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Sean “Diddy” Combs is reeling in wake of the March raids on his homes and the subsequent release of a 2016 video of him brutally beating then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
“He’s incensed,” a member of his inner circle tells The Post. “Especially about the video. He insists it doesn’t tell the full story about what happened. Not that he’s excusing it, but he says that it’s a selected video.
“It’s his position that there was an agenda in releasing the video when it was released,” the insider continues. “But ultimately, he knows that his big concern is the raids on his house; the Cassie video is just a distraction.”
The video, which was first revealed by CNN earlier this month, showed the hip-hop mogul kicking, grabbing, dragging and appearing to throw a vase at Ventura as she tried to escape from a Los Angeles hotel.
For eight years, Combs had vehemently denied Ventura’s allegations of abuse, painting her as a delusional liar who was trying to shake him down.
However, he settled a lawsuit she submitted to federal court against him in November the day after it was filed last year.
When the video was released, Combs had no choice but to address it.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Diddy said in a video on Instagram in which he did not name Ventura or refer to her directly. “I was f—ed up. I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
The rapper added: “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video, I’m disgusted.”
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Ventura took to Instagram to express her relief at finally being believed.
“My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time,” she wrote. “It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in.”
Diddy still faces a growing mountain of legal issues.
The embattled billionaire has been slapped with several lawsuits accusing him of rape, sexual misconduct and other crimes. The most recent suit was filed by a woman who claims to have been drugged and raped when she was a student at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology in the 1990s.
Two months ago, federal agents raided the mogul’s California and Florida mansions as part of an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security team that deals with human trafficking.
Diddy has not been charged with any crimes and has denied all the allegations against him.
A rep for Diddy did not return The Post’s request for comment.
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Laura Davis is an entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to Broadway, she offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
