Dr Dre apologises to the women he has hurt following assault claims

Dr. Dre has formally apologised to the women he has hurt  after some accusations of abuse were omitted from NWA biopic Straight Outta Compton.

The 50-year-old rapper, who was accused of glossing over his dark past in the new blockbuster, which he co-produced about his former hip-hop group N.W.A., says he "deeply regrets" what he did.

In a statement to the New York Times, the Grammy winner, who has been happily married to Nicole Young since 1996, said: "Twenty-five years ago I was a young man drinking too much and in over my head with no real structure in my life.

"I apologise to the women I've hurt. I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives."

The star's apology comes just days hip-hop journalist Dee Barnes penned an essay for Gawker accusing him of omitting his violent behaviour towards her, as well as another ex-girlfriend Michel'le Toussaint, from the new film, which chronicles his rise to fame alongside Ice Cube and Easy-E.

"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 - previously claimed some of the allegations against him were false.

He told Rolling Stone magazine: "I made some f**king horrible mistakes in my life. I was young , f ** king 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 f**ked up. But I paid for those mistakes, and there's no way in hell that I will ever make another mistake like that again."