Headlining the news this month has been the salacious and dramatic Sean “Diddy” Combs trial.
Just to educate anyone living under a rock, for almost two years, Combs has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.
In November of 2023, he was accused of sexual misconduct by five different people, and ever since, allegation after allegation has come out, including a disturbing video clearly showing him assaulting his then-girlfriend, Cassie Ventura.
Ventura was key in starting the process of exposing Combs. In the video from 2016, he is seen kicking, hitting, and dragging her in the hotel. This video has been used in court as evidence against Combs.
This video has shown the public that Combs has a very evil, dark side that numerous people have alleged.
Since 2023, according to USA Today, there have been at least 70 civil lawsuits filed against Combs.
According to NBC News, Combs has pleaded not guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy; two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution.
This is a massive trial, and its ramifications are huge.
Most people my age do not understand how popular Combs really was. In the 90s and 2000s, he ruled hip-hop with the likes of Tupac and Biggie Smalls.
Diddy’s net worth is estimated at $400 million; over his career he has sold over 500 million records.
Some of his big hits include: “I’ll Be Missing You,” “Mo Money Mo Problems,” and “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down.” Combs is the founder of Bad Boy Records and founded the fashion line, Sean John.
What this trial can do is not only send Combs behind bars for life, but also send a message that celebrities–no matter how powerful they are–need to be held accountable and cannot use their status to exempt themselves from the law.
Before the 2023 lawsuit, Combs had wiggled in and out of legal issues. In 2001, he was acquitted on gun and bribery charges when he allegedly shot up a nightclub in New York.
According to the New York Post, Combs was quoted in court as saying he only fired his gun because “I thought I was being shot at.” Natania Ruben, an innocent bystander at that club, was shot in the face in that incident.
This time, it will be almost impossible for him to wiggle his way out of 70-plus lawsuits that include absolutely horrible crimes.
An interesting debate that has come up through all of this is whether people should be able to listen to his music.
As someone who listens to Combs’ music, I think it may be time to move away from listening to his music because I feel we can not give any support to a monster such as Combs.
Even though it seems like just listening to his music shouldn’t matter, a lot of the horrendous crimes he committed were committed when he was making music.
I also find it personally hard to listen to his songs when they come on in my playlist, after the first few seconds, I have to skip.
While Combs has not been convicted, many experts think his conviction is imminent.
And even with all of the evidence and horrible eyewitness accounts of him committing these crimes, people feel it is ok to joke about the situation.
As someone who has heard “Diddy” jokes for over the past two years, I find them disgusting.
These “jokes” are disrespectful to the many victims who were allegedly assaulted by Combs and had their lives forever altered by him.
These jokes are disrespectful because they are about how “Diddy didn’t do anything wrong” or “Free Diddy.”
While yes, most of these people are joking, these jokes are not funny and are insulting to those who took a chance to come forward and tell their story to help take Combs down.
These victims put themselves and their story out there just for teens around the world to make fun of them. This is not ok and certainly not acceptable.
