Award-winning actress and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg criticized Sean “Diddy/Brother Love” Combs for assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in surfaced 2016 hotel surveillance footage.
She questioned the “statute of limitations” that the District Attorney referenced in their official statement about not charging the mogul behind the CNN exclusive video. Diddy declared his innocence before the video leaked.
Goldberg asked co-host and legal journalist Sunny Hostein: “I want to know how it’s possible that we have missed the law where the statute of limitations is this long? Why isn’t this kind of assault open-ended? Why is there an end to this? Because if people say, you know, she reported it, and he denied it, and then she proved it? And then they (LAPD) say, ‘there’s nothing we can do because of the statute of limitations is up.”
“The statute of limitation for felony assault is about three years in most states,” Hostein replied. “The statute of limitations for misdemeanor assault is a year and a half. So it’s unfortunate the law has not caught up with this kind of thing. What is fortunate is she (Cassie) was able to bring a civil lawsuit almost at the end of that window. He (Diddy) was told to settle this case. In some respects, I’m happy that he didn’t settle because she filed this lawsuit the very next day, and then he settled. But at least now we have some visibility as to what was happening to her, how she was beaten, raped, and victimized, which is all outlined in that lawsuit. And what I will say is because of her bravery, how many, many, many other women have come up and come forward. That video will be used in each and every trial because shows his propensity for violences.”
Before the video leak, Diddy and Cassie settled for an undisclosed amount after the singer filed a lawsuit against Combs for sexual assault in November 2023. Cassie’s husband, Alex Fine, and attorneys have issued statements after the surveillance footage appeared on CNN. Diddy apologized for the assault in an Instagram video released on Saturday (May 19).
The Los Angeles DA’s Office issued a statement on social media on May 17 that clarified why they will not be charging Diddy after viewing surveillance footage due to limitations.
The DA’s captioned their statement on social media:
“We are aware of the video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles. We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch. 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. As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs, but we encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to report it to law enforcement or reach out to our office for support from our Bureau of Victims Services.”
Celebrities to share their thoughts on Diddy’s surveillance footage and apology include 50 Cent, Uncle Luke, Lil Scrappy, Kelly Price, and more. Several lawsuits have been filed against Diddy, alleging sexual abuse and assault.