Diddy's lawyer accuses prosecutors of presenting "an edited, manipulated version" of Cassie assault video in court to push for his jailing
Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal counsel has accused federal prosecutors of presenting a doctored version of Cassie's assault video to push for his jailing. Ahead of the rapper's bail hearing on Friday, November 22, 2024, his lawyers filed a motion (on Thursday) saying the U.S. attorneys "invented" a narrative using "an edited, manipulated version" of the footage to portray Combs as a danger to women if released.
For the unversed, Diddy's former girlfriend, Casandra "Cassie" Ventura, sued the rapper last November for r*pe and violence. While the lawsuit was settled within a day, several others sued the rapper, making similar accusations. This prompted a federal s*x trafficking investigation into the rapper.
Combs denied all claims against him. However, in May 2024, CNN released a surveillance video from 2016 taken at a hotel in Los Angeles (the InterContinental Hotel in Century City) showing the rapper kicking and dragging Cassie. The footage corroborated claims made in Ventura's lawsuit.
ABC News, citing court filings by Combs' attorneys, wrote:
"The more complete footage of the incident -- in contrast to the government’s sensationalized CNN cut -- contradicts the government’s representations."
Diddy's lawyers claim prosecutors used "edited version" of Cassie's assault video to show she was a victim of s*x trafficking
In September 2024, federal officers arrested Diddy on charges of s*x trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Per his unsealed indictment, the rapper ran a "criminal enterprise" that s*xually and physically abused "women and others" for years. This included participating in "elaborate and produced s*x performances" at his "freak off" parties for his benefit and that of his guests.
According to Thursday's filing by Combs' defense attorney, Alexandra Shapiro, prosecutors "mischaracterized and concealed critical facts" during their client's bail hearings. Diddy has unsuccessfully attempted to get bail on three separate occasions.
The filing alleged that federal officers had the original version of Cassie's assault video but chose to share an "edited version" with the court as "powerful evidence of danger and obstruction."
They claimed that prosecutors used the CCTV footage as evidence that Cassie was a s*x trafficking victim and forced to engage in s*xual acts with male prostitutes at a freak-off party. Per ABC News, the filing read:
"(The) video the government submitted to the Court omits footage corroborating the defense account, changes the sequence of events in material respects, and does not accurately depict the event."
According to a report by XXL, Shapiro's filing alleged that the original video shows Diddy running down the "hall to retrieve a bag of clothes and a cellphone." It claimed that the rapper didn't drag Cassie and didn't throw a vase at her (but rather the contents). In the filing, the defense insisted that this was a domestic dispute.
Moreover, Diddy's lawyers offered to bring a forensic video analyst to court on Friday.
Last week, the judge overseeing Diddy's case ordered the prosecution to destroy several pages of Diddy's handwritten notes they obtained in a raid at the detention center where the rapper is being held.
According to independent reporter Meghan Cuniff, the judge has asked the prosecution to address why they "didn't appear on the photographs in court's possession" and why they were not mentioned in their filing.
The rapper is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. A bail hearing is scheduled for Friday, November 22. His latest bail proposal offers a $50 million bond, house arrest with 24/7 GPS monitoring, no access to phone and internet, and limited contact, among others. His trial is scheduled for next May.
