Diddy assault video cements fall of hip-hop icon

CCTV footage confirmed what many in the music industry knew was coming: a moment of reckoning for one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history.

Clips of Sean “Diddy” Combs kicking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura – as she lay motionless on the ground – cemented his downfall, despite his apology after the leak.

“I don’t see a way for him to come back,” said Amy DuBois Barnett, a former editor-in-chief of Ebony magazine who has written about hip-hop culture.

Mr. Combs’ reputation in the industry had been “under attack for some time,” Barnett added. “A lot of people were aware of his quite unbridled character.”

Diddy – 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 and millions of record sales to his credit.

For years, nothing really affected Diddy’s rise to iconic status as an artist, producer and businessman. There have been negative stories in the industry, Ms. Barnett said, but much of it has remained out of the public eye.

Last November, Ms. Ventura settled a lawsuit against Mr. Combs — in which she accused him of rape and sex trafficking — for an undisclosed amount. But Mr. Combs’ lawyer said the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”

Celebrities continued to express their support for him afterward – but his stance was exposed with CCTV footage obtained by CNN and released last week.

The assault shown in the footage is brutal. After kicking Ms. Ventura like a football, Mr. Combs, clad in just a towel, is seen dragging her across the floor.

The video appears to be a compilation of surveillance footage dated March 5, 2016, which CNN reports was filmed at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles. In her lawsuit, Ms. Ventura described an incident in March 2016 at this hotel, during which Mr. Combs allegedly assaulted her.

A series of lawsuits have since been filed against Mr. Combs for abuse, sexual misconduct and rape. When they were filed, the rapper called the accusations “sickening” and said the alleged victims were looking for “a quick payday.”

But the video of the attack on Ms. Ventura undermined her denials.

Combs remained silent for two days after his release, before posting an apology on Instagram, admitting it was him in the tape and calling his actions “inexcusable.”

“I was disgusted then when I did it,” he said, “and I am now.”

“I went there and sought professional help,” he continued. “I started going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”

Combs did not mention Cassie Ventura in his apology, and his lawyers responded by saying, “Combs’ recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has hurt.”

The apology was “too little, too late,” said Camron Dowlatshahi, an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. “It shows Diddy’s short-sightedness, thinking he won’t be held accountable and that he has enough money to take care of everything.”

Barnett, who has written about misogyny in the rap industry, described the statement as “the most ill-advised apology ever.” She suggested it came from the “classic famous man’s playbook: deny, deny, deny.” Get caught. Apologize, then talk about going to therapy. »

“No one is taking this seriously, especially because he has already accused Cassie and others of being gold diggers. This has really angered a lot of people in the music industry.”

In April, news helicopters on the east and west coasts of the United States filmed police raids on homes linked to the rapper. They were part of an ongoing criminal investigation by law enforcement into sex trafficking.

The man who was idolized as a hip-hop legend has been keeping a low profile ever since.

Family photos with his daughters posted on Mr. Combs’ Instagram account stand in stark contrast to images of him committing a violent assault.

The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said Friday it would not be able to file charges because of the statute of limitations on assault cases. So where does the CCTV footage and ongoing investigation leave room for his career?

In his music, Diddy has often relied on collaborations with other A-list stars. His last album featured Mary J Blige, The Weekend, 21 Savage and John Legend. It is extremely unlikely that he would be able to recreate such productions today.

But it is less clear whether this will have any effect on the large number of its listeners. Fitness company Peloton has already banned his music from its workout playlists, according to TMZ, but other companies have yet to comment.

R Kelly continues to attract millions of monthly listeners to Spotify, despite his convictions for child sexual abuse.

Meanwhile, Kanye West saw a spike in monthly viewership last year, despite being dropped by brands for expressing anti-Semitic views.

Those who passed Diddy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week reflected on what the video meant to the rapper’s fans.

“It’s the end of his career. I don’t know how he’s going to get over it,” said Mar Anthony, a Los Angeles resident. “I was a fan when I was a kid, listening to Every Breath You Take (I’ll Be Missing You). But what he did and the music are two different things.

“It’s the same thing with Michael Jackson,” he said, pointing to another Walk of Fame star nearby – in an apparent reference to the child abuse allegations leveled against that star. .

Diddy “really deserves what’s happening to him,” said Prince Laurenz Hamlin, visiting Los Angeles. “But he still built a legacy in the music industry. I think people will have to separate the art from the artist.”

One woman, after taking a photo of the Combs star, simply muttered “predator” as she walked away.

It is unclear who is currently advising Sean Combs. The law firm that previously issued denials on his behalf said it no longer represented him.

Despite the civil lawsuits, no criminal charges have been filed against him. But the ongoing police investigation will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the rapper.

“The Department of Homeland Security was involved (in the raids),” Mr. Dowlatshahi said. “This fact alone shows the seriousness of what is happening here.”