Sean 'Diddy' Combs Allegedly Paid $50K to Obtain Hotel Security Footage of Cassie Assault: Lawsuit
Cassie's lawsuit filed in November claimed that Combs paid the InterContinental Hotel $50,000 for the hallway security footage that surfaced on May 17
Cassie's lawsuit filed in November claimed that Sean 'Diddy' Combs paid $50,000 to obtain hotel surveillance footage of a physical altercation that occurred between the two in 2016
CNN obtained footage of the incident, which occurred at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles
The newly surfaced video comes after Cassie settled her lawsuit against Combs one day after filing last November
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs allegedly paid the InterContinental Hotel $50,000 for the newly surfaced hallway footage that shows him physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie, during a March 2016 altercation, according to the latter’s bombshell civil lawsuit filed late last year.
The graphic surveillance video, released by CNN on May 17, shows Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, now 37, exiting a hotel room and walking toward an elevator as Combs, now 54, chases her down the hall wearing a towel. When Combs reaches her, he grabs her by the neck and shoves her to the ground. As Ventura lies motionless, Combs turns around to kick her before he then grabs her purse and suitcase.
As Ventura continues to lie on the ground, Combs violently kicks her again and grabs her by her hoodie to briefly drag her toward the hallway before letting go and walking away with her belongings. A few moments later, Combs returns to grab Ventura near the elevator again before he sits down in a nearby chair, picks an object up off a table, and forcefully throws it at her. Combs then walks away but turns toward Ventura once more when an elevator door opens, and someone appears to exit.
A rep for Diddy did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on the video.
Ventura's attorney Douglas H. Wigdor shared a statement with PEOPLE on Friday that says, “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs. Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
In another statement also shared with PEOPLE, IHG Hotels responded to the newly surfaced footage, stating, “This hotel is no longer under IHG management, and we do not have any access to prior incident records or footage.”
Ventura’s lawsuit, which was filed in November and obtained by PEOPLE at the time, recalled the hotel incident in detail, alleging, “In or around March 2016, during an FO [“freak off”] at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, Mr. Combs became extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye.”
The 35-page complaint — brought under the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that allowed sexual abuse victims to file civil suits within a one-year window even after the expiration of the statute of limitations — also claimed, “After [Combs] 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.”
It continued on, claiming Ventura managed to get into the elevator to get to the lobby, where she called a cab to her apartment.
Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Alleged Drug Mule Brendan Paul Will Avoid Jail Time as He Accepts Plea Deal
“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,” the complaint added, “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 lawsuit then alleged, “Upon information and belief, Mr. Combs paid the InterContinental Century City $50,000 for the hallway security footage from that evening.”
Throughout her lawsuit, Ventura detailed other numerous accusations against Combs, alleging that he also raped and sex trafficked her during their relationship from 2007-2018, calling it a “vicious cycle of abuse” and “violence.”
One day after the lawsuit was filed, Combs and Ventura reached a settlement, announcing that they resolved the claims made to their "mutual satisfaction."
“I have decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control,” Ventura said in a statement at the time. “I want to thank my family, fans and lawyers for their unwavering support.”
Combs added, “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”
His attorney, Ben Brafman, clarified the music mogul’s stance on the issue, telling PEOPLE in a statement, "Just so we’re clear, a decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing. 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."
Related: A Timeline of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sexual Assault Allegations and Lawsuits
Combs, who has maintained his innocence, first spoke out about the allegations against him on Dec. 6, 2023, per a statement obtained by PEOPLE that read, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy. Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday.”
Following federal raids on his properties in March, Combs spoke out again, sharing a message on Instagram on May 15 that reads, “Time tells truth.” He signed off on the post, adding, “LOVE 🖤💫✨⚡️.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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