From denial to admission: How a surveillance tape held Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs accountable

Alli Rosenbloom and Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN

(CNN) — Almost 48 hours aft being shown physically assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura successful 2016 successful a surveillance video obtained exclusively by CNN, Sean “Diddy” Combs has apologized.

Just earlier 1pm ET connected Friday, CNN published nan video successful which Combs is seen grabbing, shoving, dragging and kicking Ventura during an altercation that matches allegations successful a now-settled national suit revenge by Ventura successful November. At publication time, representatives for Combs, an influential fig successful nan euphony manufacture who founded nan euphony explanation Bad Boy successful 1993, had not responded to requests for comment.

Combs, a rapper, shaper and business mogul, was silent for astir 2 days arsenic backlash mounted – including successful nan comments conception of his aged societal media posts – and a media large wind swirled.

Just aft 11am ET connected Sunday, Combs released a video connected Instagram, successful which he apologized for an incident he’d antecedently denied ever happening successful nan first place.

“It’s truthful difficult to bespeak connected nan darkest times successful your life, but sometimes you sewage to do that,” Combs said successful a video connection posted to Instagram. “I was f**ked up — I deed stone bottommost — but I make nary excuses. My behaviour connected that video is inexcusable.”

He continued: “I return afloat work for my actions successful that video. I americium disgusted. I was disgusted past erstwhile I did it. I’m disgusted now.”

Combs did not mention Ventura by name.

Ventura’s lawyer Meredith Firetog said successful a connection connected Sunday pursuing nan merchandise of Combs’ apology: “Combs’ astir caller connection is much astir himself than nan galore group he has hurt. When Cassie and aggregate different women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday. That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ erstwhile his repeated denials were proven mendacious shows his pathetic desperation, and nary 1 will beryllium swayed by his disingenuous words.”

Combs antecedently issued a broad denial of nan allegations successful Ventura’s November lawsuit, successful which Ventura claimed she was raped successful 2018 and subjected to years of repeated beingness and different abuses by Combs.

He has besides denied done his spokesperson nan allegations from nan 5 different civilian suits that were revenge against him pursuing Ventura’s, and his lawyer has called nan claims “lies” and suggested nan plaintiffs are motivated by financial summation and nationalist notoriety.

His vehement denials were amplified fixed really salient an intermezo fig Combs, who has gone by various shape names including Puff Daddy, was erstwhile considered to be. Credited pinch activity that is regarded arsenic instrumental successful nan maturation of nan hip-hop genre, Combs has won 3 Grammys successful his profession and is simply a notable entrepreneur nether nan Combs Global banner.

Combs added successful his connection that he “went and I sought retired master help.”

“I sewage into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to inquire God for his mercy and grace. I’m truthful sorry,” he said. “But I’m committed to beryllium a amended man each and each day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m genuinely sorry.”

November lawsuit

In November, Ventura accused Combs of rape and maltreatment successful a 35-page complaint.

In that document, successful which location were aggregate allegations that Combs was physically convulsive toward Ventura and forced her to prosecute successful various activity acts pinch different men during their clip together, location were specifications astir an altercation that occurred “around March 2016” astatine nan now-closed InterContinental Hotel successful Century City, Los Angeles.

During this incident, nan title said, Combs became “extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura successful nan face, giving her a achromatic eye.”

After Combs fell asleep, Ventura attempted to time off nan edifice room, but he woke up and “followed her into nan hallway of nan edifice while yelling astatine her,” nan title said.

“He grabbed astatine her, and past took solid vases successful nan hallway and threw them astatine her, causing solid to clang astir them arsenic she ran to nan elevator to escape,” nan title alleged.

After Ventura sewage successful nan elevator, her title states that she took a cab to her apartment.

“Upon realizing that her moving distant would origin Mr. Combs to beryllium moreover angrier pinch her, and wholly stuck successful his vicious rhythm of abuse, Ms. Ventura returned to nan edifice pinch nan volition of apologizing for moving distant from her abuser,” nan title claims. “When she returned, edifice information unit urged her to get backmost into a cab and spell to her apartment, suggesting that they had seen nan information footage showing Mr. Combs beating Ms. Ventura and throwing solid astatine her successful nan edifice hallway.”

The title alleges Combs paid nan InterContinental Century City $50,000 for nan hallway information footage.

When contacted by CNN, a typical for InterContinental Hotels said connected Friday, “This edifice is nary longer nether IHG management, and we do not person immoderate entree to anterior incident records aliases footage.”

Ventura, a vocalist who was formally signed to Combs’ label, claimed successful her suit that he “exerted his powerfulness and influence” complete her passim nan people of their master and romanticist relationship. According to nan complaint, she was 19 erstwhile they met and Combs was 37, and their business narration lasted until 2019. Their off-and-on narration lasted from 2007 – 2018.

Denials

Ben Brafman, an lawyer for Combs, said successful a connection to CNN connected nan time aft Ventura’s suit was revenge that Combs “vehemently denies these violative and outrageous allegations.”

The suit was resolved nan pursuing day. At nan time, Brafman told CNN successful a connection that nan “decision to settee a lawsuit” was “in nary measurement an admittance of wrongdoing.”

