Diddy’s Recent Losses: A Look at Reality Shows and Miami Beach Key Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Sean “Diddy”Combs may be facing a sentence ranging from 15 years to life in prison due to numerous sexual assault lawsuits that emerged against the famous music producer starting in mid-November of the previous year.
While the artist and his legal representatives came to an agreement in the sexual assault and abuse lawsuit filed by Cassie Ventura just a day post-filing, the ongoing allegations from subsequent lawsuits have taken a significant toll on Sean Combs’ reputation and business interests.
On September 16, 2024, he was taken into custody and denied bail set at $50 million. Currently, Sean is held at a federal prison in Brooklyn on charges including “Federal sex trafficking and racketeering,”with accusations stretching back as far as 30 years.
Following his arrest, Sean’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, released a public statement urging the media and public to delay their judgments until all evidence was reviewed. He remarked:
“To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges. Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”
Diddy could also face an additional wave of 120 lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct, with attorney Tony Buzbee affirming that his firm will represent these cases, aiming to file them by month’s end.
Companies and Organizations Severing Connections with Sean “Diddy”Combs
In the wake of the sexual abuse, misconduct, and trafficking allegations, many prominent brands and organizations have chosen to cut ties with Sean Combs and his business endeavors.
Readers can find an extensive list of the companies and institutions that opted to distance themselves from the rapper between November 2023 and June 2024.
Capital Preparatory Harlem
Capital Preparatory Harlem, a public, tuition-free charter school co-founded by Sean “Diddy”Combs in 2016, focuses on preparing students in grades 6 through 12 for college and future careers.
Shortly after settling Cassie Ventura’s lawsuit in November 2023, the school announced their decision to sever relations with the music mogul through a public statement:
“Following a comprehensive evaluation, a decision has been made to end the partnership between Capital Preparatory Schools and Sean Combs,”
Dr. Steve Perry, Head of Schools and Co-founder, mentioned in an interview with Vulture Magazine that this decision was not taken lightly:
“While this decision was not made lightly, we firmly believe it is in the best interest of our organization’s health and future.”
Revolt TV
As of November 28, 2023, various media outlets reported that Sean Combs has temporarily stepped down as Chairman of Revolt, the television and media network he co-founded with Andy Schuon back in 2013.
The multi-platform media organization issued a statement concerning Diddy’s temporary departure, emphasizing their commitment to focusing on their responsibilities in creating cultural content.
“While Mr. Combs has previously had no operational or day-to-day role in the business, this decision helps to ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora.” – Statement from Revolt TV.
In June 2024, Sean “Diddy”Combs sold his majority share in Revolt to an undisclosed buyer, resulting in a group of employees and executives taking ownership of the company.
Reports indicated that despite selling his majority shares, Revolt remains under Black ownership with the remaining stakeholders.
Empower Global Business Partners
In December 2023, Rolling Stone confirmed that 18 different companies and business partners had distanced themselves from Diddy’s e-commerce site, Empower Global.
Founded in 2021, Empower Global is part of “Combs Global,”a portfolio aimed at promoting Black-owned enterprises, operating on a subscription model that requires users to pay $35 for access to the marketplace.
A survey of 160 companies revealed that many cited both the allegations and the website’s underwhelming performance as reasons for their departure:
“We enjoyed working with the team, but have not seen meaningful sales, so we were already planning to terminate our relationship at the end of this year. These harrowing allegations have expedited our decision.”- Rebecca Allen, founder of a high-end footwear company.
Hulu’s “Diddy+7″Series
On December 13, 2024, Billboard reported that the reality series intended to showcase the daily lives of Diddy and his family was aborted following the receipt of his fourth sexual abuse lawsuit.
At that time, “Diddy+7″was still in its preliminary production stages, managed by James Corden’s Fulwell 73 production house.
Salxco
According to a January report from Billboard on the “Downfall of Diddy,”the magazine noted that Salxco, Combs’ original artist management firm, no longer lists him as a client.
Peloton
On May 21, 2024, CNN reported that Peloton Interactive decided to halt the use of Sean Combs’ music on their platform, well known for its exercise equipment and streaming fitness classes.
This announcement came shortly after CCTV footage depicting Cassie Ventura’s hotel assault surfaced, with Peloton confirming the decision through a response to a post in a private Facebook group, stating:
“We take this issue very seriously and can confirm Peloton has paused the use of Sean Combs’ music, as well as removed the Bad Boy Entertainment Artist Series, on our platform. This means our Instructors are no longer using his music in any newly produced classes. Again, thank you for sharing your concerns and for being a member of our Peloton community.”
America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses
America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses, a prominent optical retail provider in the United States, announced to US Magazine that they would remove all frames associated with Diddy’s Sean John clothing line from their stores.
Media sources reported that America’s Best planned to replace Sean John frames with other similarly priced stock and discontinue online sales of these items.
Currently, no Sean John frames are available for purchase on America’s Best Contacts & Eyeglasses’ website.
Howard University
In June, Howard University announced that its board of trustees had unanimously agreed to revoke the honorary degree awarded to Sean Combs in 2014. Diddy was a student at the university from 1987 to 1989.
The public statement noted that in addition to revoking Diddy’s degree, Howard University would also terminate his scholarship program established in 2016 and refund his $1 million donation.
“Mr. Combs’ behavior as captured in a recently released video is so fundamentally incompatible with Howard University’s core values and beliefs that he is deemed no longer worthy to hold the institution’s highest honor”- Statement from Howard University.
Key to the City of New York
In June, the city of New York severed ties with Sean Combs after CCTV footage surfaced showing him physically assaulting Cassie Ventura at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles.
Mayor Eric Adams requested the return of the Key to the City, which was awarded to Diddy in September 2023, stating in a letter to Combs’ PR representative:
“I strongly condemn these actions and stand in solidarity with all survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. Our city has worked tirelessly to make sure survivors are heard and seen by our administration.”
Miami’s “Sean Diddy Combs Day”
Former Miami Mayor Philip Levine had previously proclaimed October 13 as “Sean Diddy Combs Day,”acknowledging the rapper’s contributions to the city.
However, in June, The Miami Herald reported that the Miami Beach Commission passed a resolution unanimously revoking this recognition, explaining:
“Upon reflection, the Mayor and City Commission have determined that recognizing October 13, 2016, as ‘Sean Diddy Combs Day’ is no longer in harmony with the City’s values of safety, community well-being, and respect, and wish to rescind the proclamation.”
In recent developments, News18 reported that Diddy’s legal representatives have accused the federal government and Department of Homeland Security of allegedly orchestrating the leak of the “InterContinental Hotel assault”video.
Today, ABC News confirmed that Sean Combs is seeking an expedited trial date, with his legal team advocating for a Spring date.
Leave a Reply