An Expert's Review of The Viral Cassie/Diddy Video Will Make You Wonder... Is It Real?

New court documents reveal the rapper’s newest angle at keeping that video from being played but will it work?

18 Apr 2025, 15:28 by Kalyn Womack · The Root

Photo: AP File via CNN (AP)

Sean “Diddy” Combs is trying once again to make sure the jury for his federal sex crime trial does not see the video depicting him assaulting singer and ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. This time, he’s got an expert to support his claims but, will it stick?

Diddy’s Attorneys Challenge Video

In the new filing, attorneys say they met with forensic video analyst Connor McCourt to review the footage, making mention of additional unseen iPhone recorded video, to help back up their claims. Based on his analysis, they brought the court a new list of reasons why the video shouldn’t be played.

First, they claim the clips are “significantly sped up” and “do not accurately represent human movement as a result of being converted from one file type to another.” Due to “inaccurately displayed timestamp seconds,” the attorneys claim the clips mislead the viewers about the timing of the events and lack a considerable amount of footage, per the filing.

Secondly, they argued the iPhone videos distort the events in other ways including Combs appearing to be stockier and shorter than he appeared in CNN’s clip. They said this caused Mr. Combs to appear “more domineering.” They also say the videos only show what the person recording on the phone was focusing on such as a person’s shoes and possibly, cutting out pieces of what we watched in the CNN Videos.

The Expert’s Notes

Video shows Sean “Diddy” Combs physically assaulting Cassie at L.A. hotel

The expert himself also submitted a document to the court detailing his findings. McCourt mentioned that upon reviewing the metadata for the news broadcast file, it indicated the video file was created using ClipChamp.com which is a video editing software, per an affidavit. He also pulled out the difference in time stamps between the iPhone video and the CNN video.

“It is my opinion that [the videos] are not original and have many introduced divergent technical issues that greatly affect viewers’ perception of recorded events as set forth above,” McCourt wrote. “It is my opinion that none of the available videos are accurate and reliable copies of the original.”

What To Know About Diddy’s Upcoming Sex Crime Trial

In September 2024, the 55-year-old rap mogul was arrested in Manhattan by federal authorities, six months after they raided his two homes in Los Angeles and Miami. His indictment reveals charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and engaging in interstate transportation for prostitution and cites three anonymous victims.

The allegations against Combs of sexual abuse, physical abuse, bribery and various drug offenses were first brought forth by ex-girlfriend and Bad Boy Records signee Casandra “Cassie” Ventura in a lawsuit. The most notable claims were about his so-called “freak off” sex parties, where prosecutors allege women and men were drugged and forced to perform sexual acts at Combs’ pleasure. He was also accused of using video footage to blackmail the victims into compliance. Combs quickly settled with Ventura within 24 hours.

To the federal charges, he has pleaded not guilty, and was denied bail. His trial is scheduled for May 2025.