Judge Rejects Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Claim of Government Leaking Assault Video

Federal judge rules there is insufficient evidence to support Combs' allegations of a government smear campaign involving leaked footage.

Sean 'Diddy' Combs' request for an evidentiary hearing on claims that the government leaked a 2016 assault video was denied by Judge Arun Subramanian.
The video, allegedly showing Combs assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura, was released by CNN five months before his September 2024 arrest on sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Combs' legal team accused the Department of Homeland Security of orchestrating a smear campaign to damage his reputation and prejudice potential jurors.
The judge ruled that Combs failed to provide sufficient evidence linking the government to the leak, with prosecutors denying possession of the footage before CNN's publication.
Combs remains in custody at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits his federal trial, scheduled to begin on May 5, 2025.