Dr. Dre is speaking out amid claims that "Straight Outta Compton" ignored the rapper's past alleged physical abuse of multiple women.
"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," Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, said in a statement to the New York Times.
Adding, "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."
WATCH: ‘Straight Outta Compton’: Original NWA Members Talk Group’s Rise To Fame
The NYT also spoke with two of the women, R&B singer Michel'le and rapper Tairrie B, who alleged they were abused by Dre.
"I've been talking about my abuse for many, many years, but it has not gotten any ears until now," said Michel'le, who was romantically involved with the rapper from the late-'80s until the mid-'90s, said.
Michel'le – who has a now-adult son with Dre – claims that he gave her "black eyes, a cracked rib and scars."
WATCH: ‘Straight Outta Compton’ LA Premiere
Tairrie B, whose real name is Theresa Murphy, recounted an alleged incident in '90s when she claims Dre got physical with her after they had an argument about her "Ruthless Bitch," which took on the rapper in its lyrics.
"He was very nasty to me constantly," she told The NYT. "I stood up to him, and I didn't back down… He kept saying, 'If you say one more word to me' [and then] he punched me right in the mouth and again in the eye."
Tairrie B did not file a police report at the time.
WATCH: ‘Straight Outta Compton’: A Message Of Positivity?
"There’s no excuse, but this was a different time,” she explained. "I was told, 'This is a family business — you're not pressing charges.'"
In addition to Michel'le and Tairrie B, hip-hop journalist Denise "Dee" Barnes published an essay on Gawker last month detailing what she felt was missing from "Straight Outta Compton" and recounted an alleged assault by the rapper, which occurred in a nightclub in 1991. The incident was first detailed by The Los Angeles Times in July 1991.
"He picked me up by my hair and my ear and smashed my face and body into the wall," she told LAT at the time. "Next thing I know, I'm down on the ground and he's kicking me in the ribs and stamping on my fingers. I ran into the women's bathroom to hide, but he burst through the door and started bashing me in the back of the head."
Dre pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery related to the incident. He was sentenced to community service and probation, fined $2,500 and was ordered to make a domestic violence P.S.A. Barnes then filed a civil lawsuit against Dre for $22.7 million, which they settled out of court.
-- Jesse Spero
Copyright 2015 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
