Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Returns City Key Following Admission of Assaulting Ex-Girlfriend
Sean “Diddy” Combs has returned the ceremonial key to New York City after a 2016 surveillance video surfaced showing him attacking his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. The incident, which took place at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, involved Combs aggressively handling Ventura, resulting in physical abuse. New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed his disturbance over the video and requested the key’s return, condemning Combs’ actions and asserting solidarity with survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. Initially, Combs received the key in a Times Square ceremony for his contributions to music, business, and philanthropy. In response to the mayor’s request, Combs promptly returned the key, acknowledging the gravity of his actions.
Sean “Diddy” Combs has returned a key he received from New York City after admitting he’d beaten ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura following the release of video of the attack.
On June 4, New York City Mayor Eric Adams wrote to the 54-year-old disgraced music mogul that he was “deeply disturbed” by what he had witnessed in the 2016 surveillance video before asking for the key back from Combs, the Hollywood Reporter reported.
“I strongly condemn these actions and stand in solidarity with all survivors of domestic and gender-based violence,” the letter added. “After internal deliberations, the Key to the City of New York committee recommended nullifying and rescinding Mr. Combs’ key.”
Adams’ office confirmed to the outlet that it received the key on June 10 from Combs. In 2023, the music producer was honored with the key to the city during a ceremony in Times Square. Adams presented it to him in recognition of the rapper’s “contributions to music, business and philanthropy.”
At the time, Combs called receiving the key to the city “an honor and incredible moment in my life … To Mayor Adams and the city of New York: I promise to keep giving to this city that made me,” People magazine noted.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Returns Key to New York City Following Request from Mayor https://t.co/2DPENMj0uE
— People (@people) June 17, 2024
In the video of the incident at the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, Combs is seen running down the hall after Ventura and catching up to her as she waits for an elevator. He appears to grab her, throw her on the ground, kick her, and attempt to drag her back to the hotel room, as previously reported.
She slowly gets up and picks up a phone on the wall near the elevator as Combs walks back to the hotel room with her bags. He later returned and appeared to shove her into a corner before sitting on a nearby chair and throwing an object at her.
Howard University also revoked Combs’ honorary degree he got in 2014 after the video release, saying in a statement that the music mogul’s behavior in the video was “so fundamentally incompatible with Howard University’s core values and beliefs that he is deemed no longer worthy to hold the institution’s highest honor. The University is unwavering in its opposition to all acts of interpersonal violence.”
“The Board has also directed the University administration to immediately take the following actions: terminate a 2016 gift agreement with Mr. Combs, disband the scholarship program in his name, return his $1 million contribution, and terminate a 2023 pledge agreement with the Sean Combs Foundation,” the statement added.
Combs released a statement after the video came out and said that it’s “so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f***ed up. I mean, I hit rock bottom. And I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”
Ryan Saavedra contributed to this piece.
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