Sean 'Diddy' Combs Faces Mounting Allegations Amid Newly Surfaced Assault Video: A Timeline Of Events

A recently surfaced video suggests that Sean "Diddy" Combs allegedly assaulted his ex-girlfriend and former singing protege, Cassie, at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016.

CNN aired the video on Friday, six months after the R&B singer filed a lawsuit. This legal action sparked a series of similar cases and public allegations against one of the most influential music moguls of the past thirty years.

Here are the key events that have occurred since late last year.

On November 16, 2023, Cassie, whose legal name is Cassandra Ventura, alleged in a lawsuit that Combs had subjected her to years of abuse, including physical assaults and sexual violence. Cassie, who signed with Combs' label in 2005 and had an on-and-off romantic relationship with him from 2007 for over a decade, claimed in the federal court filing that Combs had a history of uncontrollable anger and inflicted brutal beatings on her. The lawsuit further asserted that he coerced her into using drugs, compelled her to engage in sexual activities with other men, and raped her in her home when she tried to terminate the relationship in 2018. Combs, represented by his attorney, vehemently denied these allegations.

On November 17, 2023, Ventura's lawsuit was swiftly settled the day after it was filed, with the terms of the agreement kept undisclosed. “We have decided to resolve this matter amicably,” Combs stated in a statement. “I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”

On November 23, 2023, two additional women filed lawsuits accusing Combs of sexual abuse. These legal actions were filed just before the expiration of the Adult Survivors Act, a New York law that grants victims of sexual abuse a one-year window to pursue civil action irrespective of the statute of limitations. The lawsuits, brought by Joi Dickerson and an unnamed woman, allege incidents of sexual assault, physical violence, and forced drug consumption during the early 1990s when Combs was working as a talent director and party promoter, gaining prominence in New York City's hip-hop community. Combs' legal representatives refuted the allegations as false.

On November 28, 2023, Combs announced a temporary resignation from his position as chairman of his cable television network, Revolt, citing the surge of sexual abuse accusations. This move marked one of several professional setbacks for Combs resulting from the ongoing lawsuits.

On December 6, 2023, another woman filed a lawsuit alleging that in 2003, when she was 17 years old, Combs and two other men raped her. The federal court filing in Manhattan claims that she was flown from a Detroit suburb to a New York studio, where she was provided with drugs and alcohol, rendering her unable to give consent, and that the men took turns assaulting her. Combs responded with a statement asserting, “I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”

On February 26, 2024, a music producer initiated a lawsuit accusing Combs of sexual assault and coercing him into engaging in sexual activities with prostitutes. The lawsuit details a range of potentially unlawful behaviors involving drugs and sexual encounters that the producer claims to have witnessed. Combs' attorney dismisses the allegations as "pure fiction."

On March 25, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations executed search warrants during early morning raids on Combs' residences in Los Angeles and Miami as part of a sex-trafficking investigation, according to officials speaking to The Associated Press. Combs was present at one of his homes in Miami during the raid. His two sons, who were at his Los Angeles residence, were reportedly handcuffed during the search, as stated by Combs' legal representatives. While officials did not explicitly link the raids to the civil lawsuits, Combs' attorneys expressed their belief that there was a connection.

On March 26, 2024, Combs' attorney, Aaron Dyer, denounces the raids as "a gross use of military-level force." Dyer asserts Combs is “innocent and will continue to fight” to vindicate his client. He criticizes the authorities for their aggressive demeanor and treatment of Combs' children and staff, emphasizing that such behavior is unjustifiable.

On April 4, 2024, a lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court naming Combs as a co-defendant, alleging that his son Christian "King" Combs sexually assaulted a woman employed on a yacht chartered by his father. The lawsuit contends that Sean Combs orchestrated the situation that led to the assault and subsequently financed efforts to conceal it. An attorney representing the two individuals refutes the accusations as "outrageous."

On April 26, 2024, Combs and his legal team launched their initial significant legal response by filing a motion to dismiss certain aspects of Dickerson's lawsuit, citing that they were not deemed illegal in 1991 when the alleged events transpired. While the objections are primarily procedural, the filing also condemns the lawsuit for its “numerous false, offensive, and salacious accusations.”

On May 10, 2024, Combs petitions a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed on December 6, which accused him and two other defendants of raping a 17-year-old girl from Michigan in a New York recording studio. Once more, the objections are procedural, arguing that the lawsuit was filed beyond the statute of limitations. Nevertheless, the court filing denounces the claims as "false and hideous."

On May 17, 2024, CNN broadcasted a video that purportedly shows Combs assaulting Ventura in a hotel corridor in 2016. The footage closely aligns with an assault described in her lawsuit, alleging that Combs had previously struck her that evening, and she was attempting to leave the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles when he confronted her. In the video, a man who appears to be Diddy, dressed only in a towel, is seen punching Ventura, kicking her, and throwing her to the ground. According to the lawsuit, Combs allegedly paid $50,000 to suppress the video at the time.

Combs' representatives did not provide an immediate response. The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office stated that they had not received a case regarding the depicted attack in the video. Additionally, even if law enforcement were to present a case to prosecutors, the statute of limitations would apply, preventing them from prosecuting Combs, as stated in a social media post by the office on Friday.