Diddy lawsuit reveals shocking allegations
In a press conference, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York revealed shocking allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs.
On a January evening in 2020, Sean “Diddy” Combs accepted the Industry Icon Award at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy gala. He preached accountability and diversity. He talked about the need for “transparency.”
Of course, he was talking about the Recording Academy (and society in general), not himself.
This week, federal authorities arrested the music mogul and charged him with organized crime, sex trafficking and transportation for the purpose of prostitution. In the months leading up to his arrest, lawsuits had piled up from his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie Ventura, former Bad Boy Records girl group Danity Kane Dawn Richard and former model Crystal McKinney.
But a few years ago, Diddy was the undisputed number one in a room full of A-list celebrities.
“I’m honored by the industry I love, by the family I love, but there’s a problem that’s not just related to the Grammys,” Combs said in a long speech at the end of the party. “There’s discrimination and injustice everywhere.”
People listened. They laughed. They applauded. They stood up.
I know because I was there, writing about it for USA TODAY. It was a post-Me Too, pre-pandemic world. And now I can’t help but wonder. What — if anything — did people know? And did Combs allegedly circumvent all the transparency he talked about?
There was indeed an elephant in the room.
“Hip-hop was never respected”: Diddy criticizes Grammys in scathing speech at Clive Davis event
Diddy and the power in Hollywood
Diddy has long been active in Hollywood’s most influential circles.
At the event I attended, he noted that he was surrounded by high-profile names from the music scene, some of whom were there to celebrate him. He told the crowd, “We need the artists to take back control. We need transparency. We need diversity. This is the space that has the power to make the changes that are needed.”
At the heart of the allegations Diddy is now facing is power.
According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, Diddy used his influence to maintain “a certain degree of control over the victims.” He “threatened and coerced victims into participating in the freak-offs,” Williams said in a press conference, referring to the alleged “elaborate and staged sex performances” that were recorded without the consent of many victims and sometimes used as collateral against them.
Combs is also accused of coercing victims or witnesses into silence. Prosecutors claim he had people working for him cover his tracks and threatened financial or professional ruin for those who spoke out. That’s power.
Further details: Sean “Diddy” Combs charged with sex trafficking for “widely known” abuse, indictment says
“I want you to think of me”
The Grammys speech was one of many honors Combs has received over the years, including being awarded a key to New York City in 2023, which has since been revoked. My colleague Anika Reed interviewed him at the time.
“God blessed me with a second chance at life,” he said. “I decided there was another mountain for me to conquer. I’m looking for the next era in my life, and that is the era of love. That means being a unifier, fighting for radical change and making beautiful music that makes people feel good.”
Like the party speech, his words feel different after his arrest and the shocking details of the charges.
He continued, “When you think of hip-hop, you think of partying – I want you to think of me. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do: make you dance, make you sing, make you feel good.”
When I read through the charges – the alleged non-consensual sex parties, the drugs, the violence, the abuse – “good” is not the word I would use. Good disappeared months ago when the horrific video of Diddy hitting Cassie and pulling her hair leaked.
I just hope that transparency in all its forms can become a reality for the entertainment industry as a whole – and for the real world.
Contributors: Anika Reed
