A 2016 surveillance video obtained by CNN and released today appears to show Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
In the video, Combs can be seen running down a hallway wearing a bath towel, following Ventura as she attempts to summon an elevator. Before she is able to enter the elevator, Combs catches up to her and appears to strike her while pushing her to the ground, before kicking and dragging her away from the elevator.
The footage of Combs and Ventura appears to corroborate claims made by Ventura in a federal lawsuit she filed against the entertainment mogul in November 2023, accusing him of rape and abuse. Ventura and Combs agreed to settle the lawsuit on November 17.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
According to the settled lawsuit, the singer, model and actress reportedly dated Combs off and on since meeting in 2005, shortly after the release of her debut self-titled album on Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment record label. The couple’s time together ended in 2019, and Venture married Alex Fine, her personal trainer, in September of that year.
Comments on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter, were damning. Some of X’s most visible voices spoke out against Combs’ violent attack on their personal accounts.
Some spread responsibility for Combs’ behavior beyond him, suggesting that he may have been allowed for years to abuse Cassie.
Some of the backlash came from voices representing Atlanta, including George Foster, former NFL offensive tackle who played for UGA.
Some mentioned Kim Porter, Combs’ longtime partner prior to his relationship with Cassie.
And some asked if Atlanta should consider removing a symbol honoring Combs on the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Combs is currently battling a number of lawsuits which accuse him of sexual assault.
In April, he filed a motion to dismiss a case brought by Joi Dickerson-Neal, who claims to be a victim of “revenge porn” which she claims was distributed by Combs. As previously reported in the AJC, Combs appears to be following the strategy of Atlanta attorney David Long-Daniels, who in February convinced a New York federal judge to toss sexual assault claims from 1975 against Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler.
Through his attorneys in the case, Combs filed a motion in late April seeking to dismiss the bulk of Dickerson-Neal’s complaint, which he described as “false, offensive, and salacious.” The motion cited an unrelated case against Tyler, who convinced a federal judge in New York to toss sexual assault claims against him, through his Atlanta attorney David Long-Daniels.
Combs is also deeply tied to Atlanta, from the music and entertainment scene to dining. In March, he announced the sale of his majority stake in Revolt TV following a raid on his property conducted as part of an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation.
