Disturbing surveillance video shows Sean "Diddy" Combs physically assaulting former girlfriend Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura.
The video, obtained by CNN, shows Ventura walking through the hallway of the now closed, InterContinental Hotel in Century City. Moments later the Bad Boy Records founder is seen racing down the same hallway wearing only a white bath towel and socks.
He then spots Ventura near the elevators, grabs her by the back of the head, and throws her to the ground. While lying there he kicks her twice. First, he kicks her and then grabs her purse and large bag. He then kicks her again before dragging her away.
The video then shows Ventura walking to pick up a phone by the elevator, as Combs is seen taking her belongings back to a room. He then charges back, still only donning a towel, shoves her into a corner, and then sits on a nearby chair.
While the video has no audio, you can see Combs yelling and then hurling a large object at her. The time stamp on the video shows the assault occurred on March 5, 2016.
The couple were romantically linked from 2007 to 2018, much of the time being off-and-on.
The video corroborates Ventura's claim in court documents filed late last year against Combs.
In the complaint, she said "around March 2016" Combs "became extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye."
"After he fell asleep, Ms. Ventura tried to leave the hotel room, but as she exited, Mr. Combs awoke and began screaming at Ms. Ventura. He followed her into the hallway of the
hotel while yelling at her. He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw
them at her, causing glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape," the documents said.
The "Me & U" singer got away but then returned.
"She managed to get into the elevator, and when she got to the lobby, quickly took a cab to her apartment. Upon realizing that her running away would cause Mr. Combs to be even angrier with her, and completely stuck in his vicious cycle of abuse, Ms. Ventura returned to the
hotel with the intention of apologizing for running away from her abuser. When she returned,
hotel security staff urged her to get back into a cab and go to her apartment, suggesting that they had seen the security footage showing Mr. Combs beating Ms. Ventura and throwing glass at her in the hotel hallway."
The complaint said that the hip-hop mogul paid the hotel $50,000 for the security footage from the incident.
Ventura's husband, Alex Fine, posted a letter to Instagram shortly after the video was reposted on various accounts on the platform.
"Letter to women and children," he started the letter.
"Men who hit women aren't men. 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 utmost regard. Men who hurt women hate women," he wrote.
"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 lived 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," the post continued.
"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."
Fine then explained more in the caption.
"The words ring true not just today but every day. I want my kids and every kid to live in a world that’s safe for women and girls, protects them and treats them as equals," he penned. "To the women and children, you’re not alone, and you are heard. if you need help call the domestic violence hotline at (800) 799-7233."
In November of 2023, Ventura filed a shocking lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend. She accused him of subjecting her to years of rape and abuse. The lawsuit was settled a day later.
However, lawsuits against the "I'll Be Missing You" singer kept coming.
In December, Combs issued a statement saying, “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged.”
In March of 2024, federal agents raided homes in both Los Angeles and Miami tied to Combs.
Various reports claimed the investigation was handled by the Department of Homeland Security’s team that handles human trafficking crimes. The investigation reportedly stemmed from many of the allegations in several civil lawsuits that have been filed against him. The lawsuits contain claims of sexual assault, rape and human trafficking.
Combs' lawyer, Aaron Dyer, called the raids ”a gross use of military-level force” and that Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight” to clear his name.
Ventura’s attorney provided KTLA with the following statement regarding the raids:
“We will always support law enforcement when it seeks to prosecute those that have violated the law,” Attorney Douglas Wigdor said. “Hopefully, this is the beginning of a process that will hold Mr. Combs responsible for his depraved conduct.”