A Sorry Ass Man Apologizes

This weekend, video footage of Sean “Diddy” Combs savagely beating his then-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, leaked.  The video showed Combs grabbing Ventura by the hair and striking her several times with his fist. While Ventura lies in the fetal position on the ground, Combs proceeds to stomp her with his foot while he is only dressed in a towel. In the video, Ventura is completely dressed and carrying two small bags, as she walks briskly to the elevator—where she is surprised by Combs—which suggests that she was attempting to escape from the hotel.

The footage aligns with previous claims that Combs violently beat Ventura in a hotel. 

Before the footage leaked, Combs was adamant that the claims were false and even posted a written statement concerning the allegations, which Cassie claimed in her lawsuit. As of May 20, 2024, the written statement, which was originally posted on December 6, 2023, on Xitter and Instagram are still posted. The statement reads as follows:

This was also posted after the lawsuit was settled, essentially accusing Ventura of being a liar and extortionist. Sidebar: it is always interesting how millionaires attempt to drum up public sympathy when they are required to pay restitution to their victims.

What a mindf*ck that an almost billionaire is accusing someone else of being money-hungry! 

Of course, after the hotel video was posted, Combs, 54, quickly pivoted to a histrionic display of remorse, categorized by the same weak acting techniques he picked up on the set of Monster’s Ball.

The video starts with a haggard Combs squinting as if he is forcing a tear like it is another one of his unwilling victims. His lip quivers as he starts with, “It is so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that; I was f*cked up.” Brother Love inserts the expletive while opening his eyes wide, as if to show the spontaneous authenticity of his words and his own shock. He wants you to know he is so sorry he can’t even control what he is saying.

“I hit rock bottom.”

Naw, Sean, you hit women, you raped people, and that very same family you said, in your written statement, that you would fight for, are the very same people who were in handcuffs on your lawn, while you were gone, because of your actions. It is even alleged you committed some of your crimes with them. 

Diddy continues with, “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now,” with the same actions he once claimed in a written statement, which is still posted on the same Instagram he feigns repentance, as well as Xitter, never occurred.

He uses the buzzwords “therapy” and “rehab” as if reading directly from a P.R. monologue. 

Diddy then looks off longingly into the distance, “I had to ask God for his mercy and grace.”

His face returns back to the camera as he pauses for two seconds and makes a shallow swallow as if he is gathering his strength and the right words in the back of his throat. He then continues with, “I’m so sorry, but I’m committed to being a better man each and every day, I’m not asking for forgiveness, I’m truly sorry.” It’s always interesting how God is always remembered in time for awards or repentance speeches but always forgotten when raping and beating people. 

While God was mentioned in the video, Combs never once mentioned Cassie’s name, the same name he had no problem shouting out in his recipient speech for his BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. Also, BET giving this man a Lifetime Achievement Award, even for the simple fact that they were aware of how many contract disputes he had from stealing from his artists, should have invalidated his eligibility, but I digress, because of politics or whatever. Diddy never mentions the harm he caused, he never mentions the therapy Cassie and his other victims had or need, just his own.

He never named her, nor did he name the actual actions for which he is responsible. 

This video apology is posted on the same Instagram that seems to have undergone a PR cleanse. A look back at some of Diddy’s much older posts shows a wild teenage-wannabe-quinquagenarian. But his most recent ones are a deliberate display of the mogul’s softer and more self-reflective side. Diddy isn’t f*cking serious, though. He isn’t remorseful; he still has posts inferring and asserting that his victim, (confirmed by video evidence), is a liar. He has not removed them. He isn’t fooling anyone with two neurons to rub together with this softer side of Sears’s bullsh*t. The post immediately preceding the video apology features the same Diddy who stood over someone’s daughter and stomped her with his foot while only wearing a towel, standing on the beach, and holding his daughter, who is covered in a towel.

The post before that is a Canva-esque fancy meme that simply states, “Time tells the truth.”

It sure the f*ck did, didn’t it, Diddy?!?!

All of his Instagram posts for May 2024 have been an attempt to sanitize his once “Bad Boy” image. His May posts have included a Happy Mother’s Day post to each one of his victims, children’s mothers, as well as his own, several posts of his children, most of which were of his daughter Love Combs, a 19-month-old, and a reel of a teenager asking why he was being hated on and why n*ggas can’t show each other love.

Ahh, yes, Brother Love, that’s it, they are just hating on you. 

Another reel from May is a bit more dramatic and personal and looks like there was time, thought, and possibly a dollar or two put into its production. It starts with swift and smooth camera movement down a beige and grey brick, yet well-lit, tunnel with an even brighter light at the end, signifying a rebirth. The next scene is of (presumably) Combs deeply hugging some unidentified person as someone else sits on a couch under a Cabana. The camera quickly cuts to Combs huddled in prayer with three other people. The next cut is to Combs standing facing rowdy ocean waters on what is probably some private beach. His arms are by his side, and when the camera quickly cuts to the uncontrollable sway of palm trees, denoting a storm, just in case you couldn’t see the extremely high waves, overcast sky, violent flail of Diddy’s windbreaker outfit, or hear the boom of T.D. Jakes’s voice via the excerpt of his “Steady in the Storm” sermon, playing in the background.

The final cut is of Diddy standing there with those same arms now wide open as if to embrace and yet fight whatever the storm has to offer.

Sean, you are the storm.

You are the violence in wind and water; you knocked down people who tried to stand up to you. You are the overexertion of power. You are the destruction and the devastation. You are the reason so many people have lost the most important things to them.