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4 months ago
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Sean “Puffy” Combs won’t be prosecuted for beating the crap out of Casandra Ventura despite hotel surveillance footage showing the 2016 assault, says the Los Angeles District Attorney.
“We are aware of the video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles, stated George Gascón late Friday a few hours after CNN’s May 17 exclusive of the horrific hallway assault at Century City’s now closed InterContinental Hotel dropped.
“We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch,” the up for reelection DA continues of the attack on the singer by her then boyfriend Combs “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 statute of limitations for domestic violence in California is five years. The statute of limitations for simple and felony assault is one year and three years respectively in the Golden State.
While holding to the letter of the law, the response by the media sensitive D.A.’s office clearly drops the ball on the spirit of the law. However, a prominent law enforcement source tells Deadline that the much-accused Combs himself may have provided a potential pathway for investigation.
“Reports that Combs paid $50,000 to the hotel for the footage of the incident soon after it occurred could, I say could, present the possibility of intent to cover-up a crime,” the source explained. “On the surface, that could warrant opening an investigation.”
Still, the law enforcement official stressed that no formal LAPD probe has begun. The department is collecting basic information of the beating shown in the eight-year old graphic video, he added.
In her quickly settled lawsuit of last November, Ventura detailed a March 2016 attack on her by Combs at the upscale hotel. The complaint from attorney Doug Wigdor also noted that she had been informed the ‘Missing You’ singer “paid the InterContinental Century City $50,000 for the hallway security footage from that evening.”
Very soon after Combs’ lawyer Ben Brafman characterized Ventura’s action as a shakedown, full of “offensive and outrageous allegations” his client settled the matter with his ex. Though the details were kept under wraps, as these things are, Deadline was informed the final number was in the eight-figure range.
Cassie may have resolved her dispute in just over 24 hours, but since she filed her November 16, 2023 half a dozen other suits have emerged accusing Combs of sexual assault and other misconduct. At least one of those filings alleges sex trafficking of a minor, and another is from a producer on Combs most recent album.
Combs has denied all the claims. However, on March 25 this year, the FBI and Homeland Security agents raided LA and Miami homes of Combs. A federal spokesperson called the raids part of an “ongoing investigation.”
