Cassie's Lawyer Responds After Diddy Breaks His Silence on Assault Video: 'More About Himself' (2024)

• Cassie's lawyer has issued a statement in response to Sean 'Diddy' Combs' apology video after 2016 surveillance footage emerged of him shoving and kicking the singer
• In the statement obtained by PEOPLE, Cassie's lawyer said, "Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt"
• Combs insisted he was "truly sorry" and said he takes "full responsibility" for his actions in his apology video

Casandra "Cassie" Ventura's lawyer is responding after Sean “Diddy” Combs issued an apology following the release of a 2016 video that shows him shoving and kicking the singer.

On Sunday, May 19, Combs, 54, shared a statement via an Instagram video, writing in the caption: "I'm truly sorry," after a surveillance video published by CNN on May 17 showed an altercation between himself and his ex-girlfriend, 37, that matched allegations she made in anow-settledlawsuitfrom last November.

Ventura's lawyer Meredith Firetog, Partner at Wigdor LLP, responded to the apology in a statement obtained by PEOPLE. The statement read, "Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt."

"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,” Firetog concluded.

Combs has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women in numerous lawsuits filed since November 2023.

Firetog's statement comes after Combs said in his Instagram apology video, "It's so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life. Sometimes you gotta do that. I was f---ed up. I mean I hit rock bottom but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable."

He added, "I take full responsibility for my actions in that video."

"Disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help, 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," Combs continued.

He insisted he was "not asking for forgiveness" and was "truly sorry."

In the footage of the altercation, Ventura could be seen leaving a hotel room and walking toward an elevator. Combs then followed her and was seen grabbing her by the neck and throwing her to the ground. The music mogul turned to kick Ventura again, before grabbing her purse and suitcase. After kicking her again, he started to drag her back to the hotel room.

He was also seen grabbing something off a nearby table and throwing it at Ventura, per the CNN clip.

In Ventura's now-settled suit, she referenced a similar incident that took place in 2016 at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Calif., writing that "Mr. Combs became extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye."

"After he fell asleep, Ms. Ventura tried to leave the hotel room, but as she exited, Mr. Combs awoke and began screaming at Ms. Ventura," the lawsuit stated.

"He followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her. He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape," it added.

The suit stated that Ventura eventually made it to the elevator before taking a cab home to her apartment. "Upon realizing that her running away would cause Mr. Combs to be even angrier with her, and completely stuck in his vicious cycle of abuse, Ms. Ventura returned to the hotel with the intention of apologizing for running away from her abuser," the documents stated.

"When she returned, hotel security staff urged her to get back into a cab and go to her apartment, suggesting that they had seen the security footage showing Mr. Combs beating Ms. Ventura and throwing glass at her in the hotel hallway."

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Combs' lawyer had previously denied any wrongdoing on his part, both when Ventura filed and when she and the rapper later settled.

After the video of the altercation was released, Ventura’s lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor praised his client's "courage."

“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs," Wigdor said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. "Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.