Diddy Prosecutors Vehemently Deny Leaking Cassie Footage As Mogul’s Legal Team Explores Every Option

BYGabriel Bras Nevares2.1K Views
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Sean "Diddy" Combs performs at the Bring It Home Midnight Rally held for Andrew Gillum at Florida A&M University's Lawson Center in Tallahassee, Fla. the night before the 2018 midterm election Monday, Nov. 5, 2018. Famu Gillum Rally 110518 Ts 004. Tori Schneider/Tallahassee Democrat / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The feds claim that Diddy's team is trying to conceal "damning" evidence.

One of the big conflicts between federal prosecutors and the defense in the Diddy case concerns the 2016 footage of him assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie. His legal team accused the federal government, specifically the Department of Homeland Security, of leaking this video to the press, something that the government denied yet again in a new motion filed late Wednesday (October 30). Moreover, they responded to these allegations by claiming that Sean Combs' legal team wants to "suppress a damning piece of evidence" and make it so that jurors don't see him "brutally physically assaulting a victim."

More importantly, federal prosecutors claimed it is impossible for them to have leaked the video of Diddy and Cassie to CNN because they did not have the video in their possession when it emerged in May. They also alleged that his legal team knows this well, and are instead using these accusations to prevents its use as evidence in his trial next year. "Without any factual basis, the leak motion seeks to suppress highly probative evidence […] by claiming that it was grand jury material leaked by government agents," prosecutors posited in writing. "But, as the defendant is fully aware, the video was not in the Government’s possession at the time of CNN’s publication and the Government has never, at any point, obtained the video through grand jury process."

Diddy At An Atlanta United & Inter Miami CF Game In 2023

Jul 25, 2023; Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA; Recording artist Sean Combs attends the game between the Atlanta United and the Inter Miami CF at DRV PNK Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Images

If Diddy faces conviction for allegations of sex trafficking and racketeering, he could face life in prison. His lawyers demanded an investigation into this footage's emergence, alleging that it "led to damaging, highly prejudicial pre-trial publicity that can only taint the jury pool and deprive Mr. Combs of his right to a fair trial." Furthermore, Combs' lawyer Marc Agnifilo alleged that the government leaked the Cassie footage to the press to ruin his reputation and chances at defense, claiming that they used it to prejudice him without context rather than using it as trial evidence informed by other elements and additional pieces of alleged proof.

Nevertheless, this new filing from prosecutors also addressed Diddy' demands for the government to reveal the names of his alleged victims. Federal prosecutors shot this down, citing that it would "pose serious risks" to alleged victims' safety. They also referenced his alleged "significant history of violence and obstruction" that caused the court to deny his bail, warning of possible witness tampering.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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