CNN on Friday aired footage that it said showed former rap star and now-disgraced businessman Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking Cassie in a hotel hallway in Los Angeles in 2016.
The video, which appeared to show Combs with a white towel, showed him kicking and punching the singer, who was his girlfriend at the time.
Combs was also seen throwing a vase at the singer. The security footage, which was obtained by CNN, closely resembled the details of an incident that occurred at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles in March 2016. In a lawsuit filed against Combs, Cassie claimed that he had abused her for years.
According to the lawsuit, Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security footage. CNN did not explain how it obtained the video, but it noted that it was able to verify the footage’s location by comparing it to images of the hotel. After Cassie’s lawsuit was filed, Combs was heavily criticized due to a federal investigation into sex trafficking.
Combs’ representatives did not comment on the video. He has denied the allegations made in the lawsuits and has vowed to fight to prove his innocence, and his lawyer has called the footage a shocking and unsettling depiction of his predatory behavior. An attorney for Cassie, who has also filed lawsuits against Combs, said the video confirmed her client’s claims of being abused by the former rap star.
Ventura’s courage and strength in coming forward has been acknowledged by the press, which typically doesn’t identify people who have said they were sexually assaulted. In her lawsuit, she said that during an evening out in 2016, Combs became intoxicated and punched her.
According to the lawsuit, she tried to leave after he fell asleep. She was then followed by Combs, who started to scream at her after he woke up. In the video, he can be seen throwing objects at her, including a vase. He also kicked and hit her.
Combs’ lawyers have stated that Ventura managed to escape, but she later returned due to her fear for her life. She was then urged by the hotel staff to go back to her room, and she would then try to hide out with a friend somewhere in Florida. It is not likely that he will be charged in the incident.
In California, the statute of limitations for battery or assault can range from one to three years. The release of the video came as Combs’ legal team was starting to address the allegations that have been made against him.