For years, disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs seemed untouchable in Hollywood. However, a series of lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct shattered that image, leading to a dramatic fall from grace. This downfall culminated in a federal grand jury indictment and arrest, landing Diddy in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York – a stark contrast to the luxurious lifestyle he enjoyed for decades.
While Diddy, through his attorney, vehemently denies any wrongdoing and maintains his innocence, several celebrities have spoken out about his infamous parties. These parties, according to the lawsuits, were allegedly breeding grounds for sexual assault and trafficking.
The curtain began to lift on Diddy’s alleged misconduct in November of the previous year. His ex-girlfriend, Cassandra Ventura, professionally known as Cassie, filed a lawsuit against him in federal court.
Cassie Ventura, also known as Cassie, at a red carpet event.
The suit detailed a decade-long pattern of physical and sexual abuse. Cassie, formerly signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, claimed he exerted control over every aspect of her life, from her residence and attire to her medical records.
The lawsuit outlined disturbing instances of abuse, including battery, rape, and coercion into sexual acts with male sex workers. It further alleged that Diddy employed intimidation tactics, citing an incident where he allegedly had someone vandalize another rapper’s car. This occurred after Diddy discovered the rapper, later identified as Kid Cudi, harbored romantic interest in Cassie during a break in their relationship. Kid Cudi has since confirmed the veracity of these allegations.
The physical violence Cassie allegedly endured was also brought to light. In one instance, Diddy allegedly shoved her into a car and proceeded to kick her repeatedly in the face. In another, an intoxicated Diddy allegedly gave Cassie a black eye when she attempted to leave a hotel room. Shockingly, hotel security footage capturing the incident was allegedly purchased by Diddy for $50,000 to suppress its release.
CNN eventually obtained and aired the surveillance video, prompting a public apology from Diddy. While he refrained from directly naming Cassie, he expressed remorse, stating, “It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was up—I mean, I hit rock bottom, but I made no excuses. 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. I went and I sought out professional help. I had to go into therapy and go to rehab, had to ask God for his mercy and grace. 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.”
However, the lawsuit painted a picture of a pattern of intimidation extending beyond physical violence. It alleged that Diddy dangled Cassie’s friend over a 17-story balcony and forced Cassie to carry his firearm in her purse. The lawsuit further claimed that several Bad Boy Records employees witnessed the alleged abuse but remained silent out of fear of their boss.
Adding to the disturbing allegations, the lawsuit claimed Diddy supplied Cassie with various drugs, including ecstasy and ketamine. The constant substance abuse during her relationship with Diddy allegedly resulted in memory loss.
The lawsuit was eventually settled for an undisclosed amount shortly after its filing. However, Cassie was not the only former partner to come forward with allegations against Diddy.
Gina Huynh, another ex-girlfriend, revealed in a 2019 interview with controversial blogger Tasha K that Diddy allegedly stomped on her stomach and punched her in the head during one incident. Huynh claimed to have dated Diddy on and off for five years while he was also involved with Cassie. In her interview, she described pleading with Diddy to stop the assault, saying she couldn’t breathe after he stomped on her stomach. While Huynh didn’t pursue legal action against Diddy, her interview has resurfaced and gained significant attention online.
Music producer Rodney Jones Jr., known as Lil Rod, also leveled serious accusations against Diddy in a $30 million lawsuit. The suit alleged a year-long campaign of sexual harassment and threats. Jones claimed he was subjected to potential drugging, ritualistic humiliation, and financial exploitation, alleging Diddy cheated him out of over $50,000 for work on his last album. The lawsuit also named actor Cuba Gooding Jr., suggesting Diddy was grooming Jones to be passed off to Gooding. Jones claimed he was left alone with Gooding in a studio on Diddy’s yacht, where Gooding allegedly groped and fondled him. Both Diddy and Cuba Gooding Jr. have denied Jones’s allegations.
In the wake of Diddy’s arrest, past interviews have resurfaced, shedding further light on his alleged conduct. In a 2016 interview with radio personality Howard Stern, singer Usher, who lived with Diddy as a teenager, hinted at unusual occurrences at Diddy’s so-called “Puffy Flavor Camp.”
Usher performing on stage with dancers.
Usher, around 13 years old at the time, moved to New York City and lived with Diddy, then known as Puff Daddy, for a year. The arrangement, orchestrated by Usher’s then-manager, LA Reid, exposed a young Usher to what he described as a “wild and crazy time” in the 1990s. In a 2004 Rolling Stone interview, Usher was quoted saying, “Puff introduced me to a totally different set of stuff. Sex specifically… Sex is so hot in the industry. There was always girls around. You’d open a door and see somebody doing it, or several people in a room having an orgy. You never know what was going to happen.”
Years later, when Stern questioned whether “Puffy’s place was filled with chicks and orgies nonstop,” Usher’s response was, “Not really.” He added that “very curious things took place there” that he didn’t fully comprehend. When asked if he would consider sending his own children to such an environment, Usher replied, “What a life, yeah. It’s pretty crazy. Fourteen years old—you’re a dad now. Would you ever send your kid to Puffy Camp? Hell no.”
Comedian Kat Williams has also publicly commented on Diddy’s alleged wild parties. In January, during an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s “Club Shay” podcast, Williams stated, “I got to protect my integrity because if P. Diddy be wanting to party and you got to tell him no.” Following Diddy’s arrest, Williams didn’t hold back, calling Diddy’s lawyer “dumb” during a live comedy performance. Referencing the substantial amount of baby oil seized by federal agents, allegedly used for sexual activities, Williams quipped, “P. Diddy’s dumb lawyer said he probably got it at Costco. Costco hit right back and said, ‘We don’t even sell baby oil.'” He further joked, “That’s why God gave me eczema. I can’t even use baby oil.”
