Judge Allows Jurors to Watch 2016 Hotel Assault Video Involving Sean 'Diddy' Combs and Cassie

At Sean "Diddy" Combs' forthcoming federal sex trafficking trial, prosecutors have been granted permission by a judge to present jurors with footage showing the hip-hop icon striking and kicking one of his alleged victims in a Los Angeles hotel corridor during a hearing held on Friday.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian stated that Combs' attorneys did not persuade him to exclude the incendiary surveillance video. The judge noted that the footage’s significance to the case surpasses any possible bias against the 55-year-old accused.

Subramanian established guidelines for the video during the proceedings setting the stage for the trial scheduled for May 5 in New York City.

Seated among his attorneys wearing a bright yellow prison jumpsuit, Combs had once sported jet-black hair that has largely turned gray due to the absence of dyes permitted at the Brooklyn federal detention center, where he has been confined since his arrest in September.

Prosecutors revealed that Combs had been presented with a plea bargain, but he turned it down.

The footage depicts Combs — clad solely in a white towel — manhandling, pushing, and pulling his ex-protegee and girlfriend, R&B artist Cassie, and also tossing a vase towards her during an incident on March 5, 2016, at the InterContinental Hotel located in Los Angeles' Century City area.

The video remained private until CNN acquired and broadcasted it in May 2024. In compliance with a subpoena, the network handed the recording over to the prosecutors.

Prosecutors state it's "essential for the case."

The indictment against Combs accuses him of attempting to bribes a hotel security employee to keep quiet regarding the video. In a now-resolved lawsuit from November 2023, which alleged years of mistreatment, Cassie stated that he offered $50,000 for the video.

The Associated Press generally refrains from identifying individuals who claim to be victims of sexual abuse unless they speak out publicly, which Cassie, also known legally as Casandra Ventura, chose to do.

Combs has entered a plea of not guilty to accusations of participating in a criminal enterprise related to alleged sex trafficking. The indictment claims he exploited and mistreated multiple women over an extended period, using assistance from his staff and collaborators. Additionally, it alleges that he prevented these individuals from speaking out against him through threats and acts of intimidation such as abduction, fire-setting, and violent assaults.

According to federal prosecutors, the founder of Bad Boy Records allegedly leveraged his "influence and fame" as a celebrity to persuade multiple women to participate in drug-fueled, intricately staged sexual encounters involving male prostitutes during parties known as "freak-offs."

Earlier this month, prosecutors obtained a new indictment that added two charges to Combs’ case and accused him of using force, fraud or coercion to compel a woman to engage in commercial sex acts from at least 2021 to 2024.

Prosecutors indicate they anticipate four of his accusers will take the stand against Combs.

They argue that the attack on Cassie shown in the 2016 video occurred during what they call a "freak off." Combs' legal representatives have maintained that the clip merely offers insight into a intricate yet long-standing mutual relationship lasting over a decade.

Combs issued an apology following the broadcast of the clip on CNN, stating social media video statement he expressed being "genuinely apologetic" and stated that his deeds were "unforgivable."

I accept complete accountability for what I've done," Combs stated, further mentioning that he "felt repulsed when I committed the act. I still feel revulsion today.

When attempting to keep the video out of the trial, Combs' attorney Marc Agnifilo contended that the clip was "misleading and does not align with what actually happened."

Agnifilo stated that parts of the video were accelerated by up to 50%, or rearranged, which makes it "a misleading piece of evidence."

Prosecutors informed Subramanian that they were collaborating with Combs' legal team to create an appropriate version for the jury to view. This process involves having a video specialist examine the footage and reduce the playback speed of certain segments to accurately represent how quickly events unfolded in real-time.

READ MORE: The judge permits jurors to watch the video showing Sean 'Diddy' Combs attacking Cassie at a hotel back in 2016.

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