May 28, 2024
A recently released hotel surveillance video published by media outlets earlier this month shows singer and model, Cassie Ventura, being beaten and dragged away from an elevator in a LA hotel by three-time Grammy winner, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in 2016.
In the shocking and disturbing footage, Ventura, who was in a relationship with Combs at the time, is seen rushing to a hotel elevator with her bags in tow, attempting to flee the building. Combs comes around the corner aggressively, clad in a towel and socks, and begins striking, shoving, and attempting to drag Venture back to his hotel room. He is then seen sitting at a table in the hallway, throwing glass vases at Ventura.
In an apology video he said:
“My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to being a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
In a federal lawsuit filed by Ventura, which was settled in 2018, Combs denied abusing and controlling Ventura over the years.
The pair had met in the mid-2000s, and Combs ended up signing Ventura, who was just a teenager at the time, to his record label, “Bad Boy Records,” under her artist name, Cassie. Combs was 37.
Ventura alleged that she had been led down a path of drug abuse and had endured long-standing violence at the hands of her then-partner, Combs. She claimed that Diddy had also forced her to perform sexual acts with male sex workers. She accused him of domestic violence, rape, and sex trafficking.
Cassie Ventura went on to struggle with addiction, for which she blamed Combs.
Combs accused Ventura of extortion, but Ventura’s attorney, Douglas Wigdor, retaliated by accusing Combs of allegedly attempting to silence his client by offering to pay her off with a hefty sum of cash, which Ventura rejected.
Ventura told CNN: “I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control. I want to thank my family, fans, and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Combs has a long history of accusations against him, beginning at the start of his journey to fame in the 1990s. Multiple women have come forward accusing him over the years, but each time Combs has denied the claims and accused his alleged victims of “looking for a quick payday.” On social media he previously denied any accusations of abuse, calling the allegations “sickening,” accusing women of trying to “assassinate his character,” and saying that he would fight for his “name, family, and the truth.”
The Ventura video, which Combs allegedly tried to hide, was undeniable proof that the claims against him in this instance were completely true on at least one occasion. The video shocked those following the case online in its violence.
Sean Combs cannot be charged for the 2016 attack on Ventura due to the Statute of Limitations in California.
On the subject of Domestic Abuse, Cassie Ventura, who is now married with two daughters, said: “My only ask is that EVERYONE open your heart to believing victims the first time. It takes a lot of heart to tell the truth out of a situation that you were powerless in. I offer my hand to those that are still living in fear. Reach out to your people, don’t cut them off. No one should carry this weight alone.”
Diddy's various properties were raided on March 25, 2024, including his homes in Miami and LA. He is currently facing four federal lawsuits, and is being investigated by Homeland Security and the federal government. The lawsuits include Chicago record producer, Lil Rod Jones Jr. accusing Diddy of his involvement in an alleged illegal racketeering enterprise involving the use and distribution of drugs and unregistered firearms, as well as the "solicitation of minors and sex workers, and sexual harassment.
In Early December 2023, another woman accused Combs of sex trafficking and gang rape in connection with individuals connected to Bad Boy Records. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Liza Gardener filed a lawsuit against both Combs and songwriter, Aaron Hall, on November 23, 2023, accusing them of rape. Gardener said she was just sixteen years old at the time. The lawsuit was filed just one day before the deadline for the statute of limitations under New York’s Adult Survivors Act. The case is ongoing.
Several others have alleged similar ordeals at the hands of Combs and his associates, including: Joi Dickerson-Neal, whose claim goes back to 1991
-April Lampros, who accused Combs of sexual assault, battery, and other counts, from 1995 through to the 2000s.
-Grace O'Marcaigh, who alleges she was sexually assaulted in 2002 in the Caribbean
-Crystal McKinney, who alleges she was sexually assaulted at Combs' studio in New York.
All lawsuits are still ongoing.
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