Diddy was awarded the ultimate accolade in his hometown of New York City last year, but less than 12 months later, he could become the first recipient to have it revoked.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams spoke with PIX11 on Monday (May 20) and was quizzed about the shocking footage that surfaced just days earlier of Puffy brutally attacking his then-girlfriend Cassie in 2016.
AD LOADING...
Asked whether Diddy’s key to New York City, which Adams presented to him during a ceremony in Times Square last September, could be revoked, the mayor said he and his team are currently considering it.
“I think all of us were deeply disturbed by watching that chilling video of the young lady being assaulted by him,” he said. “The committee and the team, we’ve never rescinded a key before, but we are now sitting down to see what the next steps forward are going to be.”
AD LOADING...
Asked again, in more direct fashion, if he’s considering taking the honor away, Adams replied: “We are taking everything under analysis and the team will come back [to] me with a final determination.”
Watch the clip below.
The footage in question, obtained by CNN late last week, shows Diddy viciously assaulting Cassie in a hotel corridor eight years ago.
The mogul can be seen running out of his hotel room wearing nothing but a towel and throwing the singer to the floor as she waits for an elevator.
AD LOADING...
He then kicks and stomps her as she lies on the floor before dragging her back to his hotel room. The CCTV footage also shows him pushing her up against a wall as she tries to use a hotel phone and throwing a vase in her direction.
The video appears to corroborate Cassie’s account of such an incident in the sexual assault lawsuit she filed against her former partner last November — just two months after he was given the key to New York City.
AD LOADING...
The lawsuit, which contained other shocking allegations of rape, abuse and sex trafficking, was settled the following day, although terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Following a string of other sexual assault lawsuits that were filed in the subsequent weeks, Diddy vehemently denied the allegations, dismissing them as attempts to “assassinate” his character and earn a “quick payday.”
“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,” he said in the statement.
After the footage of his attack on Cassie was made public, however, the 54-year-old acknowledged and apologized for his behavior.
AD LOADING...
“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was fucked up — I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses,” he said in a video posted on Instagram.
“My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”
AD LOADING...
He added: “I’m so sorry. But I’m committed to be a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry.”
