Rapper-turned-Apple employee Dr. Dre has apologized in a statement to The New York Times for his history of misogyny and for his alleged physical abuse of women.
Dr. Dre, whose movie “Straight Outta Compton” earned $56.1 million in its opening, broke his silence on his past.
“Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life. However, none of this is an excuse for what I did. I’ve been married for 19 years and every day I’m working to be a better man for my family, seeking guidance along the way. I’m doing everything I can so I never resemble that man again,” he said in the statement.
“I apologize to the women I’ve hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives,” he added.
Apple, too, released a statement about its consultant. “Dre has apologized for the mistakes he’s made in the past and he’s said that he’s not the same person that he was 25 years ago,” it said. “We believe his sincerity and after working with him for a year and a half, we have every reason to believe that he has changed.”
The allegations against Dre have been no secret, but resurfaced recently when one of the women who accused him, Dee Barnes, wrote a column for Gawker about what was missing from the new biopic.
The Times spoke with Barnes and two other women who alleged Dr. Dre abused them physically. The article details their interviews, which can be found here.