Cassie’s Lawyer Praises Her ‘Courage’ amid Release of ‘Gut-Wrenching’ Hotel Video of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Attack
A 2016 altercation between Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie was published on Friday by CNN
Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura’s lawyer is speaking out in light of shocking new video footage that shows the singer being physically assaulted by former boyfriend Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in a Los Angeles hotel.
The 2016 altercation was captured on surveillance video and published on May 17 by CNN. The video features Combs, now 54, grabbing, shoving and kicking Ventura, now 37, in actions that match allegations she made in a lawsuit against Combs last November that was settled the very next day.
“The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs,” Ventura’s lawyer 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.”
A rep for Combs has not responded to a request for comment.
The video, taken at the since-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, shows Ventura exiting a hotel room and walking toward an elevator as Combs chases her down the hallway with a towel around his waist. Upon reaching her, the music mogul is seen grabbing her by the neck and tossing her to the ground. He then violently kicks her as she lays on the ground, then grabs her purse and suitcase.
Combs is seen kicking her once more as she lies motionless on the ground. He then drags her briefly toward their room before letting her go and walking away.
In Ventura’s November lawsuit against Combs, which accused him of rape, sex trafficking and domestic violence, she outlined an incident that matches the altercation seen in the video footage.
The lawsuit says that in 2016, Combs “became extremely intoxicated and punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye” while in a hotel.
“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,” the lawsuit claims. “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.”
Per the lawsuit, Ventura managed to get into the elevator and she 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,” the complaint claims. “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 also alleges that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the hallway security footage from that event.
“This hotel is no longer under IHG management, and we do not have any access to prior incident records or footage,” IHG said in a statement.
Upon settling their lawsuit in November, Combs’ lawyer Ben Brafman said the settlement was “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 wrote. “He is happy they got to a mutual settlement and wishes Ms. Ventura the best.”
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.
