Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ past interview with Ellen DeGeneres resurfaces

The disgraced American rapper sat down with the former talk show host on a 2009 episode of the Ellen show. At the time, news was circulating that Chris Brown assaulted his then-girlfriend Rihanna in a Lamborghini before the Grammys.

Speaking with Combs about the infamous incident during a taping of her show, DeGeneres sought comment from the musician given his friendship with Brown.

“I don’t want any girl out there thinking it’s OK to go back to a guy who hit her,” DeGeneres began. “And I don’t mean to put you in it. Because it’s not you,” she added.

Combs told DeGeneres she “put [him] in it”, so he felt compelled to “speak on it.”

“I don’t think it’s right for anybody to hit anybody,” Combs began.

“I think we all have to be honest with ourselves as adults, and people who have been in relationships,” he continued.

“We know sometimes those relationships get ugly, and sometimes it doesn’t come out to the forefront the way this one has come out.

“There’s a lot of stones being thrown, and we don’t know exactly what happened.”

The music producer went on to tell DeGeneres she “wasn’t in that car”, so shouldn’t make assumptions about who was in the wrong.

“These are two young individuals. We need to pray for them. We need to give them support,” he said.

“It isn’t right for him to put her hands on her, or her to put her hands on him. We don’t know what the problem is but we need to pray for them. And we need to do things to support them.”

The resurfaced interview comes amid widespread uproar over CCTV footage of Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Casandra Ventura inside a hotel in 2016.

Combs is the target of several civil lawsuits that characterise him as a violent sexual predator who used alcohol and drugs to subdue his victims, with his homes being raided this year by federal agents.

The footage, dated March 5, 2016 and obtained and published by CNN, showed the rap mogul hitting, dragging and kicking the singer known as Cassie.

In a recent lawsuit, she alleged Combs subjected her to more than a decade of coercion by physical force and drugs, plus a 2018 rape.

Combs published an apology video at the weekend.

“My behaviour on that video is inexcusable,” Combs said in a video posted on Instagram, adding he was “disgusted” and “sought out professional help” after the incident including therapy and rehab.

“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’m committed to be a better man each and every day.”