Dr. Dre Apologizes to the Women He Abused: “I Deeply Regret What I Did”

Straight Outta Compton is a bona fide box office smash. The slick N.W.A biopic brought moviegoers out in droves; it's opening weekend brought in $60 million, and it's expected to be at the top again this weekend. However, something isn't sitting right with many viewers and critics. While the F. Gary Gray-directed film chronicles the group's meteoric rise to fame, as well as their personal struggles, some major issues were entirely swept under the rug or erased entirely, including founding member Dr. Dre's allegations of abuse. One of Dre's victims, Dee Barnes, wrote a post for Gawker this week about Dre's horrific history of abuse towards women. (Barnes described her specific incident with the star, explaining to readers that, "Dr. Dre straddled me and beat me mercilessly on the floor of the women’s restroom at the Po Na Na Souk nightclub in 1991.") The response to these stories has since prompted Dr. Dre to say something, and he released a statement to the New York Times which read, "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." The hip-hop mogul continued, "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, a business partner with Dr. Dre, also released a statement, which said, "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." Still, as the New York Times points out, Dre's victims (which includes Tairrie B, who "said that Dr. Dre punched her twice in the face at a Grammys after-party in 1990 after she recorded a track insulting him") are still dealing with the trauma and are only being heard now. Michel’le, one of Dre's former business and romantic partners, who said Dre had left her with "black eyes, a cracked rib and scars," pointed out, "I’ve been talking about my abuse for many, many years, but it has not gotten any ears until now." Now, where's the collective apology on not just Dre, but everyone's behalf for ignoring these women and their stories for so long?