5 hours ago
Image Source, Sharif Ziadat
The CCTV footage confirmed what many in the music industry knew was brewing: a moment of reckoning for one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history.
Clips of Sean “Diddy” Combs kicking his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura as she lay motionless on the floor cemented his downfall, despite his apology following the leak.
“I don’t see any way he can recover from this,” said Amy DuBois Barnett, the former editor-in-chief of Ebony magazine who writes about hip-hop culture article.
Barnett added that Combs’ reputation in the industry “has been in question for some time.” “He was known by many to have a rather unbridled temper.”
Combs – formerly known as P Diddy, Puff Daddy or Puffy – is one of the best-selling and most popular artists of all time, with three Grammy Awards and millions of record sales.
Over the years, nothing has really affected his iconic status as an artist, producer and businessman. Barnett said there are some negative stories about the industry, but most of them stay out of the public eye.
In November, Ms. Ventura settled her lawsuit against Combs, in which she accused him of rape and sex trafficking, for an undisclosed sum. But Combs’ attorney said the settlement “is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
Celebrities continued to speak out for him, but that ended with CCTV footage obtained by CNN and released last week.
The attack shown in the video was brutal. After kicking Ms. Ventura like a football, Combs dragged her to the floor wearing only a towel.
The video appears to be a compilation of surveillance camera angles from March 5, 2016, which CNN said was filmed at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles’ Century City. In her lawsuit, Ms. Ventura described an incident at the hotel in March 2016 in which Combs allegedly assaulted her.
A series of other lawsuits have since been filed against Combs for abuse, sexual misconduct and rape. The rapper called the accusations “disgusting” when they were brought up and said the alleged victims were looking for a “quick payday.”
But footage of Ms Ventura’s attack undercut his denials.
Combs went silent for two days after the video was released, then posted an apology on Instagram, acknowledging that he was the person on the recording and calling his actions “inexcusable.”
“I was disgusted when I did it,” he said, “and I’m disgusted now.”
“I went and sought professional help,” he continued. “I started going to therapy, recovery. I had to pray for God’s mercy and grace. I’m so sorry.”
Combs did not mention Cassie Ventura in his apology, and her attorney fired back, saying, “Combs’ recent statements are more about himself than the many people he harmed.”
Camron Dowlatshahi, a Los Angeles entertainment lawyer, said the apology was “too little, too late.” “It shows Diddy’s shortsightedness in thinking he won’t be held accountable and that he has enough money to take care of everything.”
Barnett, who has written about misogyny in the rap industry, described the statement as “the most ill-advised apology ever made.” She suggested it was “classic ‘celebrity’ play: Deny, deny, deny. Get caught. Apologize, then talk about going to therapy.”
“No one took this seriously, especially since he had previously accused Cassie and others of being money worshippers. It really angered a lot of people in the music industry.”
In April, police raids on mansions linked to the rapper were filmed by news helicopters from coast to coast. They are part of an ongoing criminal sex trafficking investigation by law enforcement.
The man considered a hip-hop legend has since kept a low profile.
Combs’ Instagram account posted family photos of him with his daughters, which stood in stark contrast to photos of him carrying out the violent attack.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office said Friday that charges could not be filed because the statute of limitations for the attack had expired. So where will the CCTV footage and ongoing investigation take his career?
In his music, Diddy often relies on collaborations with other A-list stars. His last album featured Mary J Blige, The Weekend, 21 Savage and John Legend. It is highly unlikely that he would recreate such a work now.
But whether it will have an impact on his wider audience is unclear. According to TMZ, fitness company Peloton has banned his music from its workout playlists, but other companies have yet to comment.
R Kelly still has millions of monthly listeners on Spotify despite being convicted of child sex abuse.
Meanwhile, Kanye West’s monthly listener numbers peaked last year, despite being dropped by brands for expressing anti-Semitic views.
This week, those passing Diddy’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame reflected on what the clip means to the rapper’s fans.
“It’s career-ending. I don’t know how he’s going to come back from this,” Los Angeles native Mar Anthony said. “I was a fan when I was a kid, listening to ‘Every Breath You Take.’ But what he was doing and the music were two different things.
“The same goes for Michael Jackson,” he said, nodding to another Walk of Fame star not far away – an apparent reference to the star’s child abuse allegations.
Prince Lorenz Hamlin, who was visiting Los Angeles, said Diddy “definitely deserves everything he’s getting.” “But he still left a legacy in the music industry. I think people have to separate the art from the artist.”
One woman simply whispered “predator” as she walked away after taking a photo of Combs’ star.
It’s unclear who is advising Sean Combs. The law firm that had issued the denial on his behalf said it no longer represented him.
Despite the civil lawsuit, no criminal charges have been filed against him. But the ongoing police investigation will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the rapper.
“The Department of Homeland Security is involved [in the raids],” Mr Daura Shahi said. “That fact alone shows the seriousness of what happened here.
