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Sean "Diddy" Combs' legal team has formally accused the federal government of misconduct after they purposely leaked the damning footage of his violent assault on Cassie to help their criminal case against the mogul.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ on Wednesday, October 9, Combs' attorneys allege federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security "orchestrated" the release of the video by sharing the footage with CNN on May 17. They cited communication they received from a rep at the cable news network hours before the leak. The rep said CNN "came across a video and currently have in our possession surveillance footage from the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles in 2016."
You've probably seen the disturbing video by now. In it, Cassie looked like she was trying to leave the hotel before Combs ran out in a towel and beat her senselessly. The Bad Boy Records founder acknowledged the video's authenticity and publicly apologized for what he did to his ex-girlfriend in a video he posted (and later deleted) to Instagram.
Combs' attorneys ruled out Cassie as a source since she didn't indicate that she had the video in her lawsuit, which was settled a day after it was filed. They also highlighted their correspondence with prosecutors in charge of the case about the video. As soon as they learned about CNN's plans, Combs' lawyers contacted prosecutors and told them everything. Afterward, an Assistant United States Attorney working the case responded and thanked the artist's team for giving them the heads-up.
"My concern is that someone (not any of you and not the lead case agents) provided this footage to CNN," Combs' legal team told prosecutors. "I bring this to your attention solely because I imagine you didn't want this to happen any more than I do."
Combs' team is convinced someone at the DHS leaked the tape because agents from the agency were quoted in news stories about the raids on his home and the federal investigation. They also noted the timing of the video's release, which gained more attention due to a break in former President Donald Trump's trial in New York. They argued that there's "a motive to damage Mr. Combs' reputation without remuneration—a motive held by federal agents."
Diddy's team requested a hearing to sort out the allegations. Their filing comes days after they submitted a third appeal of Combs' bond. The artist is currently awaiting trial in a jail cell in Brooklyn. While he was there, Combs recently received a visit from his two twin daughters, Jessie and D'lila, as well as his mother, Janice. The visit inspired her to break her silence about the case in a lengthy statement in defense of her son.