Viral video of Diddy 'assaulting' Cassie Ventura was 'edited' and 'manipulated', his lawyers claim

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Security video of Sean 'Diddy' Combs violently assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles hotel hallway was 'edited', his defense attorneys have claimed.

The video - which was published by CNN in May - appears to Combs, wearing only a white towel, punching, kicking, and throwing the R&B singer to ground at a hotel in March 2016.

Federal prosecutors have cited the video as evidence that Combs was sex trafficking Ventura, as well as the danger he could pose to other women if released on bail.

But the music mogul's defense attorneys hit back Thursday, arguing the prosecution used a 'manipulated version' of the footage and 'invented' the narrative being told in court, ABC News reported.

The defense said the video did not show a 'freak off', a term referring to Combs' long-rumored sex parties, but instead a domestic dispute in which the rapper ran down the hallway to recover his cellphone and clothing.

Combs' lawyers argued that 'more complete footage' of the incident 'contradicts' the prosecution's allegations and have offered to bring a forensic video analyst to his bail hearing today.

A federal judge has already ruled the prosecution could not use handwritten notes taken from Combs' jail cell in their argument against granting bail after the defense claimed the documents are trial preparation materials protected by attorney-client privilege. 

Combs, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges, is accused of coercing and abusing women for years with the aid of a network of associates and employees.

Security video of Sean 'Diddy' Combs violently assaulting his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura (pictured) at an InterContinental Hotel in the Century City, Los Angeles in March 2016 was 'edited', his defense attorneys have claimed

Federal prosecutors have cited the video as evidence that Combs was sex trafficking Ventura, pictured with the rapper in June 2017. The prosecution also claims the footage is evidence of the danger he could pose to other women if he was released on bail 

The security footage appears to show Combs attacking Ventura at an InterContinental Hotel in the Century City area of Los Angeles on March 5, 2016.

He appears to chase Ventura - who was his protégé and longtime girlfriend at the time - down a hallway, grab the back of her neck, shove her to the ground and kick her as she lays on the floor.

He then appears to grab Ventura's sweatshirt, drag her across the floor, and throw a vase in her direction.

Prosecutors claim the video and other evidence it allegedly has against Combs is strong enough to warrant continued pretrial detention.

But the defense claims the footage was 'manipulated' and 'does not accurately depict the events' that occurred eight years ago.

'The more complete footage of the incident - in contrast to the government's sensationalized CNN cut - contradicts the government's representations,' defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro wrote in a new court filing obtained by ABC News. 

'[T]he video the government submitted to the Court omits footage corroborating the defense account, changes the sequence of events in material respects, and does not accurately depict the events.' 

The video - which was published by CNN in May - appears to Combs, wearing only a white towel, punching, kicking, and throwing the R&B singer to ground at a hotel in March 2016

Combs then appears to grab Ventura's sweatshirt, drag her across the floor, and throw a vase in her direction

Combs apologized in May after CNN released the video, saying he 'hit rock bottom.' The rapper, in an Instagram reel, said he took 'full responsibility' for his actions and his behavior 'inexcusable.'

'I was disgusted then, when I did it. I'm disgusted now. I went and I sought out professional help. I got into going to therapy, going to rehab. I had to ask God for his mercy and grace,' he said in the reel. 

'I'm so sorry. But I'm committed to be a better man each and every day. I'm not asking for forgiveness. I'm truly sorry.' 

Combs, 55, has been detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his September arrest. 

His lawyers recently made a third request for bail after the rejection of two previous attempts, including a $50million bail proposal.

A judge will hear arguments and make a decision about releasing the rapper on bail today. 

Ventura settled a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, alleging years of sexual abuse and other violence by the music mogul. 

Federal prosecutors have cited the video as evidence that Combs, depicted in an October 2024 court room sketch, was sex trafficking Ventura, as well as the danger he could pose to other women if released on bail

Sean Combs and Cassie Ventura, pictured together in March 2016, began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade

According to the lawsuit, Combs earlier in the evening became 'extremely intoxicated' and punched Ventura, giving her a black eye. 

After he fell asleep she tried to leave, the suit says. This is apparently where the video begins. Ventura can be seen heading to a bank of elevators with a packed bag.

Then Combs awoke and began screaming at her, following her down the hall, the suit said.

He violently grabs her and yanks her to the ground, kicks her, and throws vases in her direction in the video.

The lawsuit says she managed to get away, but later returned out of fear that she would face greater abuse if she didn't. As she returned, hotel staff urged her to go back to her apartment, the suit says. She would flee and hide out with a friend in Florida.

The lawsuit also alleges Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the security video.

Ventura's complaint was settled the day after it was filed but spurred intense scrutiny of Combs, with several more lawsuits filed in the following months, along with a federal criminal sex-trafficking investigation that led authorities to raid Combs' mansions in Los Angeles and Miami.

Cassie Ventura, pictured in May 2018, settled a lawsuit against Combs in November last year, alleging years of sexual abuse and other violence by the music mogul

Combs, a three-time Grammy winner and the founder of Bad Boy Records, is among the most influential hip-hop producers and executives of the past three decades.

He turned his hip-hop success into a broader business empire that includes private-label spirits, fashion, and a TV network. He has had to step aside from some of his business roles since the allegations began emerging.

He and Ventura began dating in 2007 and had an on-and-off relationship for more than a decade.

She became known for the hit single 'Me & U,' which secured the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart in 2006. The song was the lead single of her self-titled and only studio album.

As an actor, she has appeared in several television shows and films, including Fox´s 'Empire,' 'Step Up 2: The Streets' and 'Spenser Confidential.'