Video Footage From 2016 Shows Sean “Diddy” Combs Allegedly Attacking Ex-Girlfriend Cassie
Sean “Diddy” Combs is seen allegedly physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in a 2016 surveillance video obtained by CNN.
The footage dated March 5, 2016, shows what appears to be Combs, holding a towel around his waist, running after a woman who appears to be Ventura after she is seen exiting a hotel room and moving toward a bank of elevators. He is then seen grabbing her by the back of the neck and throwing her to the floor; he then turns to kick her, as the video shows.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Kevin Spacey Speaks to Chris Cuomo in First TV Appearance in Years: "I'm So Much Happier Today"
Liam Neeson and Sharon Stone Express Support for Kevin Spacey's Hollywood Return: "He Is a Genius"
Did Tyla or Zendaya Win the Met Gala Red Carpet? The Answer Depends
He retrieves a purse and suitcase from the floor before he turns to kick her again though she is not moving. She is then seen being dragged by him by the sweatshirt she is wearing for a moment. Then he walks off. She gathers some items from the floor, but he returns and is seen shoving her then sitting in a chair, pulling an unidentifiable object from a table and throwing it toward her. He is then seen walking away.
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Ventura’s attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, said in a statement. “Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
After the video surfaced on Friday, Ventura’s husband Alex Fine posted a message to his verified Instagram account that condemned domestic violence and expressed support for survivors.
“Men who hit women aren’t men,” he shared in a note that he said in a caption he had written “awhile back but the words ring true not just today but every day.” “Men who enable it and protect those people aren’t men. As men violence against women shouldn’t be inevitable, check your brothers, your friends and your family. Our daughters, sisters, mothers and wives should feel protected and loved. Hold the women in your life with the upmost regard. Men who hurt women hate women.”
He added, “To all the survivors, find the men and women who help and love. To all the survivors, your stories are real and people believe you. To all the survivors, you’re not alone, and there are men and women who care only for your well being and safety. We want you to succeed and flourish. To all the women and children, I’m sorry you live in a world where you’re not protected, and you don’t feel equal. I want to raise my daughters in a world where they are safe and loved.”
And he called out abusers, writing, “To the abusers, you’re done, you’re not safe anymore, you’re not protected anymore, the men by your side are just as weak, you’re so miserable with yourself that death would be considered a kindness,” with Fine writing death as just a “d” and “h” on either side of a casket emoji.
The pair share two daughters.
In a civil lawsuit filed in New York in November, Ventura accused Combs of repeatedly raping and physically abusing her for nearly a decade as they had an on-again, off-again romantic relationship. In the suit, which also names his label, Bad Boy Records, and Sony Music, Ventura said she was “trapped by Mr. Combs in a cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking;” the filing recalls several instances where she claimed Combs “punched, beat, kicked and stomped” on her.
Ventura and Combs settled the case shortly after she filed her lawsuit.
“We have decided to resolve this matter amicably,” Combs said in a statement at the time. “I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
In another statement, Combs’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, clarified that the decision to settle is in “no way an admission of wrongdoing.” He added, “Mr. Combs‘ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims. He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best.”
Despite the settlement with Ventura, Combs has faced multiple lawsuits in recent months, accusing him of rape, sexual assault and even sex trafficking. He has denied all of the allegations.
In March, Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles’ homes were raided by Homeland Security.
Months prior to that, amid the lawsuits, he resigned as chairman of hip-hop TV network Revolt.
Reps for Diddy have not yet responded to The Hollywood Reporter‘s request for comment.
1:23 p.m. This story has been updated with Alex Fine’s Instagram note.
Best of The Hollywood Reporter