Dr. Dre: "I Apologize to the Women I’ve Hurt"
With the N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton out and Dr. Dre having just released his new album Compton, Dre’s history of abuse against women has come back into the spotlight. Recently, Dee Barnes wrote an essay for Gawker discussing the 1991 incident in which Dre assaulted her—a moment in N.W.A history that didn’t make it into the film’s final cut, though it was included in an early draft. Dre’s ex-fiancée, Michel’le, has also spoken out about his violence during their relationship.
Today, Dre issued a statement to The New York Times in which he apologized for his abusive past. He wrote:
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. 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.
Apple, where Dre works as a consultant (Apple bought his company, Beats by Dre, last year), also issued a statement to the Times: “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. 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 Times conducted interviews with Barnes, Michel’le, and rapper Tairrie B (real name: Theresa Murphy), who claims that she was punched in the face by Dre in 1990 at a Grammys after-party.
Earlier this month, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Dre said, “I made some fucking horrible mistakes in my life. I was young, fucking stupid. I would say all the allegations aren’t true—some of them are. Those are some of the things that I would like to take back. It was really fucked up. But I paid for those mistakes, and there’s no way in hell that I will ever make another mistake like that again.”
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