In September of 2024, Diddy was arrested and hit with charges related to alleged sex trafficking and racketeering. Last month, his federal trial began. So far, people from his past like Cassie, Dawn Richard, Kid Cudi, and more have testified. If convicted, he could be handed a lengthy prison sentence such as life behind bars.
On top of his criminal case, the Bad Boy founder is also currently facing several lawsuits from men and women accusing him of sexual assault, abuse, and more. This week, Diddy's former publicist Rob Shuter wrote a personal essay for The Hollywood Reporter, reflecting on his past proximity to the mogul.
“With Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs facing a cascade of allegations—including rape, sexual assault, sex trafficking and physical abuse—all of which he has denied, I’m left with a question I can no longer avoid: What’s more damning? Not knowing? Or not wanting to know?” he wrote, per AllHipHop.
He continued, claiming that while he didn't witness any of the alleged misconduct, it's possible that he ignored some red flags.
Diddy Trial
“When I say I didn’t see the alleged behavior, I mean it,” he explained. “But I also understand the ways I may have refused to. That refusal didn’t come from malice. It came from ambition. From awe. From the seductive hum of being needed by someone the world adored. It’s astonishing what we’ll fail to see when fame is in the room.”
“What I was actually doing was managing a mirage," Shuter continued. "And like so many others in the entertainment ecosystem—agents, producers, stylists, executives, managers—I learned to look away.”
Diddy's trial is scheduled to pick back up again tomorrow, and his alleged former drug mule Brendan Paul is expected to take the stand.
