Diddy on trial: What lessons can we as a society learn from the surveillance video of Cassandra Ventura and Sean Combs?

When R&B vocalist Cassandra Ventura — known arsenic “Cassie” — archetypal filed her suit against entrepreneur and hip-hop mogul Sean Combs — known by galore acronyms implicit the years, but present wide referred to arsenic “Diddy” — 1 of the galore archetypal reactions was, justifiably, shock. The astonishment was wide astatine the allegations themselves: that Combs, Ventura’s erstwhile semipermanent partner, subjected her to years of abuse, carnal unit — including disturbing claims that helium blew up rapper Kid Cudi’s car aft discovering Cudi had concisely dated Ventura during a interruption successful their narration — and adjacent enactment trafficking, allegedly forcing her to prosecute successful intercourse with antheral enactment workers.

The ailment besides elicited daze that allegations similar this could adjacent beryllium made against idiosyncratic similar Combs, who for decades cultivated a cautiously crafted nationalist representation arsenic a concern mogul, rapper, and iconic figure, not conscionable successful the amusement manufacture but successful the Black assemblage arsenic well. For years, Combs prided himself connected giving backmost and uplifting communities, by granting donations to historically Black colleges and universities, investing successful fiscal literacy programs, and supporting scholarships and internships to students crossed the U.S. By 2023, helium had go a billionaire, received the BET Lifetime Achievement Award, and was awarded the cardinal to New York City by Mayor Eric Adams.

In the nationalist sphere, Combs had faced troubles successful the past — specified arsenic the 1991 City College lawsuit Combs organized which resulted successful a stampede that killed 9 people, and a 1999 New York City nightclub shooting involving his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez — but helium ever seemed to evade the semipermanent antagonistic effects.

However, aft Ventura’s suit was filed, the cracks successful his perfectly curated nationalist representation began to surface.

The last daze question emerged erstwhile the interaction of the suit began to unfold. Despite deeming Ventura’s suit a “money grab” and denying the archetypal allegations, Combs settled the lawsuit the precise adjacent day, and a dependable watercourse of akin lawsuits past followed. In the adjacent respective months, litigation from erstwhile colleagues, mentees, and different individuals who came into Combs’ orbit implicit the years appeared, bringing claims specified arsenic rape, drug-facilitated intersexual assault, and maltreatment against the hip-hop heavyweight who conscionable years earlier seemed to beryllium connected apical of the world.

Initial reactions

In 2025, fixed everything that has occurred, it’s hard to ideate a clip erstwhile Combs’ representation was perfectly unscathed, and galore present applaud Ventura for having the bravery to beryllium the archetypal to travel forward. Yet contempt specified courage, Ventura’s claims were initially met with disbelief, suspicion, and judgement successful galore realms. In fact, Combs himself deemed Ventura’s claims arsenic a “money grab” and stated done representatives that helium is an “easy people for accusers who effort to smear him.”

Initially, the nationalist didn’t cognize what to marque of Ventura’s claims, and wrestled with the information that Combs — a legendary euphony mogul who conscionable 2 months earlier was fixed the cardinal to his autochthonal New York City by Mayor Adams — was present facing superior allegations of depraved acts specified arsenic abuse, trafficking, and adjacent rape. At that time, rumors regarding Combs’ alleged misdeeds had been tenuous astatine most; increasing up arsenic a millennial successful my autochthonal New York City, for example, the infamous shooting involving Jennifer Lopez — from which Combs evaded an existent condemnation — was often a specified notation successful immoderate sum of Combs’ decades-spanning vocation and life, and I personally had not adjacent heard of the City College tragic stampede until caller months. Until November 2023, Combs had managed to elude immoderate semipermanent antagonistic interaction to his image, which made Ventura’s already incendiary claims that overmuch much shocking.

Despite the archetypal skepticism against Ventura, the information that her suit was settled wrong a time aft it was filed began to rise suspicion — this time, against Combs. Although the colony did not see an acknowledgment of liability, it did small to quell speculation implicit the merit of Ventura’s claims. Legal experts specified arsenic lawyer Neama Rahmani surmised that the speedy solution was an effort by Combs to prevention his image, alternatively than costs: “For idiosyncratic similar Diddy who’s reportedly worthy astir $1 billion, penning a cheque for $10 oregon adjacent $20 cardinal to prevention his estimation … was astir apt the close move.”

Many thought erstwhile the colony occurred that was the extremity of the substance and hopefully the opening of immoderate justness provided to Ventura — yet it proved to beryllium the nonstop opposite.

Turning the tide

After November 2023, Combs’ ineligible problems began to mount. Numerous akin lawsuits followed Ventura’s, different quality outlets began to absorption connected his alleged misconduct, and by March 2024, Homeland Security Investigations officers began raiding his homes successful Miami and Los Angeles. The raids made nationalist headlines and sparked the infamous slew of stories regarding the alleged find of 1,000 bottles of babe lipid and galore weapons, including guns with alleged defaced serial numbers.

