A video has emerged online, appearing to show rapper and music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs beating his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, in a hotel hallway in 2016.
The CCTV footage, acquired by CNN and made public, found its way to the internet on Friday, May 17. It has surfaced amid allegations by Ventura that Diddy assaulted her.
In the video, a man appearing to be Diddy, wearing just a towel around his waist and some colorful footwear, appears to grab, shove, drag, kick, and throw items at a woman — seemingly Ventura — in the establishment they were staying in.
Diddy had previously posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he denied all the “sickening” accusations that had been made about him, which included a string of sexual allegations. However, the video appears to prove the denial to be a lie — at least when it comes to his violent streak.
Unfortunately, Diddy won’t be charged for the apparent assault since that’s how the law works in the United States.
Why won’t Diddy receive punishment for his violent actions?
One day after Ventura accused Diddy of rape, sex trafficking, and domestic violence in a November 2023 lawsuit, the pair reached an out-of-court financial settlement to bring the case to a close. Although no set amount was listed, it’s believed Ventura walked away with around $30 million.
Moreover, a statement from the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, which the LADA Office posted on Instagram, explains that the incident occurred too far back to charge Diddy. United States law incorporates a statute of limitations, meaning there’s a maximum time after a crime is committed within which legal proceedings may be initiated. In the case of the assault committed in the emerged video, that time window has passed.
While his earlier denial remains his pinned post on X and Diddy will probably not face the legal consequences of his actions, he has been facing significant backlash since the video went viral, prompting the singer from denying the assault happened to seeking forgiveness since he was in a “bad place at the time.”
His apology, coming after his lies were out in the open, has only managed to further infuriate the masses. One thing’s for sure: His already tarnished reputation has taken a massive hit due to the video’s appearance online, and it’s hard to see how he will recover as a performer.
