Disturbing footage published by CNN Friday showed Sean “Diddy” Combs viciously assaulting singer Cassie Ventura at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. While The Washington Post could not independently verify the video, Combs confirmed in an apology video Sunday that he appeared in the footage. CNN and Ventura’s attorney both said it confirms allegations she made against the embattled hip-hop mogul in a now-settled lawsuit.
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Ventura’s attorney Douglas Wigdor said in a statement Friday. Representatives for Combs, a world-renowned rapper and music producer who is facing a federal criminal investigation as well as allegations of assault, abuse and sex-trafficking from multiple accusers, did not respond to a request for comment.
Combs apologized in a video posted to his Instagram account: “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” he said. “I was f----d up. I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses.”
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“My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” he added. “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’m so sorry,” he added. “I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
In the CNN video — an edited compilation of security footage dated March 5, 2016 — Ventura is seen exiting a hotel room and walking down the hallway before a man wearing just a towel around his waist runs after her. CNN identified the man as Combs, who was dating Ventura at the time.
In another portion of the video, Combs grabs Ventura by the back of her neck as she tries to call an elevator. He throws her to the floor, kicks her repeatedly as she lies on the ground, picks up her belongings and drags her off-screen by her sweatshirt.
At another point, footage shows Ventura picking up a phone on the wall near the elevators. Combs returns and appears to shove her in the corner. Another clip shows him sitting in a chair by the elevators, then hurling what looks like a vase across the room.
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There was no audio included in the footage, and CNN did not explain how it was obtained. The network reported that the incident occurred at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Friday that it was aware of the video but couldn’t press charges against Combs.
“We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch. 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,” the statement said. “Law enforcement has not presented a case [against Combs] related to the attack depicted in the video.”
A similar altercation at the same hotel was described in Ventura’s November lawsuit, which accused Combs of years of physical and sexual abuse, as well as sex-trafficking. Ventura, who goes by the stage name Cassie, was in a relationship with Combs for more than a decade, and was previously signed to Bad Boy Records, the label Combs founded.
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According to the lawsuit, Combs became “extremely intoxicated” during a sex party at the InterContinental and punched Ventura in the face. He fell asleep afterward, but woke up as Ventura attempted to leave the hotel room, the suit said.
The lawsuit describes Combs screaming at Ventura and following her down the hall. “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 suit continued.
The lawsuit does not mention Combs kicking Ventura or dragging her on the floor.
Ventura fled the hotel and took a cab to her apartment, the lawsuit reads. But she returned to the hotel “upon realizing that her running away would cause Mr. Combs to be even angrier with her.”
“Ms. Ventura returned to the hotel with the intention of apologizing for running away from her abuser,” according to the suit, but hotel security “urged her to get back into a cab …. suggesting that they had seen the security footage showing Mr. Combs beating Ms. Ventura.”
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The lawsuit claims that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security footage from that night.
Ventura’s allegations were the first in a string of sexual assault lawsuits against the hip-hop producer, who until recently was lauded as a music industry icon. Since November, five lawsuits have been filed against Combs alleging sexual abuse. Some of them also allege that Combs trafficked sex workers, including minors, and drugged his alleged victims.
Ventura, specifically, accused Combs of drugging her with ecstasy, cocaine, ketamine, marijuana and alcohol and forcing her to participate in sex parties, which Combs referred to as “freak-offs.”
“For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” Combs said in a statement posted in December for his 20 million Instagram followers. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
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On March 25, the Department of Homeland Security raided Combs’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami. A law enforcement official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, told The Post the searches were part of a sex trafficking investigation. Combs’s attorney Aaron Dyer called the DHS investigation “a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
Combs has vehemently denied all of the sexual assault allegations against him, which span more than 30 years, from 2023 back to the start of Combs’s career in the early ’90s. He has also been named a co-defendant in a sexual assault suit against his son, Christian Combs. Christian, via an attorney, has denied any wrongdoing.
The day Ventura’s suit was filed, Combs’s attorney Ben Brafman said it was “riddled with baseless and outrageous lies” and accused her of “blackmail,” claiming she had threatened to write a damaging book about him unless he paid her $30 million.
The lawsuit was settled the next day for an undisclosed amount.
“Mr. Combs’ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims,” Brafman said at the time.
Samantha Chery contributed to this report, which has been updated.
