Wendy Williams shared her thoughts on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ arrest along with the 2016 surveillance footage of the rapper assaulting ex Cassie Ventura.
Wendy Williams is speaking out amid Sean “Diddy” Combs’ legal case.
Two weeks after the rap mogul was arrested in New York City and indicted on racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution, the former talk show host reacted to his charges.
“What is really weird is that I have been told by so many people, ‘Wendy, you called it,'” Williams told DailyMail.com in an interview published Oct. 1. “Including some people from my family who have said the same.”
She also spoke about the 2016 surveillance video of the rapper assaulting ex Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway that was published by CNN this May.
“You know how I feel about that?” she asked about his arrest. “It is about time. To see this video on TV of [Cassie] getting pummeled … it was just horrific.”
“But now you have to think, how many more times?” the 60-year-old continued. “How many people? How many more women? It’s just so horrible.”
Wendy has been a vocal critic of Combs, with her previously sharing her perspective on the power imbalance of dating the rapper on her eponymous talk show amid his and Ventura’s 2015 breakup. (The pair dated on and off for a decade until they split for good in 2018.)
“My thing about when you date a mogul is that it’s really difficult to avoid them because if you use your head,” Williams said in the December 2015 episode. “You never know when they’re going to pop up on the scene.”
She noted that with the power and finances he had, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to see her if he wanted, whether she was interested or not.
“I’m already paranoid as a person,” she concluded, “but to know somebody could actually swoop down on me in the middle of nothing would scare the bejesus out of me!”
Since Combs’ Sept. 16 arrest, more details have come to light about his dynamic with Ventura days following the assault. During his second attempt at requesting bail, which was denied, prosecutors read alleged texts between them.
“Call me, the cops are here,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Johnson said Sept. 18, per an NBC News reporter present in court, that Combs allegedly texted in the days following the assault. “I have six kids. Call, I’m surrounded.”
Johnson alleged that the victim of the 2016 attack, who was not named during the hearing, texted back, “Sick you think it’s OK to do what you’ve done.”
E! News reached out to reps for Ventura and Diddy at the time and did not hear back.
While he initially denied the altercation had taken place in response to Ventura’s November 2023 lawsuit in which she described an incident matching the events that take place in the video—they settled the suit the day after its filing—Combs addressed the incident after the footage was released by CNN.
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that,” he said in his May Instagram video, released days after the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office revealed that charges couldn’t be filed against him due to California’s statute of limitations. “I was f–ked up. I hit rock bottom. But I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video.”
Cassie broke her silence days later, expressing gratitude for the support she received since the video’s release.
“The outpouring of love has created a place for my younger self to settle and feel safe now, but the is only the beginning,” she wrote on Instagram. “Domestic Violence is THE issue. It broke me down to someone I never thought I would become. With a lot of hard work, I am better today, but I will always be recovering from my past.”
Keep reading for a full breakdown of Diddy’s legal issues.
Search Warrants Executed on Diddy’s L.A. and Miami Properties
Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami properties on March 25, multiple law enforcement sources confirmed to NBC News.
The sources told the outlet the warrant was out of the Southern District of New York, and a spokesperson for HSI New York confirmed to E! News it “executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners.”
Law enforcement sources told NBC News the music mogul was in the Miami area when the search warrants were executed.
News about the investigation broke after Combs faced allegations of sexual misconduct in lawsuits filed by multiple accusers starting in November, with the musician denying the allegations.
“Sickening allegations have been made against me by individuals looking for a quick payday,” he wrote in a December statement posted on Instagram. “Let me be absolutely clear: I did not do any of the awful things being alleged. I will fight for my name, my family and for the truth.”
Diddy’s Attorney Speaks Out
The day after HSI executed the search warrants at Combs’ L.A. and Miami properties, his lawyer spoke out.
“Yesterday, there was a gross overuse of military-level force as search warrants were executed at Mr. Combs’ residences,” attorney Aaron Dyer said in a March 26 statement to E! News. “There is no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated.”
Dyer noted Combs “was never detained but spoke to and cooperated with authorities.”
“Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way,” his lawyer’s statement continued. “This unprecedented ambush—paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence—leads to a premature rush to judgment of Mr. Combs and is nothing more than a witch hunt based on meritless accusations made in civil lawsuits.”
And Dyer expressed Combs’ intent to defend himself.
“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” he added. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
Details About the Raid Revealed
As for what actually went down during the searches, multiple law enforcement sources familiar with the warrant told NBC News authorities with the Department of Homeland Security seized phones from Combs’ home in Miami before he was scheduled to travel to the Bahamas, and several sources familiar with the matter added that guns were discovered during the search.
One source familiar with the matter also told NBC News three women and one man were interviewed by prosecutors and investigators from the Southern District of New York about allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault, the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms purportedly tied to Combs.
Diddy’s Associate Brendan Paul Arrested on Suspicion of Drug Possession
On the same day the search warrants were executed at Combs’ Miami and Los Angeles properties, one of his associates, Brendan Paul, was arrested by the Miami-Dade police on suspicion of drug possession, a law enforcement source familiar with the matter told NBC News.
According to the Miami-Dade arrest affidavit obtained by the outlet, Paul was taken into custody for allegedly possessing suspected cocaine and suspected marijuana candy.
Prison records obtained by NBC News show Paul was released on March 26 after posting bond.
“We do not plan on trying this case in the media,” Paul’s attorney Brian Bieber said in a statement obtained by the outlet, “all issues will be dealt with in court.”
In May, Paul accepted a plea deal, with his lawyer Bieber telling People, “Brendan accepted the prosecutor’s offer to permit his entry into the diversion program which, after completion, the case against him will be dismissed in its entirety.”
Diddy Arrested in New York
He was arrested in the lobby of a New York hotel on Sept. 16, 2024, according to NBC News. It’s unclear what Combs has been charged with and if the arrest has any potential connection to the raids.
“We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” his lawyer Marc Agnifilo said in a statement to E! News. “He is an imperfect person but Is not criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.”
Diddy Charged With Sex Trafficking & Racketeering
After Combs was arrested based on the sealed indictment, the indictment was unsealed on Sept. 17.
The 54-year-old was charged with racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; as well as transportation to engage in prostitution, according to court documents obtained by NBC News.
The indictment alleged Combs “abused, threatened, and coerced women and others around him to fulfill his sexual desires, protect his reputation, and conceal his conduct” for more than a decade, with prosecutors saying the purported behavior started around 2008.
“To do so,” the documents stated, “Combs relied on the employees, resources, and influence of the multi-faceted business empire that he led and controlled—creating a criminal enterprise whose members and associates engaged in, and attempted to engage in, among other crimes, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.”
According to NBC News, Combs pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.
“He’s going to fight this with all of his energy and all of his might,” his attorney Marc Agnifilo told reporters outside the courthouse prior to the arraignment, “and the full confidence of his lawyers.”
Held Without Bail in New York Facility
Following his arrest, Combs was held at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center where he was denied a $50 million bond. The music mogul was also placed on suicide watch, which a source told E! News is a customary procedure for high-profile inmates.
He was assigned the same area of the jail as cryptocurrency fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, a source told NBC News.
