Judge Rejects Motion to Exclude 2016 Video Footage of P Diddy Hotel Assault

A federal judge ruled Friday that at least some footage showing Sean Combs assaulting his former girlfriend, Casandra Ventura, in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016 will be admissible at his upcoming racketeering and sex trafficking trial.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian rejected Combs’ effort to exclude all video evidence related to the incident, though the precise portions that will be shown to jurors have yet to be finalized. Jury selection begins Monday, with opening statements scheduled for May 12.

Attorneys for Combs did not deny that the footage shows the music mogul beating, kicking, and dragging Ventura, but they argued that clips broadcast by CNN last year were "deceptively edited" by being sped up and presented out of sequence. CNN has denied altering the footage, and prosecutors said they are addressing the defense’s concerns by preparing slowed-down versions and introducing other recordings, including iPhone videos taken of the original hotel security tape. The witness who recorded those cellphone clips is expected to testify at trial.

Prosecutors say the incident is central to their broader case, which accuses Combs of sexually coercive conduct, drug use, and organized cover-up efforts. They contend that Ventura was assaulted after fleeing a hotel room where a coerced sex act involving a male prostitute had taken place. Following the beating, Combs allegedly paid hotel security $100,000 to destroy the original footage.

Combs, who has pleaded not guilty, has remained in federal custody in Brooklyn since his arrest last September. At Friday's hearing, he appeared in tan jail clothing and black-framed glasses, listening attentively as Judge Subramanian issued a series of trial rulings. At one point, he nodded at his son, Justin Combs, seated in the gallery.

The defense has offered a contrasting account of the assault, asserting that it stemmed from a personal dispute unrelated to any pattern of coercion. According to this narrative, Ventura allegedly struck Combs after discovering evidence of infidelity and left their room with his clothing. Defense lawyers claim the published footage omits key context and that its speed exaggerates the violence.

Judge Subramanian is also weighing what additional testimony will be permitted. While prosecutors pushed to allow multiple alleged victims to testify, the judge ruled that only one additional accuser, whose identity and allegations remain under seal, may be included. Though not directly linked to the sex trafficking charges, prosecutors say such testimony helps establish a pattern of conduct.