Video of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ attack was not leaked, prosecutors say

A video that shows Sean “Diddy” Combs assault of his ex-girlfriend was not disclosed to CNN by federal prosecutors because they did not have it at the time, prosecutors insisted in a new court filing overnight.

“(T)defendant claims without merit that a videotape depicting defendant’s assault on a victim at the Intercontinental Hotel in Los Angeles on March 5, 2016, was provided to a media outlet by government agents,” the filing states.

Prosecutors urged the judge overseeing the case to deny Combs’ request for an evidentiary hearing, calling it nothing more than an attempt to suppress “damaging” evidence against him.

“Without any factual basis, the Leak Motion seeks to suppress highly probative evidence – a video of Combs brutally physically assaulting a victim in March 2016, which was published by a media outlet in May 2024 – by claiming that it was grand jury material leaked by the government. But, as the defendant is fully aware, the video was not in the Government’s possession at the time CNN published it, and the Government never obtained the video through the grand jury process,” the filing states.

Defense attorneys argued the alleged leaks interfered with Combs’ ability to get a fair trial.

Prosecutors also urged the judge to deny Combs’ request to compel him to reveal the identities of his accusers.

“(T)“The defendant’s request for the names of the victims should be denied on the grounds that it amounts to a request for preemptive disclosure of the Government’s witness list, which he is clearly not entitled to at this extremely early stage of the proceedings,” prosecutors said. , early witness disclosure is especially unwarranted here, where there are serious concerns about witness safety and obstruction.”

Prosecutors accused Combs of trying to “co-opt this criminal proceeding to defend against civil litigation” brought by anonymous accusers.

A judge overseeing at least one of those civil cases just rejected the plaintiff’s attempt to proceed under a pseudonym, saying there is a “presumption of judicial proceedings.”