The attorney, Douglas Wigdor, slammed the allegations, adding that the video “fairly and accurately” represents the assault incident.
He also expects that, whatever the claims, the footage can be admitted into Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex crimes trial.
Article continues below commercial
Cassie’s Lawyer Says The Assault Video ‘Accurately Represents What Happened’
Ahead of Diddy’s sex crimes trial, his defense team claimed that CNN destroyed the one copy of a video allegedly showing the rapper assaulting his ex-girlfriend, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura.
Additionally they alleged that the viral clip that the news outlet later released was edited to portray the rapper in a nasty light.
Cassie’s lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, has now responded to those claims, telling TMZ that they’re a “disingenuous argument” from Diddy’s legal team, who’re filing legal documents to exclude the video from his upcoming trial.
The attorney went on to say that the rapper’s defense team’s motion to exclude the video would fail, as he believes the footage accurately depicts what happened throughout the assault.
Article continues below commercial
“I’m confident that the video fairly and accurately represents what happened, will likely be admitted into evidence,” he said, adding that Diddy “will likely be held accountable for his depravity.”
Article continues below commercial
All About Diddy’s Defense Team’s Claims
The claims from Diddy’s lawyers were made in a joint letter about evidence in his federal case, by which the rapper is facing charges of sex trafficking, racketeering, and transportation to interact in prostitution.
“CNN purchased the one known copy of the Hotel’s surveillance footage, uploaded that footage right into a free editing software, altered the video after which destroyed the unique footage, despite the fact that it knew about and repeatedly reported concerning the federal investigation,” read the letter, per TMZ.
Elsewhere within the letter, they accused the news outlet of “covering the time stamp after which changing the video sequence.”
The defense team also claimed that the video was sped up “to make it falsely appear that the actions within the video are going down faster than they’re.”
Article continues below commercial
“In consequence, the CNN videos don’t fairly and accurately depict the events in query,” the letter further read.
Article continues below commercial
Diddy Previously Claimed Federal Prosecutors Altered Cassie Video To Influence Judge’s Bail Decision
Months earlier, Diddy’s lawyers also made an identical argument concerning the Cassie assault video being altered.
On the time, he alleged that federal prosecutors presented an edited version of a viral video to influence his bail hearing negatively.
In response to the claim from the rapper, the altered footage exaggerated Diddy’s perceived threat, portraying him as more dangerous reasonably than framing the incident as a domestic dispute.
The music mogul’s attorneys also alleged that the prosecutors had the unedited version of the video but selected to change it to present their “strongest evidence of danger and obstruction.”
In the identical documents containing the claims, Diddy’s lawyers also attempted to clarify away a number of the violent acts depicted within the video.
They said that the altercation was simply a “sad glimpse right into a decade-long consensual relationship” and described it as only a “domestic dispute.”
Moreover, they claimed that the incident didn’t align with the federal prosecutors’ claims of sex trafficking or forced sex.
Article continues below commercial
The Rapper Apologized After The Video Was Released
The discharge of Cassie’s assault video caused a wave of backlash against Diddy, which prompted him to issue an apology for his actions within the clip.
Within the since-deleted apology video, Diddy talked about hitting all-time low on the time of his assault on Cassie, noting that he was “f-cked” up on the time.
The rapper said, “It is so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you bought to try this. I used to be f-cked up. I mean, I hit all-time low, but I make no excuses. My behavior [in] that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I used to be disgusted then after I did it, I’m disgusted now.”
He continued, “I went, and I sought out skilled help. Had to enter therapy. Had to enter rehab. Needed to ask God for his mercy and style. I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to [being] a greater man each and each day. And I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
Article continues below commercial
Diddy’s Upcoming Trial
Ahead of his trial, Diddy is being held in detention on the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, Recent York.
He has been on the federal facility since his arrest last September, together with his multiple requests for bail all denied.
The rapper’s trial is slated for May, and if found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Amid his detention, federal prosecutors added a forced labor allegation to the previous charges, per USA Today.
They claimed that he “maintained control over certain employees of the Combs Business” and “forced” them to “work long hours with little sleep, through use of, amongst other things, physical force, psychological harm, financial harm, reputational harm, and/or threats of the identical.”
Nonetheless, the rapper, via his attorney, once more denied the accusation, similar to he did for the sooner sex crimes charges.
