LA District Attorney explains why he can’t prosecute Diddy after video of him punching and kicking Cassie | EUROtoday

The newest headlines from our reporters throughout the US despatched straight to your inbox every weekday

Your briefing on the most recent headlines from throughout the US

The workplace of Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascón has stated expenses can’t be introduced towards Sean “Diddy” Combs following the circulation on-line of a video exhibiting the music mogul punching and kicking his former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.

An announcement, launched on Friday, stated: “We are aware of the video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles. We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch.

“If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted.

“As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr Combs, but we encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to report it to law enforcement or reach out to our office for support from our Bureau of Victims Services.”

Captured from a number of angles and obtained first by CNN, the footage reveals Combs in a towel chasing Ms Ventura down the hallway earlier than attacking her close to elevators. He then makes an attempt to tug her again down the hall.

The incident allegedly happened in 2016 on the InterContinental Hotel within the Century City space of Los Angeles. CNN verified the situation based mostly on publicly obtainable photographs of the lodge’s former inside.

After pushing Ms Ventura to the bottom, Combs retrieves a handbag and suitcase from the ground close to the elevators. He turns round and kicks her once more as she lies on the ground.

Ms Ventura is later seen within the footage slowly standing up and gathering objects from the ground earlier than reaching for a lodge cellphone on the hallway wall close to the elevators. Combs, nonetheless in a towel and socks, returns.

A mirror instantly throughout from the safety digicam reveals Combs shoving Ms Ventura. He is then seen hurling an object at her.

According to CNNCombs later paid the InterContinental Century City $50,000 for the hallway safety footage.

The video seems to corroborate a number of allegations made in a lawsuit introduced by Ms Ventura in 2023, during which she claimed she was trafficked, raped and overwhelmed by Combs on many events over 10 years.

According to the criticism, which cited the altercation as occurring “around March 2016,” Combs grew to become “extremely intoxicated and punched Ms Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye”.

After the mogul fell asleep, Ms Ventura had tried to depart the lodge room, however he awoke and “followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her”, the criticism stated.

“He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape,” it said.

The lawsuit additionally claimed that Combs introduced the singer into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled lifestyle” not lengthy after she met him, and signed her to his label in 2005 when she was simply 19 and he was 37.

Ms Ventura stated that the sample of abuse started as quickly as their relationship began and that, as she was attempting to finish it in 2018, he compelled himself into her Los Angeles dwelling and raped her.

The lawsuit towards Combs was settled a day after she filed it for an undisclosed amount of cash.

Ms Ventura instructed CNN on the time she had chosen to “resolve this matter amicably”, whereas Combs’ lawyer stated the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing” and didn’t change his denial of the allegations.

The Independent has contacted representatives for each Combs and Ms Ventura for remark concerning the incident proven within the surveillance footage.

It comes amid a string of civil lawsuits leveled on the rapper and music mogul which have accused him of intercourse trafficking, sexual abuse and rape.

Federal brokers with US Homeland Security raided two of the rapper’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami on 25 March as he faces a string of accusations. These date way back to the Nineteen Nineties, when he based his file label, Bad Boy Records.

Combs has strongly denied the entire allegations towards him. His attorneys have branded the lawsuits and their accusations as cash grabs, “baseless” or “sickening.” The entertainer has not been formally charged or accused by federal prosecutors of any crime.