Johnny Depp's powerhouse lawyer said he was "horrified" by the video of Sean "Diddy" Combs assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie in 2016, describing it as a "scene of real brutality."
Ben Chew said it was tough enough to read the details in Cassie's now-settled lawsuit with the music mogul filed in Nov. 2023, but to see it unfold in surveillance footage was even more disturbing.
"I would not have had my client give a statement on the heels of the release of that video. And I certainly wouldn't have had him release that statement because I think it will be fodder for future examinations and deposition testimony, none of which is going to be good for Mr. Combs," Chew explained to Law&Crime's Jesse Weber, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Combs has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women in numerous lawsuits filed since he reached an undisclosed settlement with the singer.
Chew, who represented Depp in his defamation trial against ex Amber Heard following her allegations of abuse, agreed with Weber that Diddy did not have to respond to the footage, speculating that he spoke out of his own volition "or that of his PR team."
"He's just thrown out the window any potential objection to the authenticity of the video. Also, I think what he said was really not helpful at all," added the high-powered lawyer.
"What really struck me as disingenuous was he said he was disgusted at the time of 2016," added Chew, who questioned why Diddy waited until "2024 to come clean."
According to a new TMZ report, Diddy wanted to mention Cassie in his apology video but the exes were barred from speaking out about each other due to their settlement agreement including a strict NDA.
RadarOnline.com has reached out to reps and lawyers for Diddy for comment.
Chew echoed the same sentiments as Cassie's lawyer Meredith Firetog, Partner at Wigdor LLP, who claimed that "Combs' most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt."
"When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday," Firetog continued.
"That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
Chew predicted the apology video only gives "more credence" to accusations made about Diddy despite him likely trying to do damage control.
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He also brought up how Cassie alleged that Diddy paid the InterContinental $50k for the security footage. Chew theorized that Diddy felt he was "caught red-handed, and thought it was in his best interests to give a statement, but I think it was another misjudgment on his part."
Sources with knowledge of the Diddy situation told us that Chew has no inside information or involvement in this matter and his comments should be taken as such.