Sean 'Diddy' Combs seen assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie in 2016 ...
NZ Herald
17 May, 2024 11:52 PM4 mins to read
Cassie Ventura and Sean "Diddy" Combs together in 2018 in New York City, two years after an alleged altercation captured by hotel surveillance cameras that has now been released by CNN. Photo / Getty Images
Warning: mention of physical and sexual abuse
Fresh surveillance footage has surfaced, showing Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie during a 2016 altercation, reinforcing claims she made in a now-settled lawsuit she filed last year.
The clip, released by CNN, shows Casandra “Cassie” Ventura leaving a hotel room and walking towards an elevator as Combs chases her while wearing a towel around his waist. It then shows Combs grabbing the singer by the neck and throwing her to the ground. As Ventura lies on the floor, Combs begins kicking her as he takes her handbag and suitcase.
The video appears to show Combs becoming even more violent with the singer, dragging her towards his room before letting go and walking away. A few seconds later, he is seen taking an object off a table and throwing it in her direction. He then walks away as an elevator door opens and someone seemingly leaves the scene.
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs‚” Ventura’s lawyer Douglas H. Wigdor shared in a statement obtained by People.
“Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
![Cassie Ventura - Figure 2](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/7PORXKTXMFDRB2P6P2RARDVYRQ.jpg?auth=c755c16e48edbd742af73588b3cce57c8b0b0690d41592d2dcda0eb29ad5124c&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
A representative for Combs did not immediately respond to People’s request for comment.
In the lawsuit, which Ventura filed in November last year, the singer detailed what seems to be the exact incident that has now been shown via surveillance footage.
She wrote that the altercation took place “in or around March 2016”, and “Mr Combs became extremely intoxicated and punched Ms Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye”.
“After he fell asleep, Ms Ventura tried to leave the hotel room, but as she exited, Mr Combs awoke and began screaming at Ms Ventura,” the lawsuit alleges. “He 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.”
According to the lawsuit, Ventura eventually was able to get to the elevator and took a taxi to her home.
“Upon realising 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 apologising for running away from her abuser,” the complaint reads.
“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.”
![Cassie Ventura - Figure 3](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/pf/resources/images/placeholders/placeholder_l.png?d=765)
The lawsuit also claims Diddy paid the hotel US$50,000 ($81,520) for the hallway security footage of the incident.
“This hotel is no longer under IHG management, and we do not have any access to prior incident records or footage,” IHG said in a statement obtained by People.
The altercation is one of many mentioned in Cassie’s lawsuit, which brought to light years of alleged physical abuse at the hands of the Coming Home rapper between 2007 and 2018.
However, Combs and Ventura reached a settlement one day after she accused him of rape, sex trafficking, and domestic violence.
Both announced at the time that they had resolved the allegations in the lawsuit to their “mutual satisfaction”.
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Ventura shared in a statement. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Her lawyer Wigdor said: “I am very proud of Ms Ventura for having the strength to go public with her lawsuit. She ought to be commended for doing so.”
Combs shared: “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
Iconic rocker becomes UK's first billionaire musician
The Beatles legend is back in top spot of the Sunday Times Rich List after a booming year.