Amid civil suits alleging sexual misconduct and a Department of Homeland Security investigation that raided his homes, a 2016 security camera video has been released showing a violent incident between rap music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Ventura, who had a business and professional relationship with Combs from 2007 through 2019, had alleged she was mistreated by Combs when she filed a federal lawsuit in November that was settled the day after it was filed.
The disturbing video, is a compilation of security cameras from March 5, 2016, at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, according to CNN.
The video shows Ventura by some elevators, then Combs, who wraps a towel around his waist, arrives. The man in the video grabs the woman by the back of the neck, throws her to the floor and kicks her. After gathering the woman’s belongings, the man turns to kick her again, then drags her before walking away.
WARNING: The following video contains graphic footage that some viewers will find disturbing.
A 2016 surveillance video obtained by CNN shows Sean "Diddy" Combs violently grab, shove, drag and kick his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura during an altercation in a hotel in California. https://t.co/JrnJhWOaQt pic.twitter.com/xeRBtoGBDV
— CNN (@CNN) May 17, 2024
The woman stands, picks up items on the floor, then reaches for a hallway phone. The man appears to shove the woman to the floor, and later grabs an object from a table and throws it at the woman.
Ventura’s since-settled lawsuit alleged that at around the time of the video, Combs became “extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye.”
Ventura sought to leave the hotel where they were staying, she alleged, but Combs “followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her.”
“He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape,” the complaint said.
“Upon realizing that her running away would cause Mr. Combs to be even angrier with her, and completely stuck in his vicious cycle of abuse, Ms. Ventura returned to the hotel with the intention of apologizing for running away from her abuser,” the complaint said. “When she returned, hotel security staff urged her to get back into a cab and go to her apartment, suggesting that they had seen the security footage showing Mr. Combs beating Ms. Ventura and throwing glass at her in the hotel hallway.”
The complaint said Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security video.
Although the video may complicate Combs’s defense in his civil suits from multiple women alleging mistreatment, there will be no charges filed because of it, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
“If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted. As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs,” it said in a statement.
"The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Doug Wigdor, Ventura’s lawyer, said, according to Deadline. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Tracy Walder, a former CIA and FBI special agent, suggested the video was one reason Ventura’s lawsuit was settled so quickly, according to People magazine.
"Diddy never expected the video to get out,” Walder said, adding, "It really throws water on Diddy and his legal team's argument that the government used too much force in his search warrants.”
"I’m wondering if Cassie or her attorney are frustrated there haven’t been criminal charges yet federally and that’s why they did this. I would imagine Sean Combs won’t be fighting any civil cases now," Walder said.
