No charges coming to Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs after hotel video, LA County DA says
Los Angeles County prosecutors say no charges are forthcoming against rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs after the release of disturbing 2016 surveillance video taken in a Century City hotel, which appears to show the rapper and producer physically assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
Also see: Video appears to show Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
“We are aware of the video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement posted on social media late Friday. “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.
“As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs, but we encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to report it to law enforcement or reach out to our office for support from our Bureau of Victims Services,” the statement continued.
The video, obtained by CNN, was taken at the then-InterContinental Hotel in Century City, the network reported.
The video shows Ventura exiting a hotel room and walking down a hallway toward a bank of elevators. Combs, wearing only a white towel wrapped around his waist and socks, is then seen following her down the hallway then forcefully grabbing her by the head or neck and throwing her to the ground. As she lies on the ground, Combs kicks her. After picking up a suitcase nearby, he kicks her again.
Combs is then seen trying to drag Ventura back down the hallway toward the hotel room, but he lets go of her after pulling her into the hallway from the elevator area. He then continues back toward his room.
Combs re-appears in the video and appears to shove Ventura again, before sitting in a chair and grabbing something from a nearby table and throwing it at her. He then returns to his room.
Ventura had claimed in a lawsuit in November that Diddy physically assaulted her in 2016, saying the rapper was drunk and punched her in the face. She alleged that when she tried to leave, Diddy followed her and eventually threw glass vases that were on display in the hallway at her. According to the suit, Ventura eventually got into an elevator and took a cab back to her apartment.
The lawsuit also made more serious allegations of sexual assault and other acts of physical abuse inflicted by Diddy. The lawsuit was settled one day after it was filed, but no details were released.
The rapper had issued a statement vehemently denying the suit’s allegations, suggesting Ventura was looking for a “payday.”
Responding to the release of the video, Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, issued a statement to CNN saying, “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.”
Also see: Home of rapper, music mogul Diddy raided by federal authorities in Los Angeles
There has been no immediate response from Diddy to the video.
In late March, federal agents raided Diddy’s homes in Miami and in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles.
According to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security, the raids were “part of an ongoing investigation,” but no details were released.
The nature of the probe was unclear, but several reports indicated it was part of a federal sex trafficking investigation. Diddy has been targeted in multiple lawsuits in recent months — including Ventura’s — accusing him of sex abuse. In addition to Ventura, two other women filed lawsuits alleging sexual abuse.
Music producer Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr. filed a lawsuit earlier this year accusing Diddy of groping him while the pair worked together on Diddy’s album “The Love Album: Off the Grid.” The lawsuit also included allegations that Diddy and his son engaged in a “sex-trafficking venture.”
Also see: ‘Culture of silence’: Lawyer calls Diddy’s NDA terrifying, purposefully intimidating
Diddy’s attorney, Shawn Holley, issued a statement in response saying, “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30 million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.
“We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies.”
Following the federal raids in March, Combs attorney Aaron Dyer insisted on the rapper’s innocence and accused authorities of a “gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences.”
“There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities,” Dyer said.
“Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. This unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence — leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits. There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations. Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”