Diddy attack video cements hip-hop icon's fall

CCTV footage confirmed what many people in the music industry knew: a moment of reckoning for one of the most influential hip-hop artists in history.

The clips of Sean “Diddy” Combs kicking his former girlfriend Cassie Ventura – while she lay motionless on the floor – cemented his downfall, despite his apology following the leak.

“I don’t see any way for him to come back from this situation,” said Amy DuBois Barnett, the former editor-in-chief of Ebony magazine who has written about hip-hop culture.

Combs' reputation in the industry has been “in doubt for some time,” Barnett added. “Many people were aware of his rather unbridled temper.”

Combs – formerly known as P Diddy, Puff Daddy or Puffy – is one of the best-selling and most celebrated artists of all time, with three Grammy Awards and millions in record sales.

For years, nothing had a real impact on his rise to iconic status as an artist, producer and businessman. There are negative stories in the industry, Barnett said, but many of them remain hidden from the public.

Last November, Ms. Ventura settled a lawsuit against Combs accusing him of rape and sex trafficking and paid an undisclosed sum. But Combs' lawyer said the settlement was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”

Celebrities continued to voice their support for him, but that support ended with the CCTV video obtained by CNN and released last week.

The attack shown in the footage is brutal. After kicking Ms. Ventura like a soccer ball, Combs, wearing only a towel, is seen dragging her across the floor.

The video appears to be a compilation of surveillance footage from March 5, 2016, which was filmed at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles, according to CNN. In her lawsuit, Ms. Ventura described a March 2016 incident at that hotel in which Combs allegedly assaulted her.

Since then, a number of other lawsuits have been filed against Combs for abuse, sexual misconduct and rape. When they were filed, the rapper called the allegations “disgusting” and said the alleged victims were looking for “a quick payday.”

But video of the attack on Ms. Ventura undermined his denials.

Combs remained silent for two days following the video's release before posting an apology on Instagram in which he acknowledged he was in the tape and called his behavior “inexcusable.”

“I was disgusted then when I did it,” he said, “and I’m disgusted now.”

“I sought professional help,” he continued. “I started therapy, a rehab clinic. I had to ask God for his grace and mercy. I am so sorry.”

Combs did not mention Cassie Ventura in his apology, and her lawyers hit back, saying, “Combs' recent statement is more about himself than the many people he has harmed.”

The apology is “too little, too late,” said Camron Dowlatshahi, an entertainment lawyer in Los Angeles. “It shows the shortsightedness of Diddy, who believes he will not be held accountable and has enough money to take care of everything.”

Barnett, who has written about misogyny in the rap industry, described the statement as “the most ill-considered apology ever.” She suggested it came from the “classic 'famous man' playbook: deny, deny, deny. Get caught. Apologize, then talk about going to therapy.”

“No one is taking it seriously, especially since he previously accused Cassie and others of being gold diggers. That really upset a lot of people in the music industry.”

In April, news helicopters on the east and west coasts of the United States filmed police raids on villas linked to the rapper. They were part of an ongoing criminal investigation into sex trafficking by law enforcement.

The man who was idolized as a hip-hop legend has kept a low profile ever since.

Family pictures with his daughters posted to Combs' Instagram account stand in stark contrast to the pictures of him carrying out a violent attack.

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said Friday that it could not file charges because of the statute of limitations on assault cases. How does the CCTV video and ongoing investigation affect his career?

In his music, Diddy has often relied on collaborations with other A-list stars. His last album featured Mary J Blige, The Weekend, 21 Savage and John Legend. It is extremely unlikely that he will be able to stage such productions again now.

But whether it will have an impact on his large audience is less clear. According to TMZ, fitness company Peloton has already banned its music from its workout playlists, but other companies have yet to comment.

Despite convictions for child sexual abuse, R Kelly continues to reach millions of listeners a month on Spotify.

Meanwhile, Kanye West saw his monthly listenership peak last year despite being banned from brands for anti-Semitic views.

Those who passed Diddy's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week reflected on what the video meant to the rapper's fans.

“This is the end of his career. I don't know how he's going to come back from this,” said Mar Anthony, a Los Angeles resident. “I was a fan as a kid and I listened to Every Breath You Take (I'll Be Missing You). But what he did and the music are two different things.”

“It's the same with Michael Jackson,” he said, nodding toward another Walk of Fame star not far away – an apparent reference to the child abuse allegations made against that star.

Diddy “definitely deserves what's coming to him,” said Prince Laurenz Hamlin, who was visiting LA. “But he still built a legacy in the music industry. I think people are going to have to separate the art from the artist.”

After taking a photo of Combs' star, a woman simply muttered “predator” as she walked away.

It is unclear who is currently advising Sean Combs. The law firm that had previously issued denials on his behalf said it was no longer representing him.

Despite the civil lawsuits, no criminal charges were filed against him. But the ongoing police investigation will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the rapper.

“The Department of Homeland Security was involved [in the raids]said Mr Dowlatshahi. “That fact alone shows the gravity of what is going on here.”