SEAN ‘Diddy’ Combs has broken his silence after gut-wrenching footage of him physically assaulting his then-girlfriend surfaced online.
The rapper, 54, who’s worth $800million (£630million), has since described facing his “darkest times” and having “hit rock bottom” in an apology on Instagram that has been liked nearly 393,000 times.
Describing himself as “f***ed up”, Combs said: “I make no excuses, my behaviour on that video is inexcusable, I take full responsibility for my actions… I’m disgusted, I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now.”
It follows 2016 surveillance footage, showing Combs striking former partner Cassandra Ventura, kicking her as she lay motionless on the ground and dragging her by her T-shirt.
Moments before the attack, Cassie was seen walking quickly down the hallway of the InterContinental Hotel, in Los Angeles, with her belongings.
Combs, who emerges from a room in just a towel and sandals, chases her to the lifts where he throws her to the ground in a clip obtained by CNN.
Later, a second camera shows Cassie picking up a phone in the hallway shortly before Combs, who is sitting down on a chair, throws what appears to be a vase at her.
It’s claimed the rapper paid $50,000 (£40,000) for the footage back in 2016 and last November, settled out of court one day after Cassie launched a lawsuit against Combs.
Heated debate has raged online since Combs’ apology yesterday, with more than 226,000 comments on his video – including many doubting the rapper’s sincerity.
Body language expert Judi James shares their skepticism and tells The Sun that the rapper “plays the victim” in the video and “shuns responsibility”.
Even his clothing in the footage is carefully chosen to convey “humility”, she says.
This latest furore follows Combs being hit with a wave of lawsuits late last year and in 2024, including allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault, which he has vehemently denied.
Here Judi breaks down some of the key points from his apology which, to her, suggests he is “acting” throughout and is “more focused on his own suffering” than his victim’s.
Judi notes a “secret signal” in his apology, which she believes is proof of the rapper betraying his attempts to look “genuinely sorry”.
She tells us: “In body language terms, there appears to be a secret signal, a little wince which Diddy uses, that to me, suggests he’s feeling pain.
“When he expresses that emotion, a micro-wince occurs and it seems to be whenever he is talking about his own pain rather than anything to do with his ex.
“You tend to see it when he talks about his ‘darkest times’, when he refers to ‘hitting rock bottom’ and having ‘sought out help’.
“This all implies that his concern is perhaps more with his own pain and his own feelings rather than his victim during this video.”
Judi believes the rapper is not showing genuine feelings of guilt or sympathy towards his victim – and instead only pities himself.
She says: “Diddy’s performance here seems to be in an attempt to gain sympathy and empathy from the viewer and he definitely tries to present himself as a victim.
“His shoulders are hunched, his jaw seems slack and his speech is full of pauses as he speaks.
“There are even facial winces to imply this is my pain and it’s him who is actually suffering here.
“When he talks about hitting rock bottom, there is a shake of the head and a low vocal tone, which again makes it sound like he is sharing his story of his suffering with us.
“He also says ‘It’s difficult to reflect on the darkest time in your life’ but his body language appears to show he is the one feeling pain at having had that dug up.”
Diddy was hit with a wave of lawsuits in late 2023 and early 2024 with allegations of sex trafficking and sexual assault. He has denied all claims against him.
Analysing the wording Diddy used, Judi notes that there are “no specifics” from the rapper, which suggests to her that he is “not being genuine”.
She notes that there are only “two names mentioned” during his appearance – himself and God – and nothing linked to Cassie.
Judi says: “This video wouldn’t really constitute what I would consider a proper apology.
“For it to be authentic it should be made directly to his victim and he should be specific in referencing the person who he is apologising to.
“He also should be specific about what he is apologising for and why he is apologising.
“Also, an apology shouldn’t be prompted by being found out, otherwise the implication is not ‘I’m sorry for what I did’ but ‘I’m sorry for being found out’.
“When he does say ‘I’m so sorry’, it comes after a pause and with a shaking of the head but who is he apologising to?”
Judi also believes that choosing to release his apology on social media is not a convincing way to get people to believe his words.
In the footage, Diddy describes the moment as “the darkest time in your life” and regularly uses ‘you’ rather than ‘I’
Judi believes this could be an attempt to sway the viewer, adding: “He uses ‘open’ generalisations with the use of ‘you’ rather than a personal ‘I’.
Diddy’s performance here seems to be in an attempt to gain sympathy and empathy from the viewer and he definitely tries to present himself as a victim
Judi James, body language expert
“This means he is trying to imply that what he did is like bad things we have all done in our past.
“This makes it sound like he is trying to normalise by asking for empathy.
“He is trying to make us all agree that we have done bad things when I would imagine what we saw on the video is far from being a norm for most people.”
Judi says every part of the rapper’s apology would have been “staged” right the way down the clothes he was wearing.
He is trying to imply, ‘This is me, stripped away, this is the real me, I am a humble man’
Judi James
Far from Comb’s typically garish outfit choices coupled with bling, he opted for a simple T-shirt.
Our expert believes is a way for him to try to show he is being “real” with viewers online.
Judi explains: “It’s almost like ‘the T-shirt of humility’ in a way, it’s clothing we would perhaps not normally see him wearing.
“It’s beige colour and has a baggy neckline, it’s the perfect choice for a video like this to give him a look of being humble and apologetic.
“With the T-shirt he is trying to imply, ‘This is me, stripped away, this is the real me, I am a humble man’. It’s definitely projecting that message and would have been chosen with a lot of care.”
Many have accused the rapper of putting on a show in the comments section for his apology – and Judi suggests they could be correct.
She tells us: “When you prop up a camera in your own home and go to make a recording, there almost has to be a degree of acting.
“It’s not like when you bump into someone in a supermarket and apologise at the time, because that is immediate and authentic because it’s done at the moment.
“While we are clearly seeing signals of regret, he’s had a lot of time to think about how he would say it and in a way that lack of spontaneity means by definition any apology will be a form of performance.”
After the hotel footage emerged, which showed Combs attacking Cassie, The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office confirmed they would be unable to pursue charges because it “occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted”.
They described the clips from 2016 as “extremely disturbing and difficult to watch”.
In response to Combs’ apology, Cassie’s attorney Meredith Firetog claimed the rapper’s statement was “more about himself than the many people he has hurt”.
She added: “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.”
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
