tied to the raids. But a source previously told Rolling Stone that four Jane Does and one John Doe had already sat for interviews with investigators for a probe related to an alleged sex trafficking and RICO case, and additional interviews have also been scheduled.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential.
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