Sean “Diddy” Combs formally asked the judge overseeing his criminal prosecution on Thursday to exclude one of the more dramatic pieces of evidence from his upcoming trial: a March 2016 video from the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles that depicts Combs kicking and dragging then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura.
The defense asserted that CNN, which first obtained and aired the video, “altered, manipulated, sped-up, and edited” the footage such that it is “wholly inaccurate” and inadmissible.
CNN has said it never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, as the defense alleged.
“The more complete footage of the incident — in contrast to the government’s sensationalized CNN cut — contradicts the government’s representations,” defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro wrote in a court filing last November first alleging the manipulation.
Combs apologized after the video came out publicly and said, “I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”
In a video posted to Instagram in May 2024, shortly after the video was released, Diddy acknowledged the video and apologized, saying, “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that.”
“I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses,” he continued. “My behavior on that video is inexcusable.”
Now, the defense has asked the judge to hold a hearing at which a forensic video analyst would testify the video is “not a fair and accurate reflection of the actions depicted.”
Federal prosecutors have yet to respond in court papers. They’ve previously pointed to the video as evidence of sex-trafficking Cassie for a freak off in which she was forced to engage in sex acts with male prostitutes. Prosecutors also previously alleged the video was evidence of the danger Combs could pose to women if released on bail.
Combs has pleaded not guilty to five federal counts and is scheduled to go on trial in May. His attorneys have separately asked for a two-month delay to resolve other evidentiary disputes.
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