Diddy was seen violently assaulting his former girlfriend - singer Cassie - in a resurfaced video from 2016

A video recorded in 2016 in a hotel lobby proves the predatory and abusive behavior of famous rapper and music producer - Sean 'Diddy' Combs toward his then-girlfriend singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura. In November 2023, the pop star filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend for rape and constant abuse.

The published record, from March 5h, 2016, obtained from InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, California, proves the predatory and highly violent behavior of rapper Diddy toward his then-girlfriend - Cassie. The musical producer is currently facing allegations, including sex trafficking, for which his former girlfriend also accused him in a 2023 filed lawsuit. The couple was in an on-and-off relationship between 2007-2018 when the singer decided to break up after being brutally raped.

The released video presents Combs in a white towel and socks, chasing after Casandra Ventura down a hallway to the elevators. He runs holding a towel, grabs her by the collar of her hoodie, hits her, and slams her with full force. When she lies on the ground, he punches her, additionally kicking her two times. In the meantime, he is shown taking the purse she left by the elevator to take them to the hotel room. When he gets back to the hotel lobby, where Cassie still lays on the floor, he grabs her by her clothing to drag her to the hotel room. In the next cut, Ventura gets up and approaches the phone installed by the elevator. She is again approached by Diddy, who shoves Ventura. The reflection in the mirror discloses the rapper throwing an object toward his ex-girlfriend. Despite the reported occurrence, hotel personnel did not react to the abuse in any way. Only when she came back to the 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 owner of Bad Boy Records is rumored to have paid $50,000 to hotel service for erasing the video. Notably, the video has not been made public for over eight years, despite Cassie filing a lawsuit against Diddy in 2023. Moreover, neither the "Me & You" singer nor the abuser have commented on the recording yet. InterContinental Hotels argued, however, that "This hotel is no longer under IHG management, and we do not have any access to prior incident records or footage."

Cassie's attorney, however, discussed the prevalence of the video, claiming, "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."

The comments of the netizens notably changed after the video's publication. People unite with Cassie, displaying their disgust and disappointment with the producer. The comments are as follows: "This is LONG TERM abuse. He's an experienced abuser. So disappointing;" "What makes this even scarier (besides Cassie’s pain and life being threatened) is that he ran out of their hotel room in a towel just to beat her, when anyone could’ve opened their door to see him committing a crime like that. If he’ll do that publicly, imagine what he’ll do behind closed doors. I believe every rumor about him; what a horrible person;" "THE HOTEL SECURITY SHOULD BE ASHAMED FOR NOT COMING TO HER AID!!"

Celebrities have also taken their stance on dragging producer, who is rumored to be connected to Notorious B.I.G's death. Model Emily Ratajkovski, known for her feminist and progressive statements, shared a one-word tweet commenting on the disgraceful rapper's behavior.

2000s icon rapper 50 Cent, who is known for having been beefing with Diddy for around 20 years, openly and actively commented on the video material, poking at Combs's statement issued after being sued by Cassie. 50 Cent, on his Instagram and X posts, reposted the producer's words, emphasizing the lies spread by the producer after Cassie's testimony. Moreover, throughout the years, 50 Cent accused Diddy of sex trafficking and claimed he probably was also invested in the death of legendary West Coast rapper - 2Pac. The author of "In Da Club" also previously supported Cassie after filing the lawsuit, standing by her, and believing in the accusations.

The lawsuit filed in November by Ventura concerned his abusive behavior, rape, and further sexual violence. She also alleged human trafficking, sexual battery, and gender-motivated violence. According to the file, the obsessive and violent behavior started already in the year the musicians met - in 2005 when she was 19 years old, and Combs was already established 37 years old influential rapper and producer. A year later, Cassie signed a deal with his record, which resulted in him controlling every aspect of her life, from professional to private life. Furthermore, the violence was not limited to the singer but also to the people with whom she was in a relationship - such as rapper Kid Cudi, who was Ventura's romantic partner in 2012. "Long Way 2 Go" singer admitted that Combs destroyed Cudi's car in 2012. Additionally, the lawsuit highlighted the mental abuse producer targeted a seventeen-years-younger partner. He used intimidating tactics such as "blowing up a man’s car, dangling a friend over a 17th-floor balcony, and asking her to carry his gun in her purse."

In a particular example from 2009, Diddy was accused of kicking Ventura in the face, making her bleed, and hiding her in his hotel room. The statement exposes "Beatings were witnessed by Mr. Combs’ staff and employees... but no one dared to speak up against their frightening and ferocious boss." Furthermore, "Every time she hid, Mr. Combs’s vast network of corporations and affiliated entities found her, and those who worked for Mr. Combs’s companies implored her to return to him."

Part of the mental abuse was connected to the power imbalance in the relationship, which occurred after her being signed by his label. The lawsuit expresses, "Many went as far as to explicitly state that her failure to return to Mr. Combs would hinder her success in the entertainment industry." Additionally, after the events disclosed in the video recorded in 2016, Cassie left the hotel; yet, "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 intending to apologize for running away from her abuser," presents the lawsuit.

The list of accusations is much longer, as seen in the 37-page lawsuit. Cassie suffered memory loss due to being drugged. The usage of the substances led her to be addicted. Additionally, she was forced to take part in the "arrangement in which she had no choice but to plan and engage in sex acts with male sex workers while he masturbated." She was forced to watch it despite her taking the act to delete the footage. In 2018 Combs violated her at her home, raping her.

In a statement released on November 18th, 2023, by Diddy, he claimed, "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably... I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love." Ben Brafman, Combs's attorney, commented on the lawsuit: "A decision to settle a lawsuit, especially in 2023, is in no way an admission of wrongdoing," adding, "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." Brafman also mentioned, "Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations." The lawyer even tried to discredit Ventura by accusing her of blackmail: "For the past six months, Mr. Combs has been subjected to Ms. Ventura’s persistent demand of $30 million, under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship, which was unequivocally rejected as blatant blackmail." The details of the settlement have not been released publicly.

Cassie's case was not the first nor the last lawsuit against Combs. In 1991, he was accused of sexual assault by a nineteen-year-old woman. She was allegedly drugged; furthermore, the assault was recorded and sent among Diddy's friends, as the lawsuit claimed. A year later, he was tied to a deadly stampede in Harlem, although he was not pressed with charges. In 1997, he and Jennifer Lopez were arrested for possession of weapons and criminal property. In 2015, he was accused of swinging a kettlebell at a UCLA assistant coach, which resulted in the arrest, although later on, Diddy was released. In 2017, former chef Cindy Rueda sued him for sexual harassment, retaliation, defamation, failure to pay overtime, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The case ended two years later for an undisclosed amount. Finally, this year, the rapper was sued by music producer Rodney "Lil Rod" Jones Jr for yet another sexual assault and for forcing him to perform sex acts with sex workers.

Source: CNN, Fox News, US Magazine, ABC News, Fox5NY, New York Times