Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ former assistant not ‘surprised’ by footage of alleged assault

Video footage obtained by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs assaulting his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. Photo / via CNN video

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ former assistant wasn’t “surprised” by video footage of him allegedly assaulting Cassie Ventura in a hotel.

The ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ hitmaker was seen in 2016 surveillance footage released by CNN on Friday apparently grabbing, shoving and kicking his former girlfriend.

Though Suzi Siegel - who worked for the rap mogul from 2008 to 2009 - confirmed she “never saw him speak harshly to [Cassie] or be abusive toward her or anything like that”, she admitted she always felt the “power dynamic” between the pair wasn’t right.

Explaining how she felt “sick and violently angry” after seeing the footage, Siegel told CNN: “I rode in limos with them, I went to parties with them. I guess what I would say is, even though I never saw anything that could corroborate what’s in that lawsuit and what we just saw, there was not one cell in my body that was surprised.

“I would say that I was around him a lot and I got a feeling for who he was.

Cassie Ventura and Sean 'Diddy' Combs attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala in 2018. Photo / Getty Images

“I didn’t see anything that could get him in trouble. But I think that [there’s a] power dynamic in a situation like that — especially her, at the beginning of her career, so young and beautiful and talented.”

And Siegel stressed her former boss didn’t mistreat her.

She said: “I didn’t see that proof.

“Obviously, I saw it with the rest of America today. But when I saw it, I knew that it was something that he could be capable of.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that it’s “unable to charge” the 54-year-old rapper over the “extremely disturbing” footage.

In a statement posted on Instagram, the District Attorney’s Office said: “We are aware of the video that has been circulating online allegedly depicting Sean Combs assaulting a young woman in Los Angeles. We find the images extremely disturbing and difficult to watch.

“If the conduct depicted occurred in 2016, unfortunately, we would be unable to charge as the conduct would have occurred beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted. As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs, but we encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a crime to report it to law enforcement or reach out to our office for support from our Bureau of Victims Services.”

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Ventura launched a lawsuit against Diddy last year, accusing her ex-boyfriend of abusing her over a number of years. The former couple reached an out-of-court settlement shortly after the news became public.

However, Combs has always maintained his innocence.

Ben Brafman, his attorney, told CNN at the time: “Mr Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations.”