Sean Diddy Combs has been in the spotlight in recent days. The artist, a pioneer in the world of hip hop and one of the most powerful artists in the music industry in the United States, has become news after a video came to light in which he appears brutally attacking his ex-partner, who is also artist Cassie Ventura. In the past, unflattering things had been said about his behavior with women. However, there is now evidence of this, which, it seems, has not been enough for the authorities to arrest him.
The brutal images spread like wildfire through social networks. In the video, captured by hotel surveillance cameras and obtained by CNN, Combs allegedly appears violently attacking his ex-girlfriend, in the hallway of a hotel, next to the elevator, and in a room. She had already detailed that assault in a complaint filed in 2023. Subsequently, that complaint was closed by an out-of-court settlement, in which she alleged that the rapper physically and sexually abused him for years.
The video released shows several angles of this attack, which begins when Cassie appears to be trying to leave the hotel. At that moment, the alleged aggressor enters the scene carrying only a towel, as if he had just gotten out of the shower. He walks behind the artist and picks her up, pushes her and once on the ground he hits her a couple of times, while the woman cannot move.
Now, days after the images came to light, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has condemned the shocking video. George Gascón’s office explained in a lengthy statement posted via Instagram on Friday, explaining that they can’t do anything about it due to the statute of limitations. “We are aware of the video that has been circulating online that allegedly shows Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles,” the statement begins. “We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch,” they continue.
Authorities in the area explained in that statement that if Combs’ vicious attack really took place in 2016, as CNN reported, “unfortunately” they cannot “file charges, as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline in which that the aggression can be prosecuted.” According to legal experts and Page Six, the statute of limitations for a misdemeanor assault in California is one year, while it is three years for a felony assault.
Since the altercation between the ex-couple occurred, eight years have passed, so those deadlines have been exceeded. The Prosecutor’s Office also noted in its statement that authorities have not yet opened a case related to the violent attack, but encouraged “anyone who has been a victim or witness of a crime to report it.”
The truth is that this episode is not an isolated event. Following Cassie’s accusation, Combs has been the center of a series of complaints by other women for alleged physical and sexual abuse, gang rapes and serious illegal activities. All of this has led to him being investigated by federal agents, who in March searched several of his properties in California, New York and Florida. Now everything indicates that justice will not punish him for what happened in the recording, but the images would have helped prove years and years of rumors of abuse of other women.
