Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs’ have claimed that CNN “altered” a hotel surveillance video which showed him beating his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura “and then destroyed the original footage.”
The shocking video, filmed in 2016 and obtained by the news network in May 2024, showed the music mogul in a towel chasing Ventura down a hallway at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, California, before attacking her near to the elevators. He then attempts to drag her back down the corridor.
Page Six reports that in a pretrial letter, Combs’ defense team have disputed whether the video can be used as evidence in his upcoming sex trafficking trial.
Lawyers allege that “all CNN video footage was substantially altered in significant respects,” including “covering the time stamp and then changing the video sequence” as well as “speeding up the video to make it falsely appear that the actions in the video are taking place faster than they are.”
They continue: “As a result, the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question.”
Combs’ defense team goes on to allege that after purchasing the “only known copy” of the surveillance footage, CNN proceeded to alter the video and destroy the original footage “even though it knew about and repeatedly reported about the federal investigation.”
In response to the allegations, Ventura’s attorney Douglas Wigdor told Page Six: “It is not surprising that Combs would make a disingenuous argument to exclude the disturbing video from being shown to the jury in the upcoming trial.”
He continued: “I am confident that the video fairly and accurately represents what happened, will be admitted into evidence, and that Combs will be held accountable for his depravity.”
A CNN spokesperson denied altering the video, and pointed out that the CNN story broke several months prior to Combs being arrested.
Combs’ legal team responded to CNN in a statement to The Independent, saying: “Our written and oral communications with CNN’s counsel was clear - they destroyed the original video file they received from their source.”
Two days after CNN aired the footage, Combs posted an Instagram video apologizing for beating his then-girlfriend Cassie, calling his behavior “inexcusable” and saying he “takes full responsibility for his actions in the video”.
The apology video was later taken down.
Last September, Combs was arrested on sex trafficking and racketeering charges with federal prosecutors alleging that he and his associates threatened, abused and coerced women and others around him “to fulfill his sexual desires” – which allegedly included forcing victims into engaging in recorded sexual activity which he referred to as “Freak Offs.”
A pretrial hearing is set to take place in New York later today.
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