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One day after hotel security footage of Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly beating up then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura was released, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office issued a statement confirming the rap artist is “unable” to be prosecuted due to the statute of limitations.
“We are aware of the video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles,” the statement, released on Instagram, began. “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,” the statement continues. “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.”
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In the shocking surveillance video taken from a Los Angeles hotel and obtained exclusively by CNN, Combs allegedly brutally beats his former girlfriend, Ventura, in a hallway in 2016 while wearing just socks and a towel around his waist.
A still image from Los Angeles surveillance video that appears to show Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. (Obtained Exclusively by CNN)
WATCH: 2016 HOTEL VIDEO IN QUESTION
Ventura sued Combs in November 2023, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse. She dropped the case after the parties reached an out-of-court settlement one day later.
A still image from Los Angeles surveillance video that appears to show Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. (Obtained Exclusively by CNN)
WHAT DOES THE VIDEO MEAN FOR THE FEDS?
The horrifying video appears to corroborate a line in Ventura’s lawsuit accusing Combs of punching her in the face in the hotel.
Ventura’s lawyer Douglas Wigdor told Fox News Digital on Friday: “The gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs.Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light.”
Earlier this year, federal agents from Homeland Security Investigations raided Combs’ mansions in Los Angeles and Miami as part of an ongoing investigation.
A still image from Los Angeles surveillance video that appears to show Sean “Diddy” Combs attacking then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. (Obtained Exclusively by CNN)
REACTIONS POUR IN FROM HOLLYWOOD
Derrick Parker, a former investigator with the NYPD’s rap intelligence unit who played a role in the 1999 investigation into a nightclub shooting where Combs was charged but later acquitted, said federal prosecutors are going to react strongly to the newly emerged footage.
Cassie Ventura’s and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs attend a screening for “The Perfect Match” on March 07, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (gotpap/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
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“Everybody’s gonna see this, and they’re gonna see what a real dirtbag he is,” Parker told Fox News Digital. “The public itself is gonna see him in a different light. The government now is likely gonna accelerate his case.”
He predicted federal racketeering (RICO) charges against Combs before July 4.
Sean “Diddy” Combs and Cassie Ventura attend ‘The Perfect Match’ film premiere, Los Angeles, CA, March 7, 2016. (Matt Baron/Shutterstock)
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“This video is very damaging to his case,” Parker said. “This is gonna hurt him badly, because it adds credence to what Ms. Ventura has been alleging about the abuse from him.”
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Fox News’ Michael Ruiz and Brie Stimson contributed to this post.
Christina Dugan Ramirez is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital.
