CCTV footage confirmed what many in the music industry knew: a moment of reckoning for one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time.
Footage of Sean “Diddy” Combs kicking ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura (with her lying motionless on the floor) cemented his downfall, despite his apology after the leak.
“I don’t see any way for him to come back from this,” said Amy DuBois Barnett, a former editor-in-chief of Ebony magazine who writes about hip-hop culture.
Barnett added that Combs’ reputation in the industry “has been unchecked for some time.” “Many people knew of his very profligate personality.”
Combs, formerly known as P Diddy, Puff Daddy or Puffy, is one of the best-selling and most acclaimed artists of all time, with three Grammy Awards to his name and millions of records sold.
Over the years, nothing has really impacted his status as an icon as an artist, producer, and businessman. Barnett said there have been negative stories in his industry, but most of them have stayed out of the public eye.
Last November, Ventura settled a lawsuit accusing Combs of rape and prostitution for an undisclosed sum. But Combs’ lawyer said the agreement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
Celebrities continued to voice their support for him, but this ended with CCTV footage obtained by CNN and released last week.
The assault in the video is brutal. After kicking Ms. Ventura like she was a soccer ball, Combs is seen dragging her to her floor wearing only her towel.
The video appears to be an edited version of surveillance footage dated March 5, 2016, and CNN said it was filmed at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. In the lawsuit, Mr. Ventura described an incident in which Combs attacked him at the hotel in March 2016.
A series of other lawsuits have since been filed against Combs, alleging abuse, sexual assault, and rape. The most recent was submitted on Tuesday by Crystal McKinney, a former model and winner of MTV’s 1998 Model Mission contest.
She claimed Combs “drugged and sexually assaulted me” after a fashion event in New York in 2003. BBC News has contacted Diddy’s spokesperson for comment on the claims.
When the first lawsuit was filed, the rapper called the accusations “disgusting” and said the victims were looking for a “quick payday.”
But the video of Mr. Ventura’s assault undermined this denial.
Combs remained silent for two days after the release and posted an apology on Instagram, admitting he was on the tape and calling his actions “inexcusable.”
He said, “It was disgusting then and it is disgusting now.”
“I went and sought professional help,” he continued. “I went to therapy and went to rehab. I had to ask God for mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”
