Sean “Diddy” Combs’ high-profile sex trafficking trial is now officially underway—and things are already getting intense. On day four of the proceedings, the courtroom was hit with a twist: Diddy’s legal team is accusing his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura, of physically abusing him during their relationship.
According to TMZ, the topic came up after federal prosecutor Emily Anne Johnson informed Judge Arun Subramanian that Victim 1 (widely believed to be Cassie) would not be cross-examined regarding certain medical issues. The judge responded by saying that if the prosecution opens that door, the defense has the right to walk through it—and that includes cross-examination on the same topics.
That’s when Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, revealed the defense’s strategy. “We’re going to take the position that there was mutual violence in their relationship—hitting on both sides. Domestic violence,” he said plainly. “We are absolutely going to admit to domestic violence. But at what point does it become coercive?”
When the judge asked if the defense was arguing that the couple was simply “just violent,” Agnifilo confirmed: “Right. We’re saying it’s relevant.”
It’s important to note that while Cassie’s past abuse claims aren’t directly part of the charges Diddy currently faces, they’re expected to play a role in shaping the court’s perception of his character. In fact, one major piece of evidence the prosecution plans to use is the now-infamous hotel video showing Diddy assaulting Cassie in a hallway back in 2016.
That video has become a point of major contention. Diddy’s legal team is pushing to get it excluded from the trial. In an April 17 filing, they claimed CNN—the outlet that broke the footage—altered the tape. According to them, CNN uploaded the hotel’s surveillance footage into free editing software, sped it up, covered the timestamp, and then allegedly destroyed the original file.
They argue that these edits distort what really happened and are petitioning the court to block it from being used as evidence. If they’re right and the footage was manipulated, there’s a good chance it might be excluded, since courts typically frown on edited video being introduced at trial.
CNN, however, is pushing back hard. A spokesperson told HipHopDX that they “never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy,” which they say remains with the original source. The outlet also emphasized that the footage was released months before Diddy’s arrest.
In court, Johnson stated she intends to submit two cellphone recordings along with a corrected version of the CNN footage to show the alleged 2016 beating in full context.
As the trial unfolds, one thing is clear: this case is going to be about more than just the charges—it's also about who the jury believes behind closed doors.
Source: Hiphopdx
Image: Sean Combs in 2023 by Mika-Photography is licensed under CC BY 3.0