Diddy is fighting to have a video, which allegedly shows him assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in front of a bank of hotel elevators, declared inadmissible in his upcoming trial.
Diddy claims CNN altered the Cassie beatdown video
Sean “Diddy” Combs and his attorneys accuse CNN of doctoring the videos and trashing the original footage. CNN had broadcast the shocking video worldwide.
Allegations against Diddy include charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and prostitution. These are part of a federal trial set for May 5. However, the videos from the now-defunct Century City, California, InterContinental Hotel, where the incident allegedly took place, have according to attorneys been tampered with, making them unusable as evidence against Combs.
Diddy’s legal team says CNN changed the videos’ sequence
In a legal filing in the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, obtained by Variety magazine, Diddy’s attorneys say the video footage CNN released to the public was “substantially altered in significant respects.” Specifically, Diddy’s legal team says CNN changed the sequence of the video and sped up the footage to make it appear as if it was happening faster than it was.
Therefore, “the CNN videos do not fairly and accurately depict the events in question,” the letter reads.
The letter indicates to the court that they will file a motion to eliminate the video from the trial, a move that could significantly influence the jury’s perception and the trial’s outcome.
A CNN spokesperson responded, categorically refuting the accusations from Diddy and his legal team, thereby intensifying the conflict and the need for a resolution.
“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,” said the statement sent to rolling out.
Moreover, the CNN spokesperson said readers should refer to Diddy’s own Instagram apology in the in the immediate aftermath of the release of the incriminating and damning video.
“My behavior on that video is inexcusable,” Combs says. “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now. I went, and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”
Diddy is currently in federal confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, jailed since September 2024. If he is found guilty on all three felony charges, he could potentially face life in prison.
