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Sean “Diddy” Combs’ public spiral has taken some astonishing twists and turns within the last few months, opening Pandora’s box in the mogul’s life.
For decades, rumors of his unscrupulous acts have been reduced to industry gossip and hearsay. However, in November 2023, that changed when his former girlfriend, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, filed a civil lawsuit against Combs—the two dated from 2007 to 2018.
The lawsuit included details of Ventura claiming Combs raped her in 2018, forced her to engage in sexual acts with male sex workers, and numerous recalls of physical abuse. The music executive denied all allegations in the lawsuit but settled to an undisclosed amount within 24 hours.
The Surveillance Footage
Combs continued to claim his innocence until a video of him physically assaulting Ventura was made public on Friday, May 17, 2024.
The surveillance footage obtained by CNN was from 2016. In the video, Ventura is seen walking through the hallways of a Los Angeles hotel, attempting to get on an elevator. The footage then shows Combs running through the halls in nothing but a towel and socks. Once catching up with the “Me and You” singer, he throws her to the ground and continuously kicks her. He gathers her purse and bags off the ground before dragging her a short distance by her sweatshirt. The end of the video shows Combs seated in a chair, yelling at Ventura and throwing objects in her direction. In her lawsuit, Ventura claims Combs had paid the hotel $50,000 to obtain the video.
Diddy’s Disaster
After the footage of the abuse was made public, Combs took to his Instagram to issue an “apology.” In the two-minute video, he states, “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that.”
He continued. “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 am disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
Due to the obscurity and vagueness of the apology, viewers questioned the sincerity of the video.
Combs’s body language and avoidance of addressing Ventura by name were alarming, and they alluded to him being regretful of being caught rather than genuinely apologetic.
What Was His Motive?
“Acknowledging Cassie in his apology would be an admission of wrongdoing. Notice that his apology (if we’re calling it that) centers around himself to such a degree that the audience is meant to see him as the victim to rally around. A victim of what? I’m not sure. But apologizing to Cassie would probably have moral and legal ramifications, and he probably thinks he still has a chance of evading,” Vernique Esther, LCSW, told The Black Wall Street Times in a recent assessment of the mogul’s actions.
Another observation was the total unexpectedness of the video. Even with six open lawsuits, Combs has stayed quiet, with communication only coming from his legal team. The video was a complete deviation from that and raised a red flag.
“A top priority for any abuser is control. In this case, Sean Comb’s desire for control is centered around wanting to control the public narrative,” said Esther.
She added. “His remaining silent after damning evidence in 4K on every major news outlet would only allow public opinion to be his executioner. By releasing a statement, he adds his version of victimhood and supposed regret to the “chatter,”….which we are only seeing now after he’s vehemently denied any allegations against him. In short… it’s an [alleged] abuser doing what [alleged] abusers do.”
Esther provided perspective on his sudden actions and insight into his possible “delusional” relationship with power.
“People like Sean Combs believe they are above reproach and consequences and, therefore, think they can do just about anything. With that said, I believe he is “flipping” because he’s doing whatever he can to evade any responsibility, and hoping any amount of sympathy would help him do that. It doesn’t take a diagnosis to be selfish. His behaviors align with his goals and desires to maintain his social status,” she said.
She pointed out that aspects of a healthy apology were missing from Combs’ video, such as full accountability, clarity, acknowledging how it could have (and did) impact the person who was wronged, and what will be done to improve regardless of whether the relationship progresses beyond the apology or not.
Esther concluded her observation by stating that authentic apologies don’t involve ulterior motives or removing the focus from the harmed person.
“Apologies aren’t a time for testimony,” she said.
Protect Your Peace
As both videos were released during Mental Health Awareness Month, BWST asked Esther to provide some advice for anyone who may have been triggered by the gruesome acts of the surveillance footage and the dismissive tone of the apology.
“Protect your peace by any means necessary,” she advised.
Esther added. “You don’t owe anyone space to apologize or explain themselves. You’re not a bad person because you’re not yet ready to forgive. Your healing is on your time and no one else’s. Process the pain, set necessary boundaries, and feel your way through.”
Esther suggested physical activity, journaling, leaning into your community, and seeking professional help as just a couple of coping mechanisms for those dealing with the emotions of experiencing abuse or being triggered by witnessing it.
Since the reveal of the surveillance footage and Combs’ lackluster response, Ventura released a statement responding to the outcry of support she has received from the public.
“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now., but this is only the beginning. Domestic violence is THE issue. It broke my down to someone I never thought I would be come,” the mother of two stated in her Instagram post.
She then requested that “EVERYONE” open their hearts to “believing victims the first time” and “offered” her hand to those still “living” in fear.
Combs and his legal team have not responded to Ventura’s statement.
At the time of publication, Vulture reported seven lawsuits pending against Combs.