Sean “P. Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial is approaching and, all the while, the embattled 55-year-old rapper continues to face lawsuits and allegations while in prison. Before his arrest in September 2024, though, Combs was embroiled in controversy due to a video recorded in 2016. The footage appeared to show Combs in a hotel, at which point he appeared to be assaulting then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura. CNN released the video and, now, Diddy’s lawyers are claiming it’s an altered video, leading the news network to respond.
What Was Shown In The Hotel Video And What Did Diddy’s Lawyers Have To Say About It?
CNN released the aforementioned footage, which was recorded at Los Angeles’ InterContinental Hotel, on May 17, 2024. In it, Cassie Ventura appears to make her way towards an elevator after leaving a room, before a towel-clad Diddy chases her and throws her to the ground by her neck. While a motionless Ventura is lying on the ground, Diddy appears to kick her multiple times The video also shows the Grammy winner throwing an object at Ventura and dragging her by her sweatshirt.
Per People, Sean Combs’ legal team filed documents this past week, through which they alleged that the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network bought the only known copy of the video. The lawyers go on to allege that the company ultimately got its hands on a free editing software platform and changed the OG video. On top of that, the attorneys alleged that the original footage was ultimately destroyed. You can read a portion of the letter from Combs’ camp:
All CNN video footage was substantially altered in significant respects. This includes covering the time stamp and then changing the video sequence. It also includes speeding up the video to make it falsely appear that the actions in the video are taking place faster than they are. As a result, the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question.
Shortly after the video was released last spring, Diddy issued an apology for his actions on social media, saying that his actions were “inexcusable” and that he’d take “full responsibility.” His statements were subsequently criticized by Cassie Ventura’s lawyer, Meredith Firetog, who said the businessman made the statement “more about himself than the many people he has hurt.” After the recent alteration claims, Ventura’s other attorney, Douglas H. Wigdor, called out the “disingenuous argument” to have the video not shown at Diddy’s upcoming trial.
Whether or not the “Bad Boy for Life” performer and his attorneys will be successful remains to be clear, but they seem to be set on their arguments. All the while, CNN appears to be standing firmly in its own position.
What Did CNN Say About The Video Alteration Allegations?
As the legal filing news broke, CNN released a statement of its own. The news organization denied the claims made by Sean Combs’ associates:
CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source. CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested.
The hotel video sparked responses from people around the entertainment industry. Among those to comment were various people who’d had personal dealings with P. Diddy over the years. Fellow rapper Slim Thug spoke out on the matter, saying, at the time, that he “can’t stand behind this.” Former Bad Boy Records signee Aubrey O’Day also weighed in and said “Diddy did not apologize to Cassie” but merely “apologized to the world for seeing what he did.”
As for Sean Combs’ current circumstances, he’s incarcerated at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center (where Luigi Mangione is also being kept.). Combs’ arrest came months after his homes were raided by the feds in connection to a sex-trafficking operation. The media mogul is charged with offenses including sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, racketeering and arson. May 5 will mark the start of his trial, which may or may not include the hotel footage.
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