How Sean "Diddy" Combs' empire began to unravel after Cassie Ventura's lawsuit | The Moment - video Dailymotion

Watch How Sean "Diddy" Combs' empire began to unravel after Cassie Ventura's lawsuit | The Moment - New York Post on Dailymotion

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00:00There was a time when Sean Diddy Combs represented the pinnacle of power in music, fashion, and

00:08celebrity culture. He wasn't just at the party, he was the party. A mogul, a brand,

00:14a movement. But in 2023, everything changed with one lawsuit.

00:19I was f***ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom.

00:24So how did one of the most powerful men in entertainment end up here,

00:27facing a federal trial, his empire in freefall?

00:34It's February 2000, the Grammys. Jennifer Lopez walks in wearing the dress that breaks the internet

00:41before the internet even knows how to break. And right next to her, Sean Puff Daddy Combs.

00:47He's not just dating the most talked about woman in the world, he is the moment. He's fresh off a

00:52run of multi-platinum albums. Behind some of the biggest names in music, Biggie, Mary J, Mariah,

00:59he's a mogul, a media magnet, a machine. This is the era of Sean John, Ciroc, and making the band,

01:06Bad Boy for Life. And during that time, the world was introduced to Cassie Ventura,

01:11a rising singer signed to Bad Boy, and someone who would later become closely tied to Combs,

01:16both personally and professionally. She and Combs would date on and off for more than a decade,

01:22a relationship often hidden from the spotlight, but always surrounded by rumors of control and

01:27manipulation. In 2004, he wins his first solo Grammy for best rap performance, a moment that

01:33cements him not just as a producer or promoter, but as a performer in his own right. By the 2010s,

01:39he's expanding into fashion, liquor, television. His image? Untouchable. His empire? Untouchable.

01:47Until it wasn't. In November 2023, Cassie sent waves through the entertainment world when she

01:54filed a lawsuit against Combs, accusing him of rape, sex trafficking, and years of physical and

02:00emotional abuse. Within 24 hours, the two parties reached a settlement, but the lawsuit opened the

02:06floodgates. In the weeks that followed, more women came forward with similar claims. Combs denied all

02:12allegations. But then came the video. In May 2024, surveillance footage obtained by CNN appeared to

02:19show Combs violently attacking Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway, footage that matched details

02:25from her lawsuit. In the footage, he's seen throwing her to the ground and kicking her, echoing the

02:31lawsuit's allegations, which described similar violent incidents, sometimes involving objects like

02:36glass, phones, and even baby oil. The backlash was swift, brand deals cut ties, and calls for

02:43accountability reached a fever pitch. That same year, the Department of Homeland Security launched

02:48a federal investigation and raided Combs' homes in Los Angeles and Miami. By early 2025, he stood trial

02:56on federal charges, including sex trafficking, racketeering, and transporting individuals for

03:01prostitution. Prosecutors presented testimony from multiple individuals, including Cassie and

03:07a Jane Doe, an unidentified woman whose identity was kept private by the courts. The claims described

03:13a pattern of abuse, manipulation, and coercion spanning years. The defense argued the allegations were

03:19inconsistent and financially motivated. After weeks of testimony, including a grueling deposition from a

03:25pregnant, Cassie, that further exposed the dynamics of their relationship, the jury reached a split

03:31verdict. Combs was found not guilty on two counts, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and

03:39racketeering conspiracy. But he was convicted on two counts of transporting individuals, Cassie and Jane Doe,

03:45to engage in prostitution. From music mogul to federal defendant, from the top of the charts to the

03:51center of the courtroom, because sometimes the rise is only half the story. It's the moment when everything

03:57starts to fall that reveals what was really happening behind the scenes.