Shortly after releasing a shocking violent video showing rap star Sean “Diddy” Combs allegedly beating up his then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office released a statement Friday evening. It states that Combs cannot be legally prosecuted for his attack due to the statute of limitations in the US state of California.
“We are aware of the video circulating online that purports to show Sean Combs attacking a young woman in Los Angeles,” Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón told US magazine Deadline just a few hours ago. after the US news channel CNN made the surveillance video public. The statement from the public prosecutor’s office, which was also shared on Instagram, continued: “We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to view. If the behavior shown took place in 2016, we are unfortunately not in a position to bring charges because the behavior occurred beyond the time period in which a crime of bodily harm can be prosecuted.”
In the state of California, the statute of limitations for domestic violence is five years. The statute of limitations for simple and serious bodily harm is one year and three years, respectively, reports Deadline. Combs’ alleged attack on his then-partner Ventura is said to have occurred on March 5, 2016, more than eight years ago.
Meanwhile, some prominent US stars have spoken out on social media and strongly condemned Combs’ alleged behavior. For example, rapper 50 Cent, who has been at loggerheads with Combs for a long time, posted a series of posts. The 48-year-old shared the violent video distributed by CNN on Instagram and wrote sarcastically: “Well, I’m sure Puffy didn’t do it, he’s innocent, that doesn’t prove anything! That’s what his lawyers will say, God help us all,” followed by praying hands.
Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski also spoke up. On X (formerly Twitter) she simply wrote: “Monster.”