Johnny Depp's lawyer reveals a HUGE mistake Diddy made with his apology video as he says it 'reeks of insincerity'

The lawyer who rescued Johnny Depp's reputation from allegations of domestic abuse has warned that Sean Diddy Combs will regret his apology for assaulting former girlfriend Cassie Ventura.

The rap billionaire said he was 'disgusted' by his own behavior after surveillance footage emerged of the 2016 attack in a Los Angeles hotel corridor.

In a video message released on Sunday, Combs said he took 'full responsibility' for the attack, despite having spent years denying it and describing reports of the incident as 'outrageous lies'.

The assault happened too long ago to be prosecuted but celebrity lawyer Ben Chu warned that Diddy's sudden about-face could wreak havoc on his defense to five other abuse claims he is facing.

'It's a scene of real brutality,' he told the Law&Crime Network. 'It's one thing to read it on the printed page which is bad enough but to see it happening is horrifying.

Celebrity lawyer Ben Chew, right, helped win a $10 million defamation award for client Johnny Depp in 2022 over allegations of domestic abuse by his former wife Amber Heard

Chew warned that Combs may live to regret his video apology after footage of his 2016 assault against then girlfriend Cassie Ventura emerged 

The billionaire rapper was pictured taking a stroll with friends outside his Miami home on Sunday, hours after releasing his video apology 

'He's just thrown out the window any potential objection to the authenticity of the video. Also, I think what he said was really not helpful at all,' he told host Jesse Weber the network's Sidebar Podcast. 

'It absolutely reeks of insincerity and in light of the statute of limitations expiring for Ms Ventura the implications will be for the other accusers who have come forward because it certainly gives more credence to their allegations.'

The music icon was pictured taking a stroll with pals on Sunday after releasing the video on his Instagram page.

But a torrent of condemnation was breaking around his head for his lies about the prolonged attack at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City in which he grabbed her by the head, slammed her to the ground, repeatedly kicked her and tried to drag her back to his room.

The rapper settled a rape and assault lawsuit brought by the R&B singer in November, a day after it was filed.

She claimed in her suit that Combs had paid $50,000 to purchase the footage of the assault from the hotel.

But his lawyer Ben Brafman said at the time that Combs continued to 'vehemently deny these offensive and outrageous allegations,' despite the immediate settlement.

'For the past six months, Mr Combs has been subjected to Ms Ventura's persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail,' Brafman said in a statement.

Combs was pictured grabbing Ventura by the head, slamming her to the ground, repeatedly kicking her and attempting to drag her back to his room in the 2016 surveillance footage 

Ventura had visible bruising on her legs when the couple appeared together days later 

'Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr Combs's reputation and seeking a payday.'

On Monday Ventura's lawyer Meredith Firetog said: '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.'

He was branded a 'social leper' and a 'criminal' by Ana Navarro as the developments were dissected by the panel on Monday's edition of The View, and New York Mayor Eric Adams said he might take back the key to the city awarded to the Harlem-born rapper last year.

'I think all of us were deeply disturbed by watching that chilling video of the young lady being assaulted by him,' the mayor explained.

'The committee and the team have never rescinded a key before, but we are now sitting down to see what the next steps forward are going to be.'

But the keenest audience for the video apology may be the lawyers representing at least four clients who have come forward with sexual abuse allegations.

In November, Liza Gardner accused of raping her and a friend in the early 1990s when she was only 16 at an afterparty following an MCA Records event in New York.

Ventura's lawsuit claimed she was directed to have sex with multiple men - sometimes in masks and costumes - while Combs watched, masturbated, and filmed

She called the ordeals 'horrific encounters' and said she had to take drugs to disassociate during the arrangements which Diddy allegedly called 'freak offs'

Another woman, Joie Dickerson-Neal filed a lawsuit that month claiming that he drugged and sexually assaulted her while she was a college student in 1991.

Record producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones claimed in February he was ordered to recruit prostitutes and have sex with them for the star's pleasure, and has hundreds of hours of video documenting his 'serious illegal activity'.

And in April former deckhand Grace O'Marcaigh claimed the rapper allowed his son Christian 'King' Combs to sexually assault her on a private yacht during a 2022 Christmas break cruise in the Caribbean.

The rapper responded with fury as the allegations mounted against him in December, releasing a statement in which he promised to 'fight for my name, my family and for the truth'.

'Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday,' he wrote on Instagram.

'Let me absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.'

Chew told Law&Crime Network he found it hard to believe that Combs' lawyers had any involvement in the statement: 'If he really was disgusted by his actions back in 2016 why did he wait until 2024 to come clean?'

Chew said that a key difference between Combs' predicament and that of Depp was that 'there were no other 'me-too's' after Amber Heard brought her allegations of abuse

In his statement on Sunday, Combs did not name Cassie and and did not address any of the other allegations directly.

'So difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, sometimes you got to do that,' he explained.

'I was f***ed up. I mean I hit rock bottom, but I make no excuses, my behavior in that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video, I'm disgusted.

'I was disgusted then when I did it, I am disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help, I got into going to therapy, going to rehab.

'Had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I'm so sorry. But I am committed to be a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness, I'm truly sorry.'

Chew, who helped win a $10 million award for Depp against his ex-wife Amber Heard, said he found it hard to believe that Combs' lawyers had any involvement in the statement.

'I would not have had my client give a statement on the heels of the release of that video.

'And I certainly wouldn't have had him release that statement, because I think it will be fodder for future examinations and deposition testimony, none of which is going to be good for Mr Combs.

Combs and Ventura, pictured at the Met Gala in 2018, dated for 11 years from 2007

New York Mayor Eric Adams, pictured behind Combs, has threatened to withdraw the key to the city he awarded the rapper in September last year 

'Being intoxicated is only a defense to certain specific intent crimes like first degree murder so saying he was drunk doesn't help him legally.

'It undercuts the sincerity, or apparent sincerity of any apology, but what really struck me as disingenuous was he said he was disgusted at the time in 2016.

'Well if he really was disgusted by his actions back in 2016 why did he wait until 2024 to come clean? 'Not only did he deny them, he called her essentially a money grabber, that this was all a desire for a payday.

'That doesn't seem like someone who is disgusted with himself.'