Surveillance footage showing Sean “Diddy” Combs repeatedly assaulting his then-girlfriend, the singer Cassie Ventura, in a hotel in 2016 has been obtained by CNN.
The footage captures an incident that took place at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles on March 5th, 2016. In the video, Combs is seen chasing Ventura down a hotel hallway, grabbing her by the neck, and throwing her to the ground. He then repeatedly kicks her, drags her, and also throws an object in her direction.
Update: Diddy addressed the footage in a video posted to social media on Sunday. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life. Sometimes you got to do that. I was fucked up. I hit rock bottom. I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now. I went out and sought professional help, went to therapy and rehab. Asked God for his mercy and grace. I am so sorry. But I am committed to being a better man each and every day. I am not asking for forgiveness. I am truly sorry.”
Last year, Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in which she accused him of rape and years of repeated physical abuse. The incident at the InterContinental Hotel was specifically cited in the lawsuit, with Ventura claiming that the surveillance footage captured her as she attempted to flee from Combs after he struck her in the face and gave her a black eye. Ventura also alleged that Combs paid the InterContinental $50,000 for possession of the security footage, thus preventing its release.
A day after filing the lawsuit, Ventura reached an undisclosed settlement with Combs.
In a statement addressing the surveillance footage’s release, Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, told CNN: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
In March of this year, Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by the US Department of Homeland Security as part of an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation. He is also facing multiple civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual abuse.
Combs has thus far maintained his innocence. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday,” he wrote in a statement posted to social media on December 6th, 2023. “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.” Meanwhile, his attorney condemned the government’s raids on his homes as a “gross overuse of military-level force.”