In an exclusive interview with Nicki Swift, attorney Camron Dowlatshahi clarified the legal constraints surrounding the recently surfaced video of Sean “Diddy” Combs assaulting Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel. “Unfortunately, Diddy can’t be prosecuted for the assault because it is past any applicable statute of limitations. Domestic violence charges need to be brought within 5 years and felony assault within 3 years, and we are well past both of those,” he explained before speculating that Diddy’s settlement with Cassie was likely an attempt to prevent damaging evidence from emerging in a trial. “She likely offered to settle before filing and he thought she was bluffing, which was a major mistake,” he said.
Regarding the apology video Diddy released, where he admitted to his actions and claimed to have sought help for his behavior, Dowlatshahi was skeptical. “He has to attempt to humanize himself in some way and couldn’t just let the video stand on its own for days on end without addressing it,” he added. And while Cassie can no longer use the video in her own case against Diddy, it remains a valuable asset for other accusers. “The video will be used for other victims as leverage to settle their cases, knowing there could be even more harmful video or documents out there depicting his egregious behavior,” he said. “Also, the lawyers for those victims will attempt to introduce the video as ‘Me Too’ evidence to show his violence towards women.”
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
