Los Angeles, California – Sean “Puffy” Combs, known artistically as Diddy, will not face prosecution for an alleged assault on Casandra Ventura in 2016, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney. The decision comes despite hotel surveillance footage reportedly showing the incident.
District Attorney George Gascón commented on the disturbing video that surfaced online, showing Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles. The incident took place at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City.
The DA stated that due to the statute of limitations, they are unable to charge Combs for the assault, as it occurred beyond the timeframe where a crime of assault can be prosecuted under California law. The statute of limitations for domestic violence is five years, with one year for simple assault and three years for felony assault.
Although no formal LAPD investigation has commenced, reports suggest that Combs may have paid $50,000 to the hotel for the footage of the incident, raising questions about a potential cover-up. However, law enforcement sources have indicated that no formal probe has begun.
In November 2023, Ventura settled a lawsuit detailing the assault by Combs in March 2016, with allegations that he paid the hotel for security footage of the incident. Combs’ lawyer characterized Ventura’s actions as a shakedown, leading to a confidential settlement between the parties said to be in the eight-figure range.
Following Ventura’s lawsuit, several other suits emerged accusing Combs of sexual assault and other misconduct, including allegations of sex trafficking and mistreatment by a producer on his recent album. Combs has denied all claims, despite a raid by FBI and Homeland Security agents on his LA and Miami residences on March 25 of that year as part of an ongoing investigation.