Is it finally the end of the road for P. Diddy?
Entertainment :
Rapper/producer/music mogul Sean Combs (AKA “Puff Daddy,” “P. Diddy,” or “Diddy”), who came to fame as the founder of Bad Boy Records and the Sean John designer label, has been a huge topic in 2024 — for all the wrong reasons. He returned the rights of the original master recordings to the artists on his label (but only after he drained all the cash and the masters were all but financially useless). He was accused of hosting regular ‘freak-off’ sex parties that were attended by Hollywood elite and underaged males and females. His homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security agents related to a federal sex trafficking investigation (where they seized security camera footage, computer hard drives, and more). He was also sued in November of 2023 by his former girlfriend, singer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who accused him of sexual assault and physical abuse.
At the time of the lawsuit, Diddy vehemently denied Cassie’s claims that she was raped, beaten, and forced to undergo years of physical abuse.
“For the last couple of weeks, I have sat silently and watched people try to assassinate my character, destroy my reputation and my legacy,” he said in a 2023 video statement. “Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday. Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family, and for the truth.”
Still, despite calling the lawsuit “blackmail” and a “cash grab” by Cassie to maintain the lifestyle she once enjoyed with him, Diddy immediately settled out of court and paid her an undisclosed fee to stay quiet and go away.
And then, the video happened.
Last Friday, CNN published security cam footage from 2016 that clearly depicted the Grammy-Award-winning producer assaulting Cassie Ventura inside the former InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles.
In the video, Cassie was seen leaving a hotel room and waiting for the elevator. Soon thereafter, Combs ran out of the room while covered in only a bath towel. He was then seen shoving and kicking her before dragging her partially down the hallway in the direction of their hotel room. He also threw what was presumed to be a vase at her.
Interestingly, the video corroborates an incident Cassie described in her lawsuit.
Warning – disturbing video: This is the video where Diddy is seen physically assaulting Cassie Ventura in 2016 surveillance video obtained by CNN.
Exclusive reporting from @EWagmeister: pic.twitter.com/08UIcYgec1
— Omar Jimenez (@OmarJimenez) May 17, 2024
Now, Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs was caught. Here was the smoking gun he never wanted to go public. He had claimed he was never violent toward Cassie and that she made it all up — yet, here it was on national television for all to see.
The video went viral and created a weekend of bad press that was only getting worse. So, Diddy decided to film a makeshift apology video that appeared to be self-created and not written by a PR professional.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” Combs said in the video posted to Instagram. “I was f*cked up — I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable.
“I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I am disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now,” he continued.
“I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry,” he added. “But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
At no point in his “apology” did Combs mention Cassie by name. At no point did he look into the camera and apologize directly to her for the physical and mental anguish he caused her. At no point did he acknowledge that his previous claims about the truth were all a lie — and that he was wrong for creating the narrative that Cassie was nothing but a lowly gold-digger who was merely making up false claims against him.
Needless to say, Diddy’s apology video has since been annihilated on social media and beyond.
“Combs’ most recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt,” attorney Meredith Firetog (Cassie’s former lawyer) said in a statement. “When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday. That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
“It’s rare to have smoking-gun evidence in those types of cases, and this video is a form of smoking-gun evidence with respect to Diddy’s propensity for violence,” said Camron Dowlatshahi, an attorney at Mills Sadat Dowlat LLP. He added that the apology, which he called an attempt to “humanize” Combs, won’t save him.
“His career is effectively done,” he added.
After Diddy posted the cryptic message “Time tells truth,” a social media user responded.
“Time DOES even when YOU don’t,” @honey_vee 13 posted on Instagram.
“You’re definitely gonna serve some time I can tell you that…” another user added.
In an interesting late development, Perez Hilton.com is reporting that once Diddy realized his violent actions had been captured on security cameras, he paid someone at the hotel $50k to give him the tape.
Too bad for him the tape still ended up on CNN.
OK WASSUP! discusses Entertainment News:
The career is all over for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.
I was hoping to hear from some of you men on this matter.
Sean Combs is trash. Pure garbage. Just like so many other Black male predators, perverts and violent azz nutjobs the Black American community tends to holds up as “Successful” in America.
Just like with R. Kelly. We’ve been hearing about this sick azz man’s crimes for years but he was protected and for a lot of Black Americans it simply did NOT matter.
Until now…smh! 😔