Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was caught on camera beating, dragging and hurling an object at his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was caught on camera beating, dragging and hurling an object at his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016
The scandal-hit rapper, 54, who was hit with allegations including physical abuse by singer Cassie, 37, in a November 2023 lawsuit, is seen launching the brutal attack in surveillance footage taken from a Los Angeles hotel hallway.
It was obtained by CNN, which said the altercation occurred at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, California, on March 5, 2016.
The outlet reported: “The footage, compiled from multiple camera angles dated March 5, 2016, appears to show the rapper, producer and business mogul during an incident that, according to Ventura’s complaint, occurred at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
“CNN verified the location based on publicly available photos of the former hotel’s interior.
“In the video, Ventura exits a hotel room and walks to a bank of elevators. Combs, holding a towel around his waist, runs down a hall after Ventura.
“He grabs her by the back of the neck and throws her to the floor. Still holding his towel closed with one hand, he then turns to kick her, the video shows.
“As Ventura is on the ground, Combs retrieves a purse and suitcase from the floor near the elevators.
“He turns around and kicks Ventura again as she lies motionless on the floor. About four seconds transpire between the two kicks, according to the video.
“He then briefly drags Ventura by her sweatshirt toward a room before walking away.
“Ventura is then seen slowly standing up. She gathers items from the floor and moves to pick up a phone on the hallway wall near the elevators.
“Combs, still in a towel and socks, returns. A mirror directly across from the security camera shows Combs appearing to shove Ventura.
“Seconds later, he sits down on a chair, grabs an object off a table and forcefully throws it toward Ventura.
“Combs is seen walking away, then turns toward Ventura once again when an elevator door opens and someone appears to exit.”
Cassie, who reached an undisclosed settlement with Combs after making allegations of abuse against him in 2023, declined to comment on the video obtained by CNN.
Her attorney Douglas H Wigdor, told the outlet: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Cassie reached an undisclosed settlement with Combs shortly after she filed her suit last year and described the hotel altercation in the complaint.
According to the filing, while the two were inside the hotel room, Combs became “extremely intoxicated and punched Ms Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye”.
It added after he fell asleep, she attempted to leave the room, but he woke up and “followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her”.
It goes on to allege: “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 complaint, Cassie eventually managed to get in the elevator, leave the hotel and call a cab, which took her to her apartment.
Cassie’s suit alleged Combs had paid the InterContinental $50,000 for the security footage from the incident.
Two days later, the pair – who dated on and off from 2007 to 2018 – were photographed together at the LA premiere of ‘A Perfect Match’.
Ben Brafman, an attorney for Combs, said in a statement on the day Cassie’s 2023 suit was filed: “Mr Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.”
Since November, Combs has faced five other civil lawsuits accusing him of a range of sexual misconduct and other illegal activity.
He has denied the allegations, and the cases are still active.