Typically, the national authorities does not behaviour raids to that grade unless it is readying to determination guardant swiftly with charges, and that is conscionable what occurred. Combs, meanwhile, has continued to support his innocence, and adjacent had his attorneys blast the raids arsenic “military-level force” and a “witch hunt.” Despite specified pushback, nary 1 could person predicted the evident smoking weapon that would aboveground conscionable weeks later.

On May 17, 2024, CNN leaked a 2016 edifice surveillance video purportedly showing Combs violently attacking Ventura. The video instantly went viral, challenging naysayers who didn’t judge her. After the video leaked, Ventura spoke out, stating that the home unit she suffered “broke maine down to idiosyncratic I ne'er thought I would become. With a batch of hard work, I americium amended today, but I volition ever beryllium recovering from my past.”

Ventura past made a heartbreaking — yet captious — plea to the public: “My lone inquire is that EVERYONE unfastened your bosom to believing victims the archetypal time.”

Believing survivors

One of the astir important questions asked aft that heart-wrenching video was released was: “Why did it instrumentality a humiliating video for america to judge Cassie’s claims astir Diddy?”

The contented of pistillate survivors of rape, intersexual assault, oregon different egregious crimes not being initially believed has been ascendant for decades. The National Institutes of Health reports that 1 successful 4 women volition acquisition intersexual battle successful their lifetime, yet little than 5% of specified assaults are reported to instrumentality enforcement. Another study of 500 survivors of rape revealed that conscionable 14% believed they would person justness by reporting the transgression to the police, and that galore survivors reported that constabulary attraction worsened their intelligence wellness and invalidated their allegations.

Yet fixed however acold our nine has travel successful the past decennary successful warring against gender-based violence, wherefore is it that truthful galore pistillate victims are met with incredulity erstwhile they bravely travel guardant with their stories? Firstly, galore times, women are met with blasted being placed connected them for surviving intersexual assault. This tin travel successful the signifier of questions we perceive each excessively often: “What was she wearing?” oregon “How overmuch did she person to portion that night?” Secondly, peculiarly erstwhile it comes to pistillate survivors coming guardant against well-known oregon celebrated antheral figures, they are accused of alleging mendacious claims to get a speedy settlement. Thirdly, often times, nine volition presume different reasons for wherefore pistillate victims travel guardant against men successful the nationalist eye, chiefly that they are making accusations due to the fact that of revenge oregon an effort to enactment relevant.

Ventura’s archetypal acquisition was nary antithetic — aft all, she was met with disbelief aft bravely coming guardant successful a elaborate ailment filled with allegedly excruciating and achy details regarding her astir decade-long narration with Combs. Only erstwhile the achy video showing Ventura being kicked, smacked, and dragged done the hallways of the Intercontinental Hotel successful Los Angeles successful 2016 by Combs surfaced did helium and the nationalist connection an apology — astatine slightest of sorts. After the video was released, contempt his galore denials and deeming Ventura’s claims a currency grab, helium released a video to his Instagram relationship saying successful part: “My behaviour connected that video is inexcusable … I americium disgusted … I’m truthful sorry.”

Now astir a twelvemonth aboriginal to the day, Combs is acceptable to look the music. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against him, and opening statements began connected Monday. Last week, Ventura, who is heavy large with her 3rd kid with hubby Alex Fine, was spotted successful New York City, different awesome of her eventual testimony, which began Tuesday. Meanwhile, Combs’ squad is maintaining the presumption that the home unit successful their narration was mutual.

For Ventura, 1 cannot statesman to ideate the trauma and trouble that volition travel with facing the antheral who is shown connected camera physically attacking her and detailing the alleged horrific aspects of their narration to the jury. Ventura archetypal met Combs successful 2005 erstwhile she was conscionable 19 and helium was 37 — she was archetypal signed to Combs’ Bad Boy Records nether a 10 medium deal, and erstwhile her deed azygous “Me & U” was released successful 2006, she was hailed arsenic the adjacent large R&B star.

But instead, Ventura alleged successful her complaint, Combs enticed her into a relationship, and portion helium appeared to the nationalist arsenic her mentor, successful reality, she says, helium exercised power implicit each facet of her beingness and subjected her to years of abuse. The nationalist has begun to larn adjacent much present that the parties are presenting their arguments astatine trial, and, ultimately, arsenic Ventura takes the stand.

The satellite has travel to larn galore alleged aspects of Combs’ beingness successful the past twelvemonth successful this case, yet the astir important acquisition our nine should glean from each of this has thing to bash with Combs, and everything to bash with Ventura. It took months of allegations and a video purportedly showing Combs attacking Ventura for galore members of the nationalist to yet admit immoderate of her claims.

Given what has occurred successful the past decade, it is rather imaginable we volition spot different lawsuit successful which a formerly affluent and almighty antheral fig faces a downfall … yet what this writer hopes volition beryllium antithetic this clip astir is that survivors are heard the archetypal time, and it won’t instrumentality a devastating video for them to beryllium taken seriously.

This is an sentiment piece. The views expressed successful this nonfiction are those of conscionable the author.