On Friday (May 17), CNN shared disturbing video of Sean “Diddy” Combs viciously assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura back in 2016. The violent incident, which took place at an InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles, was detailed by Ventura in her lawsuit against the mogul last year.
Initially, Combs — who decided to rename himself as “Brother Love” in recent years — denied her allegations of abuse. Clearly, the name change was nothing more than a calculated public relations move.
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“Despite withdrawing her initial threat, Ms. Ventura has now resorted to filing a lawsuit riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs’ reputation, and seeking a pay day,” his attorney, Ben Brafman, stated in response to Cassie’s lawsuit.
After the footage of the beating was leaked, Combs took to social media on Sunday (May 19) to apologize for his actions. Interestingly enough, just one year after this assault was caught on camera, Combs shared that his new name was “Brother Love.”
Switching up his moniker is nothing new for the star: He has labeled himself Puff Daddy, Puffy, P. Diddy and Diddy since becoming famous in the 1990s. However, when he turned 48 in 2017, he announced in a video:
“I have some very serious news. I’ve been praying on this and I knew it was risky, ‘cause it could come off as corny to some people. I decided to change my name again… I’m just not who I am before. I’m something different. So my new name is Love a.k.a. Brother Love. I will not be answering to Puffy, Diddy, Puff Daddy, or any of my other monikers but Love or Brother Love.”
At this point, Combs already had a history of controversy and violence, including allegedly attacking music executive Steve Stoute in 1998 over a music video, being involved in the infamous Club New York shooting in 1999 or reportedly assaulting then-UCLA assistant football coach Sal Alosi in 2015.
By seemingly choosing a more peaceful name, Combs thought that he could erase his past and embody a more peaceful existence. In 2021, he legally changed his middle name to “Love.” “Look what I just got in the mail today… It’s official!!!” he wrote on Twitter at the time. “Welcome to the love era.”
This was followed by Combs signing to Motown Records in 2022 and the release of his fifth studio album “The Love Album: Off the Grid” released last year. The project was Grammy nominated and Combs was deemed an icon by the Recording Academy, MTV and BET.
After Ventura filed her lawsuit, three more women came forward with suits of their own alleging they were raped by Combs. One of the producers of “The Love Album,” Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones, also filed a lawsuit earlier this year against Combs and accused him of sexual assault and leading a “widespread and dangerous criminal sex trafficking organization.”
It’s clear that Combs strategized to appear more endearing by pushing a message of warmth and calmness. As we continue to watch his life unravel, it has become clearer that he’s been manipulating the public in an attempt to soften the reality of his brutal behavior.
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