One of Johnny Depp’s lawyers believes that Sean “Diddy” Combs will have to take the stand in his trial next year — especially when it comes to discussing the video of him assaulting ex-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura.
“That’s going to force him to testify,” attorney Benjamin Chew said when discussing the video during an episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, which premiered on Friday, October 25. “I think he’s going to have to do an awful lot better than he did in that apology video if he’s going to convince one or two jurors to hang that jury.”
Chew noted that “video is so damaging, at any trial, whether it’s criminal or civil because it’s hard to explain away.” The lawyer referred to the Diddy, 54, and Cassie, 38, video “devastating” as well. (Chew was the colead counsel in Depp’s defamation case against Amber Heard, which he won in 2022. Chew is not involved with Diddy’s case.)
Hotel security footage from 2016 was published by CNN in May and showed Diddy assaulting Cassie in the hallway of the now-closed InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. The rapper released a social media video apologizing for his actions at the time. (Diddy and Cassie were in an on and off relationship from 2007 to 2018. She filed a lawsuit against the rapper in November 2023, accusing him of abuse. The suit was settled one day later.)
Chew said on Friday that he doesn’t think Diddy has “any choice” but to testify. “If he chooses not to testify that will be damning,” the lawyer added, especially because of the Cassie video.
“He’s got to explain it, say he was terribly sorry for it but that was an aberration, that’s not who he is. He simply has to say that,” the lawyer said on Piers Morgan Uncensored. “He has to own it and say, ‘I did a horrible thing. I’ll regret it the rest of my life but that doesn’t mean that I engaged in sex trafficking’. He’s got to look the jury in the eye and say that and say it convincingly.”
Chew continued: “When he said he was sorry it didn’t ring true. I would like to see more emotion there.”
Diddy was arrested in Manhattan last month and is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. Multiple accusers have also filed lawsuits against Diddy, and he has since denied those accusations.
Chew also speculated about the charges being filed against Diddy.
“I’m afraid that he may never see the light of day, these are extraordinarily serious felonies he is charged with so if he’s found guilty on some or all of them, I think he’d be a very old man by the time he gets out, if he gets out at all,” he said.
Luxury Handbag Shopping has reached out to Diddy’s team for comment.