Brafman’s connection added: “Mr. Combs‘ determination to settee nan suit does not successful immoderate measurement undermine his flat-out denial of nan claims. He is happy they sewage to a communal colony and wishes Ms. Ventura nan best.”

Details of nan colony were not disclosed.

Since November, Combs has faced 5 different civilian lawsuits accusing him of a scope of intersexual misconduct and different forbidden activity. He has denied nan allegations, and nan cases stay active.

Combs continued this denial. On December 6, 2023, he posted a statement to Instagram that said: “Enough is enough.”

“For nan past mates of weeks, I person sat silently and watched group effort to assassinate my character, destruct my estimation and my legacy,” he wrote. “Sickening allegations person been made against maine by individuals looking for a speedy payday. Let maine beryllium perfectly clear: I did not do immoderate of nan atrocious things being alleged. I will conflict for my name, my family and for nan truth.”

As of this article’s publication, nan comments connected Combs’ December Instagram station were turned off.

The surveillance video

On Friday, CNN published surveillance video compiled from aggregate camera angles dated March 5, 2016 that appeared to show nan Combs during nan 2016 incident astatine nan InterContinental Hotel successful Century City that was mentioned successful Ventura’s complaint.

CNN verified nan location based connected publically disposable photos of nan erstwhile hotel’s interior.

In nan video, Ventura exits a edifice room and walks to a slope of elevators. Combs, holding a towel astir his waist, runs down a hallway aft Ventura. He grabs her by nan backmost of nan cervix and throws her to nan floor. Still holding his towel closed pinch 1 hand, he past turns to footwear her, nan video shows.

As Ventura is connected nan ground, Combs retrieves a purse and suitcase from nan level adjacent nan elevators. He turns astir and kicks Ventura again arsenic she lies motionless connected nan floor. About 4 seconds transpire betwixt nan 2 kicks, according to nan video. He past concisely drags Ventura by her sweatshirt toward a room earlier stepping away.

Ventura is past seen slow opinionated up. She gathers items from nan level and moves to prime up a telephone connected nan hallway wall adjacent nan elevators. Combs, still successful a towel and socks, returns. A reflector straight crossed from nan information camera shows Combs appearing to shove Ventura.

Seconds later, he sits down connected a chair, grabs an entity disconnected a array and forcefully throws it toward Ventura. Combs is seen stepping away, past turns toward Ventura erstwhile again erstwhile an elevator doorway opens and personification appears to exit.

Ventura, who reached an undisclosed colony pinch Combs, declined to remark connected nan video obtained by CNN.

Ventura’s different attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, said successful a connection connected Friday: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed nan disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr. Combs. Words cannot definitive nan courageousness and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown successful coming guardant to bring this to light.”

Reaction to nan video

Ventura received an outpouring of support connected societal media successful nan days that followed nan merchandise of nan video, pinch galore highlighting Ventura’s communicative arsenic a measurement to support different victims of home violence.

Combs besides faced wide backlash from galore online, including Aubrey O’Day, a erstwhile personnel of nan group Danity Kane who, for illustration Ventura, was represented by Combs’ Bad Boy label. On Friday, she wrote connected her X page that “the image is getting a batch much clear for you each I tin imagine.”

Danity Kane was formed by Combs successful 2005 via nan MTV reality title show “Making nan Band.” O’Day says she was fired by Combs and has antecedently been highly captious of him.

Following nan merchandise of nan video, nan Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office issued a connection saying it was “aware of nan video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young female successful Los Angeles.”

“We find nan images highly disturbing and difficult to watch,” nan connection posted connected Instagram reads. “If nan behaviour depicted occurred successful 2016, unluckily we would beryllium incapable to complaint arsenic nan behaviour would person occurred beyond nan timeline wherever a crime of battle tin beryllium prosecuted. As of today, rule enforcement has not presented a lawsuit related to nan onslaught depicted successful nan video against Mr. Combs, but we promote anyone who has been a unfortunate aliases witnesser to a crime to study it to rule enforcement aliases scope retired to our agency for support from our Bureau of Victims Services,” nan territory attorney’s agency said.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it was besides “aware of nan video” but did not person an unfastened investigation involving Combs, nan section told CNN successful a connection early Saturday. The LAPD did not respond to CNN’s mobility connected whether a study was ever revenge regarding nan assault.

On Friday, Alex Fine, a individual trainer and Ventura’s husband, issued an evident consequence to nan surveillance video successful a “letter to women and children” posted to Instagram. He said successful nan caption that he wrote nan missive “awhile backmost but nan words ringing existent not conscionable coming but everyday.”

“Men who deed women aren’t men. Men who alteration it and protect those group aren’t men,” he wrote successful nan letter. “As men unit against women shouldn’t beryllium inevitable, cheque your brothers, your friends, and your family. Our daughters, sisters, mothers, and wives should consciousness protected and loved. Hold nan women successful your life pinch nan upmost regard. Men who wounded women dislike women.”

Fine and Ventura person been joined since 2019. They person 2 daughters.

At nan extremity of nan letter, Fine included nan telephone number of nan National Domestic Violence hotline and wrote successful portion “to nan abusers, you’re done, you’re not safe anymore, you’re not protected anymore.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All authorities reserved.