Journalist Dee Barnes blasted the movie, about the hip-hop mogul's 1980s rap group, for failing to mention his assault on her in a nightclub in 1991 over an interview she published.

Earlier this month (Aug15), the producer, real name Andre Young, released a public apology to the New York Times to all the women he hurt, writing, "I deeply regret what I did and know that it has forever impacted all of our lives" while Apple bosses, who have a business relationship with Dre, also issued an apology.

However, the timing has not sat well with his accusers, who have questioned his motivations, but Barnes has now responded with an article on Gawker.com praising him for taking ownership of his mistakes.

She writes, "I understand people's apprehension. The stakes are high now and money talks, loud. Is this a PR move by Universal, which released Straight Outta Compton?... Is it damage control by Apple, which can no longer ignore that if you take the 'Beats by Dre' logo and remove the 'S', you get a double entendre describing several woman he just apologised to? Is Dre himself really remorseful or just saving face? To me, the answers to these questions matter less than the fact that Dre stepped up and performed his social responsibility by finally taking accountability for his actions. Who cares why he apologised? The point is that he did."

Dre's ex-girlfriend Michel'le, who claims he was violent during their relationship in the 1990s, is not convinced he is truly sorry, telling BBC Radio 5 Live, "I don't really think it's a sincere apology... I didn't ask for a public apology, if I asked for one at all, but I think if he is going to apologise he should do it individually... I think we deserve a personal apology, if he's going to apologise.

"I think right now he's selling a movie and that's what you do... I just think it's good PR at the moment and if there was a sincere, personal apology, I would say 'Wow, he's really grown into a very sincere man'. To just group us like we are nothing and nobody - I just don't think it's sincere that's all."

Dre and Michel'le dated between 1990 and 1996 and have a son together.