Sean “Diddy” Combs’ efforts to probe claims of federal leaks have hit a roadblock.
On Monday, December 16, Judge Arun Subramanian denied the music mogul’s request for an evidentiary hearing into accusations that federal authorities leaked a 2016 hotel surveillance video to CNN, showing him assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura.
According to People magazine, Subramanian ruled that Diddy “has not carried his burden” to substantiate his claims against the government.
The footage, published by CNN five months before Diddy’s September 2023 arrest on sex trafficking and racketeering charges, showed the hip hop mogul grabbing Ventura by the neck, throwing her to the ground, and dragging her down a hallway. Months before the footage was released, Ventura settled her sexual assault lawsuit against Combs just a day after filing it.
After the video was leaked, Combs issued an apology in a since-deleted Instagram video, despite denying any assault until that point.
Combs’ legal team argued in an October filing that the Department of Homeland Security orchestrated a smear campaign against him, leaking sensitive grand jury materials to tarnish his reputation and undermine his right to a fair trial.
Federal prosecutors denied these allegations, asserting they had no access to the video prior to its release. “The government did not possess any video of the March 2016 incident at the time of CNN’s publication,” they stated in court documents.
In his decision, Judge Subramanian reminded all parties that guilt or innocence would be determined in court, not by media narratives. He added, “If specific information comes to light that [prohibited information was leaked], action will be taken.”
Diddy, who has pleaded not guilty, remains in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits trial.