Diddy’s Lawyers Claim CNN Altered Cassie Abuse Video in Federal Case
Sean “Diddy” Combs is back in the headlines, and this time, his lawyers are making a big claim. According to multiple reports, they claim the video that shows him allegedly abusing his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, was edited—and that the original footage is gone.
The video, released by CNN on May 17, 2024, appears to show Combs grabbing, shoving, and kicking Ventura during a fight on March 5, 2016. This matches the claims she made in a lawsuit she filed in November 2023, which has since been settled.
After the footage surfaced, Combs released an apology video on May 19, 2024. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video,” he admitted. “Disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it, I’m disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help, going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry, but I’m committed to be a better man. Each and every day.” Before this, he had denied Ventura’s allegations.
Now, in a court filing on March 13 in New York City, Combs’ legal team claims CNN got the only known copy of the surveillance footage, edited it with free software, and then got rid of the original version as reported by PEOPLE.
“All CNN video footage was substantially altered in significant respects,” a letter from Combs’ lawyers to Judge Arun Subramanian reads, according to PEOPLE. “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.”
The letter further states that CNN destroyed the original footage “even though it knew about and repeatedly reported about the federal investigation.”
Ventura’s attorney, Wigdor, pushed back against Combs’ claim, saying in a statement obtained by the outlet, “It’s not surprising that Combs would make a disingenuous argument to exclude the disturbing video from being shown to the jury in the upcoming trial. 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.”
Combs is currently facing serious charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, and transporting individuals for prostitution. He was charged in September 2024 and is currently being held at MDC-Brooklyn. His trial is set to begin on May 5 and is expected to last eight weeks.
