The Simpsons showrunner Matt Selman is setting the record straight over speculation the hit animated program predicted Diddy’s recent troubles.
Selman says an image circulating online that depicts Diddy as a Simpsons character on the run from the police is the work of AI — not the show’s animation team.
“In the current era of digital misinformation, The Simpsons ‘predictions’ (or, more accurately, ‘coincidences’) have become meaningless,” Selman told TMZ in an article published on Thursday, May 23. “Any goofball can whip up an AI image based on a current event and say ‘The Simpsons predicted it!’ — and decent-but-easily-misled folks will believe it because they so very want it to be true.”
A viral image of Diddy as a Simpsons character trying to evade Springfield’s finest has gained traction over the last week after security camera footage emerged of Diddy assaulting his former girlfriend, Cassie, in a hotel hallway in 2016.
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The Simpsons has a long history of foreshadowing future events, including Donald Trump’s presidency and Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
“If you study history, you will be able to ‘predict’ the future because the foolishness of humanity repeats itself,” Selman said of the show’s track record. “If you study math, you will know that if the show makes literally tens of thousands of jokes about American society over almost 800 episodes, it would be statistically impossible not to create material that overlaps with what would later happen in real life.”
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Diddy, 54, issued an apology on Sunday, May 19, two days after CNN published footage of his assault on Cassie in 2016.
“It’s difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, sometimes you gotta do that,” Diddy said. “I was f–ked up. I mean, 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. I’m disgusted.”
“I went and sought out professional help. I’ve been going to therapy, going to rehab. Had to ask God for his mercy and grace. I’m so sorry, but I’m committed to being a better man each and every day. I’m not asking for forgiveness. I’m truly sorry,” he added.
Cassie’s legal team issued a statement to Us Weekly that denounced the video as being “more about himself than the many people he has hurt.”
“When Cassie and multiple other women came forward, he denied everything and suggested that his victims were looking for a payday,” Meredith Firetog, a partner at Wigdor LLP, said. “That he was only compelled to ‘apologize’ once his repeated denials were proven false shows his pathetic desperation, and no one will be swayed by his disingenuous words.”
On Tuesday, May 21, TMZ reported that another woman, model Crystal McKinney, has filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of sexually assaulting her in 2003.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