Another Williams, unrelated to Kat, has also spoken out about Diddy. In 2005, Wendy Williams claimed she was nearly physically assaulted by the girl group Total, who were signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. Williams implied Diddy’s involvement and alleged that she was fired from her position at Hot 97 after speculating about Diddy’s sexuality. In her 2004 book, “The Wendy Williams Experience,” she wrote about harboring “a certain level of contempt for Puff because he single-handedly tried to ruin her career.” She added, “The hell he put me through I will never forget, but I don’t hate him.” However, the two seemingly reconciled when Diddy appeared as a guest on “The Wendy Williams Show” in 2017.
Following the raids on Diddy’s mansions by federal agents in March, former Bad Boy Records artists began to voice their perspectives. Rapper Mase called the raid “big payback,” adding that it was “amazing” it occurred on the anniversary of “Life After Death,” the last album posthumously released by Diddy’s close friend, The Notorious B.I.G.
Mase and Diddy have a complicated history. Signed to Bad Boy Records in the 1990s and early 2000s, Mase relinquished his publishing rights to Diddy for $20,000. Years later, when he attempted to regain control of his catalog, he publicly criticized Diddy for rejecting his $2 million offer to buy back his publishing. Although Diddy eventually returned the publishing rights, Mase, who collaborated with Diddy on hits such as “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” and “Mo Money Mo Problems,” expressed relief at having “escaped Diddy” following his arrest. During an episode of his podcast, “It Is What It Is,” Mase seemingly alluded to Diddy’s legal troubles by sporting an orange tie. When co-host Treasure Wilson inquired about the tie’s significance, the former Bad Boy rapper responded, “No statements to be made. It might be Code Orange. There’s a lot going on these days.”
Mase wasn’t alone in his sentiments. In December 2022, Aubrey O’Day, former member of Danity Kane, revealed that she was dismissed from the group in 2008 for refusing to comply with unspoken expectations. She clarified, “Not talent-wise, but in other areas… I wasn’t the only girl that was put in those types of positions.”
The previous year, Diddy announced his intention to return publishing rights to several Bad Boy Records artists, including O’Day’s group. However, O’Day asserted that Diddy’s offer came with strings attached, namely non-disclosure agreements (NDAs). These NDAs, according to O’Day, prohibited artists from speaking negatively about “Puff, Bad Boy, Janice Combs [Diddy’s mother], Justin Combs [Diddy’s son], music, EMI publishing, or Sony—ever in public.” Despite Diddy presenting the gesture as a return of their publishing rights, O’Day claimed it wouldn’t significantly benefit the group financially, estimating her share to be slightly over $330.
Following Diddy’s arrest, O’Day shared her feelings of validation on social media, stating, “The purpose of justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter. Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just me. Things are finally changing.”
Just a week before Diddy’s arrest, Dawn Richard, O’Day’s bandmate in both Danity Kane and Diddy’s group Dirty Money, filed a lawsuit against the producer. The suit accused Diddy of sexual assault, battery, and inhumane treatment. Richard claimed to have witnessed Diddy physically abusing Cassie on numerous occasions and alleged she observed Diddy and his associates engaging in illegal drug use and sexual acts with underage girls.
Richard first encountered Diddy during her audition for season 3 of his MTV show, “Making the Band.” She alleged that during auditions, he verbally abused female contestants, using derogatory terms such as “fat,” “ugly,” “hoes,” and the “b-word.” Richard further claimed that she and her bandmates were subjected to grueling rehearsal schedules, sometimes lasting up to 48 hours without rest or food, leading to significant weight loss. In one instance, Richard alleged that Diddy raised his fist at her as if to strike her and then confined her to a car for several hours. This incident prompted Richard’s father to intervene, to which Diddy allegedly responded, “You don’t call your dad unless you’re in the hospital.”
Kimora Lee Simmons, close friend of Diddy’s former girlfriend Kim Porter, also shared an alarming anecdote. In a past interview with New York Magazine, Simmons recounted an incident where she made a remark that angered Diddy, prompting him to threaten to hit her. She did acknowledge that he later apologized publicly.
Even Diddy’s rivals have weighed in on his current legal predicament. Rapper and TV producer Curtis Jackson, known as 50 Cent, has been engaged in a long-standing feud with Diddy since the early 2000s. When federal agents raided Diddy’s homes, 50 Cent took to social media, posting, “Now it’s not Diddy ‘Do It,’ it’s Diddy DONE. They don’t come like that unless they got a case.”
Following Diddy’s arrest and the unsealing of his federal indictment, 50 Cent continued to troll his rival online, writing, “Here I am keeping good company with the ‘Drew Barrymore Show,’ and I don’t have a thousand bottles of lube at the house.” 50 Cent has previously expressed his aversion to Diddy’s parties, stating, “I’m just not with all that freaky stuff.” Adding fuel to the fire, 50 Cent is reportedly developing a docuseries about Diddy for Netflix.
Eminem, a close friend of 50 Cent, also appeared to take aim at Diddy in his song “Fuel” from his album “Music to Be Murdered By: Side B.” The lyrics, “I’m like an AR, a r— got so many essays, wait, he didn’t just spell the word ‘rapper’ and leave out a ‘p,’ did he?” took on a new meaning after Diddy’s charges came to light.
Currently incarcerated while awaiting trial, Diddy faces serious federal charges, including sex trafficking by force, fraud, coercion, transportation to engage in prostitution, and racketeering conspiracy. Through his attorney, Sean “Diddy” Combs continues to deny all allegations against him. His legal team has stated they have no intention of pursuing a plea bargain, and Diddy remains determined to clear his name. The producer’s next court appearance is scheduled for October 9th.
