LA County DA Faces Backlash For Saying He Won't Prosecute Diddy Despite Brutal Assault Video
By Favour Adegoke on May 18, 2024 at 3:45 PM EDT
Updated on May 18, 2024 at 7:29 PM EDT
Sean "Diddy" Combs appears to have escaped possible charges following the release of a now-viral video of him brutally assaulting his ex, Cassie Ventura.
According to the LA County DA, their office would be unable to pursue charges against the embattled music executive as the statute of limitations for reporting such an incident has since elapsed.
LA County DA's Office Claims The Timeline For Prosecution Of Diddy Has Elapsed
Diddy has been making headlines recently for negative reasons after a video of him assaulting his ex, Cassie, was released by CNN.
As expected, concerned social media users have asked for charges to be brought against the record label owner. However, such possibilities seem unlikely, as the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has revealed that the timing of the video coming to light might prevent them from throwing the book at Diddy.
"If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted," read a statement from the agency, where they also described the video as "extremely disturbing and difficult to watch."
They also claimed that the police had yet to inform them of bringing a case against the music mogul but "encouraged" any victims or witnesses to reach out to the Bureau of Victims Services.
Social Media Users Slam DA's Office For Not Prosecuting The Music Executive
In the state of California, where the incident occurred, a criminal case of misdemeanor assault can only be pursued within one year of the crime occurring, while a felony assault is three years, as claimed by legal experts.
This is because of the statute of limitations, which defines the specified timeframe as the maximum duration after the incident within which legal action can be pursued.
Since it is believed that the incident between Diddy and Cassie occurred in 2016, the authorities are then restricted from taking legal action, which seemingly prompted the statement made by the LA County Office.
However, their decision did not sit well with social media users, who took to the comment selection to share their opinions.
One person said, "And this is why victims don't speak up," while another remarked, "Wow California just encourages criminal behavior…And [punishing] law-abiding citizens…Did I get that right?"
A third user commented, "Bulls--t…. That's how people like Diddy get away with crimes and it's because people like him get encouraged and others feel above the law."
One more person wrote, "Statue of limitations should be VOIDED when you literally have a VIDEO."
Diddy Shoved And Kicked Cassie In The Assault Video
CNN obtains footage of Diddy beating his former girlfriend Cassie in a hotel hallway in 2016. pic.twitter.com/oiVymFBmMp
— Rap Alert (@rapalert6) May 17, 2024
The scenes from the viral video showed a vicious Diddy violently attacking Cassie after she tried to leave their hotel room after what appeared to be a lover spat.
It all began with a partly clad Diddy rushing after Cassie, who had hurriedly walked to the hotel's elevator. Upon the music mogul reaching her, he seized her roughly by the neck and forcefully pushed her to the ground some distance away from the elevator.
Subsequently, he delivered a brutal kick to her body before swiftly retrieving the singer's belongings. After that, Diddy violently kicked Cassie again and then dragged her back down the hallway by her hoodie. He was later seen angrily throwing a vase at Cassie while sitting on a chair.
Following the viral video, Cassie's lawyer, Douglas H. Wigdor, confirmed that his client was the one being assaulted and described the video as "gut-wrenching."
Cassie Filed A Suit Against Diddy, Which Was Settled Within Hours
In addition to the images seen in the viral assault video, Cassie also detailed more disturbing scenes in the suit she filed against Diddy in November 2023.
One of the incidents she spoke about in the lawsuit reportedly occurred during Paris Fashion Week in 2011. She claimed Combs had discovered emails between her and musician Kid Cudi, and in a fit of anger, he lunged at her with a manual corkscrew. Despite managing to escape and seek refuge at Cudi's residence, she was allegedly compelled to return by a representative of Combs.
Elsewhere in the suit, Cassie also claimed that Combs beat her up in a hotel suite during Paris Fashion Week in 2015 and tried to conceal the assault by forcing her to put on makeup.
The suit was settled one day later for an undisclosed sum, after which Cassie claimed she chose not to go to trial so that she could have "some level of control" over the issue.
Cassie's Husband Slams Abusers After Release Of Assault Video
Cassie's husband, Alex Fine, shared a heartfelt "Letter to women and children," which he had written "a while back." In his heartfelt message, he included the saying: "Men who hit women aren't men. Men who enable it and protect those people aren't men."
Fine urged his followers to "Hold the women in your life with the utmost regard," adding, "Men who hurt women hate women."
Addressing abusers, he stated: "You're done, you're not safe anymore, you're not protected anymore. The men by your side are just as weak. You're so miserable with yourself that [death] would be considered a kindness."