CCTV FOOTAGE has emerged appearing to show rap mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attacking singer Casandra ‘Cassie’ Ventura in a hotel hallway in 2016.
The video, aired by CNN, has surfaced in the wake of allegations by Ventura about her ex-boyfriend and producer in a lawsuit last year.
She has not commented, but her lawyer said it confirms “the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs”.
A lawyer for Combs has not responded to a BBC request for comment.
The BBC has not independently verified the video, which appears to be a compilation of surveillance footage dated 5 March 2016.
According to CNN, it was filmed at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles.
The clip appears to show Ventura leaving a hotel room to walk towards a row of elevators.
A shirtless man is seen holding a towel around his waist, and hurrying down a hallway.
When he catches up to her, he grabs her and throws her on the floor, causing her to drop some luggage.
He kicks her while she is on the ground, before picking up her bags and kicking her a second time, then attempting to drag her by her shirt.
The attacker is seen leaving for a moment, before returning and shoving Ventura as she gets up.
He then sits in a chair near the lifts and throws an object.
A lawyer for Ventura, Douglas Wigdor, said in a statement: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behaviour of Mr Combs.
“Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
The Los Angeles district attorney’s office said on Friday that the assault captured in the video might be too old to prosecute.
“We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch,” it said in a statement.
“If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted.”
In a now-settled federal lawsuit last year, Ventura alleged that “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 lawsuit alleged that the rap mogul had purchased the footage from the hotel for US$50 000 (about N$914 616).
Her legal action against Combs, which accused him of rape and sexual trafficking over a decade, was settled for an undisclosed sum one day after it was filed in November last year.
Combs’ lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said at the time that the settlement “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.”
Since then, several other women have filed lawsuits accusing the rapper of sexual misconduct. – BBC
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