CNN is standing firm against accusations from Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal team, rejecting claims that the network tampered with the explosive 2016 surveillance footage showing Diddy assaulting Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway.
The network is setting the record straight, asserting that the video was never altered or destroyed.
In a statement to TMZ, a CNN spokesperson declared, “CNN never altered the video and did not destroy the original copy of the footage, which was retained by the source.
CNN aired the story about the video several months before Combs was arrested.” The response comes after Diddy’s legal team filed court documents alleging that CNN purchased the sole copy of the InterContinental Hotel surveillance footage, edited it using “free editing software,” and then destroyed the original file.
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CNN, however, insists the claims don’t add up. The network maintains that the footage aired untouched, and the original remains with its source, untouched by CNN’s hands. The video, which surfaced in May 2024, sent shockwaves through the public just weeks before Diddy’s federal arrest, amplifying scrutiny on the music mogul.
Following the footage’s release, Diddy issued a raw apology video that ignited widespread debate. “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you gotta do that. I was f***ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom,” he confessed, staring directly into the camera.
The clip fueled discussions on accountability, with social media split between demands for justice and debates over the public handling of the case.
Now, this clash between CNN and Diddy’s camp adds fuel to an already fiery saga. Allegations of evidence tampering against a media giant like CNN raise serious questions, but the network’s swift rebuttal—with a clear assertion that the original footage still exists—shifts the narrative.
Diddy’s team has yet to provide concrete evidence to back their claims, leaving their accusations hanging in the air.
This isn’t just a legal skirmish; it’s a battle over narrative control in the court of public opinion. With Diddy’s legal troubles already under intense scrutiny, this dispute underscores the high stakes of such stories—where truth, power, and perception collide.
