Mayor Adams Considers Revoking Diddy’s Key to New York City
New York Mayor Eric Adams presents Sean "Diddy" Combs with the keys to the city in Times Square in New York City on Sept. 15, 2023. Credit - Cindy Ord—Getty Images
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Monday that his administration is considering revoking Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ key to the city after shocking security video footage showed the music mogul assaulting his ex-girlfriend.
The mayor told PIX11 News that he and his team were “taking everything under analysis” and would make a final decision at a later date. Adams awarded Combs’ key to New York City in September 2023.
“I think all of us were deeply disturbed by watching that chilling video of the young lady being assaulted by him,” Adams told PIX11 News. “The committee and the team have never rescinded a key before, but we are now sitting down to see what the next steps forward are going to be.”
On May 17, CNN aired security footage showing Combs, wearing only a white towel, punching and kicking R&B singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016. Combs can also be seen in the video shoving and dragging Cassie, and throwing a vase in her direction.
Two days after CNN aired the video, Combs admitted to assaulting Cassie, born Cassandra Ventura, in a video statement shared via his Instagram account.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that. I was f-cked up. I hit rock bottom, but I make no excuses,” Combs said in the video. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, and I’m disgusted now.”
He added that he “sought out professional help” and went to therapy and rehab.
Read More: Diddy Breaks Silence Over Video of Him Assaulting Cassie: ‘My Behavior Is Inexcusable’
Ventura filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court in Manhattan in November 2023, alleging that Combs had physically and sexually abused her for years during their relationship. The two parties reached a settlement one day after Ventura filed the lawsuit.
On March 25, Homeland Security raided Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami. No criminal charges have been filed against Combs related to these raids, and Homeland Security Investigations has released little information about the case, but a federal official said the inquiry was at least in part a human trafficking investigation, the New York Times reported.
When Adams awarded Combs the key to the city in September, he praised the music mogul for his philanthropic contributions to the city and called him “the embodiment of the New York City attitude.”
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