In a shocking turn of events, newly released video footage showing music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly attacking his former protege and girlfriend, Cassie, in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, has sparked a wave of legal battles and public allegations against the influential figure. Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, filed a lawsuit in November 2023, accusing Combs of years of abuse, including beatings and rape. She claimed that Combs was prone to uncontrollable rage and subjected her to savage beatings, forced her to have sex with other men, and raped her while she was trying to end the relationship in 2018. Combs vehemently denies these accusations through his attorney.
Shortly after Cassie’s lawsuit was filed, it was settled amicably, with the terms of the agreement remaining confidential. Combs expressed his well wishes for Cassie and her family in a statement. However, the legal troubles for Combs continued to escalate when two more women, Joi Dickerson and another woman who remained unnamed, accused him of sexual abuse in lawsuits filed just before the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act in New York. These allegations included acts of sexual assault, beatings, and forced drugging in the early 1990s, when Combs was a rising figure in New York City’s hip-hop community.
Amid the wave of sexual abuse allegations, Combs decided to temporarily step down as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, in November 2023. This move marked one of several business setbacks for him as a result of the legal battles. Furthermore, in December 2023, a woman filed a lawsuit alleging that Combs and two other men raped her in 2003, when she was only 17 years old. The lawsuit claimed that the woman was flown to a New York studio, given drugs and alcohol, and then raped by the men. Combs vehemently denied these accusations and vowed to fight for his name and family.
In February 2024, a music producer filed a lawsuit alleging that Combs sexually assaulted him and forced him to have sex with prostitutes. The producer listed a series of potentially illegal activities involving drugs and sex that he claimed to have witnessed. Combs’ attorney dismissed these allegations as pure fiction. The legal troubles further intensified when Homeland Security Investigations conducted early morning raids on Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami in March 2024 as part of a sex-trafficking investigation. Combs’ attorney condemned the raids as a gross use of military-level force and reiterated his client’s innocence.
As the legal battles continued, a lawsuit filed in April 2024 named Combs as a co-defendant in an incident where his son Christian Combs allegedly sexually assaulted a woman working on a yacht chartered by his father. The lawsuit accused Combs of creating the circumstances that led to the assault and paying to cover it up afterward. However, Combs and his team pushed back with legal motions to dismiss elements of the lawsuits, arguing procedural issues, and denouncing the false and salacious accusations. Despite seeking dismissals of certain lawsuits, Combs faced further scrutiny when CNN aired video footage in May 2024 showing him allegedly attacking Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016. The video mirrored an assault described in Cassie’s lawsuit, depicting Combs punching, kicking, and throwing her to the floor. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office stated that they had not been presented with a case regarding the attack depicted in the video and cited the statute of limitations as a barrier to charging Combs. The case continues to unfold, with Combs and his legal team fiercely defending his innocence and reputation amidst a deluge of legal challenges.
