CNN
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A 2016 surveillance video obtained completely by CNN exhibits Sean “Diddy” Combs seize, shove, drag and kick his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura throughout an altercation that matches allegations in a now-settled federal lawsuit filed by Ventura in November.
The footage, compiled from a number of digital camera angles dated March 5, 2016, seems to point out the rapper, producer and enterprise mogul throughout an incident that, in response to Ventura’s criticism, occurred on the now-closed InterContinental Resort in Century Metropolis, Los Angeles. CNN verified the situation based mostly on publicly obtainable images of the previous resort’s inside.
Within the video, Ventura exits a resort room and walks to a financial institution of elevators. Combs, holding a towel round his waist, runs down a corridor after Ventura. He grabs her by the again of the neck and throws her to the ground. Nonetheless holding his towel closed with one hand, he then turns to kick her, the video exhibits.
As Ventura is on the bottom, Combs retrieves a handbag and suitcase from the ground close to the elevators. He turns round and kicks Ventura once more as she lies immobile on the ground. About 4 seconds transpire between the 2 kicks, in response to the video. He then briefly drags Ventura by her sweatshirt towards a room earlier than strolling away.
Ventura is then seen slowly standing up. She gathers objects from the ground and strikes to choose up a telephone on the hallway wall close to the elevators. Combs, nonetheless in a towel and socks, returns. A mirror straight throughout from the safety digital camera exhibits Combs showing to shove Ventura.
Seconds later, he sits down on a chair, grabs an object off a desk and forcefully throws it towards Ventura. Combs is seen strolling away, then turns towards Ventura as soon as once more when an elevator door opens and somebody seems to exit.
Ventura, who reached an undisclosed settlement with Combs, declined to touch upon the video obtained by CNN.
Ventura’s lawyer, Douglas H. Wigdor, mentioned: “The gut-wrenching video has solely additional confirmed the disturbing and predatory habits of Mr. Combs. Phrases can not specific the braveness and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has proven in coming ahead to deliver this to mild.”
CNN has reached out to representatives for Combs for remark. Combs has beforehand denied Ventura’s allegations.
When contacted by CNN, a consultant for InterContinental Inns mentioned on Friday, “This resort is not below IHG administration, and we wouldn’t have any entry to prior incident data or footage.”
Combs and Ventura, a mannequin and singer recognized for songs like “Me & U,” have been in an off-and-on relationship from 2007 – 2018. The 2 have been photographed collectively on the Los Angeles premiere of the movie “A Good Match” on March 7, 2016.
In response to Ventura’s criticism, which cited the altercation as occurring “round March 2016,” Combs turned “extraordinarily intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura within the face, giving her a black eye.”
After Combs fell asleep, Ventura tried to go away the resort room, however he awoke and “adopted her into the hallway of the resort whereas yelling at her,” the criticism mentioned.
“He grabbed at her, after which took glass vases within the hallway and threw them at her, inflicting glass to crash round them as she ran to the elevator to flee,” the criticism alleged.
After Ventura obtained within the elevator, her criticism states that she took a cab to her condo.
“Upon realizing that her operating away would trigger Mr. Combs to be even angrier together with her, and utterly caught in his vicious cycle of abuse, Ms. Ventura returned to the resort with the intention of apologizing for operating away from her abuser,” the criticism claims. “When she returned, resort safety employees urged her to get again right into a cab and go to her condo, suggesting that that they had seen the safety footage displaying Mr. Combs beating Ms. Ventura and throwing glass at her within the resort hallway.”
The criticism alleges Combs paid the InterContinental Century Metropolis $50,000 for the hallway safety footage, one in every of a variety of allegations made within the November lawsuit through which Ventura claimed she was raped in 2018 and subjected to years of repeated bodily and different abuses by Combs.
Ventura, who was formally signed to Combs’ label, claimed in her swimsuit that he “exerted his energy and affect” over her all through the course of their skilled and romantic relationship. In response to the criticism, she was 19 after they met and Combs was 37, and their enterprise relationship lasted till 2019. It detailed claims that Combs was bodily violent towards Ventura and compelled her to interact in varied intercourse acts with different males throughout that point.
Ben Brafman, an lawyer for Combs, mentioned in a press release to CNN on the day it was filed, “Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.”
The swimsuit was resolved the next day.
“A call to settle a lawsuit, particularly in 2023, is under no circumstances an admission of wrongdoing,” Brafman instructed CNN in a press release on the time. “Mr. Combs‘ resolution to settle the lawsuit doesn’t in any method undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He’s completely happy they obtained to a mutual settlement and desires Ms. Ventura the perfect.”
Particulars of the settlement weren’t disclosed.
Since November, Combs has confronted 5 different civil lawsuits accusing him of a variety of sexual misconduct and different criminal activity. He has denied the allegations, and the circumstances stay lively.
Authorities searched Combs’ properties in California and Florida in March as a part of a federal investigation carried out by a Division of Homeland Safety group that handles human trafficking crimes, in response to a senior federal regulation enforcement official briefed on the investigation. The investigation stems from most of the identical sexual assault allegations put forth within the civil lawsuits, in response to a second regulation enforcement supply accustomed to the searches.
Aaron Dyer, an lawyer for Combs, issued a press release on the time, calling the searches a “gross overuse of military-level power.”
“This unprecedented ambush – paired with a complicated, coordinated media presence – results in a untimely rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing greater than a witch hunt based mostly on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits,” he mentioned. “There was no discovering of felony or civil legal responsibility with any of those allegations. Mr. Combs is harmless and can proceed to combat each single day to clear his identify.”
Editor’s Notice: When you or somebody you recognize is battling intimate associate violence, there are assets obtainable, together with the Nationwide Home Violence Hotline.
A earlier model of this story misstated when the searches of Combs’ properties occurred. They occurred in March.