Celebrities are weighing in following the recent arrest of Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The music mogul was taken into custody in New York on September 16. The following day, a 14-page indictment alleging that Diddy “abused, threatened and coerced women and others around him” was made public. The rapper has since entered a not guilty plea for charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution.
A New York judge denied Diddy bail on September 17, and he will remain in custody pending trial.
Diddy’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, maintained that Diddy is innocent in an interview on CNN’s The Source With Kaitlan Collins.
“He’s innocent. I believe he’s innocent. I believe he’s innocent of the charges,” he said during the September 17 episode. “He is going to go to trial. And I believe he’s going to win.”
A Timeline of Diddy’s Legal Troubles, Accusations and Arrests
As Diddy’s legal battle continued, members of the music industry have spoken out about his arrest and subsequent charges. Keep scrolling to read the biggest reactions:
Aubrey O’Day
The former Danity Kane member, who has been outspoken about Diddy in the past, appeared to react to news of Diddy’s arrest on September 16.
“The purpose of justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter,” she shared via her Instagram Story. “Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just for me.”
The singer added: “Things are finally changing.”
Dawn Richard
A second former member of Danity Kane also spoke out.
“We applaud the grand jury’s new indictment of Sean Combs, which is strikingly similar to the federal complaint we filed last week on behalf of our brave client, Dawn Richard,” attorney Lisa Bloom said in a statement to Us Weekly on September 17. “Given the brutal beating of Sean Combs’ girlfriend caught on video and the eight people who have now accused him of abuse in court filings, including Dawn, this arrest seems long overdue.”
She previously filed a lawsuit against Diddy, accusing him of manipulating, terrorizing and sexually abusing her. At the time Diddy’s attorney Erica Wolff released a statement on his behalf.
“It’s unfortunate that Ms. Richard has cast their 20-year friendship aside to try and get money from him,” it read, in part. “Mr. Combs is confidently standing on truth and looks forward to proving that in court.”
Foxy Brown
The rapper shared her thoughts via her Instagram Story, writing, “S— ’bout to really get crazy!!!” on September 17.
50 Cent
He appeared to take a shot at Diddy in a September 17 social media post.
“Here I am keeping good company with @thedrewbarrymoreshow and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house,” the rapper captioned a photo alongside Drew Barrymore. The “lube” comment appeared to be related to the “more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant” that Homeland Security seized from Diddy’s homes during a raid this past March, as stated in this week’s indictment.
Breaking Down the 5 Most Shocking Claims From Diddy’s 14-Page Indictment
Charlamagne Tha God
The radio host discussed the alleged “Freak Offs” that were described in Diddy’s indictment during “The Breakfast Club” radio show on September 17. (“Freak Offs” were alleged hotel room parties hosted by Diddy in which women would be forced to “engage in extended sex acts with male commercial sex workers.”)
“If he gets racketeering and sex trafficking for ‘freak offs,’ it will be others involved. Like if you ever ran a train with Diddy, you’re probably going to jail,” the comedian speculated. “If you ever been butt naked anywhere with Diddy or half butt naked with Diddy and there was some women around or some men around that he told you were part of the party, you’re probably going to jail.”
‘The View’ Hosts
Whoopi Goldberg called Diddy’s 14-page indictment “extensive and disturbing” during the show’s September 17 episode. Sunny Hostin said Diddy was involved in “mob-like behavior,” referring to the indictment.
“They’re describing a criminal enterprise that involved trafficking of underage people across state lines to have sex, and they dubbed them ‘freak-offs,’” she continued. “They raided his homes and found 1,000 vials of lubricant. They raided his home and found narcotics.”
Kesha
The singer made a TikTok video reacting to the news of Diddy’s arrest using her song “TiK ToK” that featured the new lyrics, which are a diss to Diddy. She debuted the new version at Coachella earlier this year. (The original lyrics read, “Wake up in the morning feeling like P. Diddy.)
“Wake up in the mornin’ like, ‘F— P. Diddy,” the song said while Kesha held up her middle finger to the camera and smiled before blowing it a kiss.
