Los Angeles D.A. 'Unable' to Charge Diddy for Cassie Assault Video Due to Timing of When It Occurred

The office has released a statement following a 2016 video surfacing, which depicts the music mogul physically assaulting his ex

• The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office says they are "unable" to charge Sean 'Diddy' Combs in connection with the recently surfaced 2016 video depicting him assaulting Cassie

• In the footage, Combs can be seen grabbing, shoving, kicking and throwing things at the singer

• Combs and Cassie reached a settlement one day after she accused him of rape, sex trafficking and domestic violence in a November lawsuit

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office is "unable" to charge Sean 'Diddy' Combs in connection with the recently surfaced 2016 video depicting him assaulting Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura, as the video was filmed "beyond the timeline where a crime of assault can be prosecuted."

After CNN released 2016 surveillance footage on Friday, May 17 of the 54-year-old music mogul grabbing, shoving and kicking his ex-girlfriend, the D.A.'s office shared in a statement on social media that it was "aware of the video that has been circulating online," and found it to be "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," the statement, released on Friday, read.

"As of today, law enforcement has not presented a case related to the attack depicted in the video against Mr. Combs," they continued. "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."

Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Seen Kicking Cassie After Throwing Her to Ground in 2016 Hotel Surveillance Video

The statement arrived shortly after the footage surfaced online, matching allegations Ventura, 37, made in a now-settled lawsuit filed last November.

In the clip, Ventura could be seen leaving a hotel room and walking toward an elevator before Combs chased after her in a towel, grabbed her neck and tossed her to the ground, before kicking her. Combs then continued to kick her, dragged her toward the direction of a hotel room and walked away, before throwing an object at her seconds later.

Ventura's attorney Douglas H. Wigdor shared in a statement with PEOPLE that the "gut-wrenching video has only further confirmed the disturbing and predatory behavior of Mr. Combs."

"Words cannot express the courage and fortitude that Ms. Ventura has shown in coming forward to bring this to light," he added.

A rep for Diddy did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Friday.

Related: A Timeline of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' Sexual Assault Allegations and Lawsuits

Ventura's lawsuit, filed in November, appeared to detail the circumstances surrounding the footage, which she outlined happened at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Century City, Los Angeles  "in or around March 2016" — when an "extremely intoxicated" Combs allegedly "punched Ms. Ventura in the face, giving her a black eye."

"After he fell asleep, Ms. Ventura tried to leave the hotel room, but as she exited, Mr. Combs awoke and began screaming at Ms. Ventura," the lawsuit claimed. "He followed her into the hallway of the hotel while yelling at her. He grabbed at her, and then took glass vases in the hallway and threw them at her, causing glass to crash around them as she ran to the elevator to escape."

Per the complaint, which also alleged that Combs paid the hotel $50,000 for the footage, Ventura later "returned to the hotel with the intention of apologizing for running away from her abuser." Hotel security staff then urged her to "get back into a cab and go to her apartment."

Related: Sean 'Diddy' Combs Settled Civil Lawsuit with Cassie 'So Quickly' Because of 2016 Hotel Video, Says Former CIA Agent

Combs and Ventura reached a settlement one day after she accused him of rape, sex trafficking and domestic violence in the suit, which included several allegations of repeated physical abuse during their time together, from 2007 to 2018. Ventura shared at the time that she "decided to resolve this matter amicably on terms that I have some level of control." In his statement at the time, Combs said: "We have decided to resolve this matter amicably. I wish Cassie and her family all the best. Love.”

Ben Brafman, Combs' lawyer, previously shared with PEOPLE that the settlement was "in no way an admission of wrongdoing."

Speaking with PEOPLE this week, Tracy Walder, a former CIA and FBI special agent, shared that Combs "never expected the video to get out," and cited it as the reason why the rapper "settled so quickly with his ex-girlfriend Casandra Ventura in November 2023."

"It's very upsetting that this has exceeded its statute of limitations. It does depend on what the charge could be, but it can range from one to three years. Felony assaults in California have a statute of limitations of three years," Walder said. "Since this stemmed from a 2016 incident, she wouldn't be able to file assault or battery charges in Los Angeles. "

"It really throws water on Diddy and his legal team's argument that the government used too much force in his search warrants," Walder continued.

Since the lawsuit, multiple people have come forward accusing Combs of crimes including abuse, sex trafficking and rape in separate lawsuits throughout the past few months, all of which he has denied.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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