Feds Say They Didn’t Leak Diddy’s Assault Footage

Diddy Hits Sean John With $60M Lawsuit Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images for Sean “Diddy” Combs

TMZ reported on Thursday (Oct. 31) that federal authorities claim that they weren’t responsible for releasing Diddy’s infamous hotel assault footage. 

In May, CNN released obtained survillance footage of Diddy assaulting his recording artist and girlfriend at the time Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway in Los Angeles. Diddy’s legal team claims that federal authorities leaked the footage to the public. Prosecutors responded to these allegations in a recent motion filed in U.S. District Court, contending that Diddy’s accusations are unfounded.

Diddy’s legal team argued in an earlier motion that the federal government had leaked the video to the media. However, prosecutors insist this isn’t the case, asserting that the government hadn’t acquired the footage by the time CNN aired it in May. 

According to court filings, federal agents had searched extensively for the video early in the investigation, but it had mysteriously vanished from the hotel’s security system. When CNN released the footage on May 17, federal prosecutors were able to access it online. However, they clarified that they only downloaded CNN’s copy and are still without the original file.

In previous court filings, Diddy’s team pointed fingers at unnamed agents within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), suggesting they might have been responsible for the leak, as DHS officials had reportedly been quoted in news reports about Diddy’s case. 

Federal prosecutors, however, countered this theory, noting that numerous parties had potential access to the video, including hotel staff, security personnel, and even members of Diddy’s own team. Given this range of possible sources, they argue, an evidentiary hearing on whether the government leaked the footage is unnecessary.

Meanwhile, Diddy remains in federal detention in Brooklyn, facing severe charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, as well as transporting individuals for prostitution. Alongside these criminal allegations, he is also entangled in multiple civil lawsuits that continue to mount as the case progresses.


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