How Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs wielded power and prestige to fuel decades of alleged abuse

Combs’ public image projected wealth and achievement, but the indictment that led to his arrest paints a more sinister picture of his private life.

For decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs presented the image of a wealthy, Black music mogul, one who broke business barriers, threw lavish parties and even created iconic TV moments. But behind the scenes, prosecutors say, was a more sinister picture, with allegations of violence, sex trafficking and severe abuses of power. 

Throughout his career, Combs’ dominated music, television and fashion, amassing a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In public, he was a shrewd music producer, generating hip-hop hits under his Bad Boy Records label, which he founded in 1993 and helped establish him as a cultural magnate. Combs was at the center of one of rap’s most notorious — and deadly — beefs between the east and west coasts culminating in the deaths of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. He capitalized on hip-hop’s shift into mainstream culture at the dawn of a new millennium. His “All About the Benjamins” was parodied by “Weird” Al Yankovich. He famously dated Jennifer Lopez when she made a splash on the red carpet at the 2000 Grammy awards in an iconic Versace gown. On the surface, Combs presented himself as the fun-loving producer who danced in music videos and the tough business mogul developing fresh talent. 

But in private, prosecutors allege in an indictment unsealed Tuesday, Combs, now 54, and his associates “wielded” his “power and prestige” to orchestrate sexual, emotional and physical abuse against the people around him. While Combs’ explosive temper was an open secret and rumors long swirled about his sex life, his power and influence, experts say, has shielded him from accountability for years of alleged illegal activity.

Sean "Diddy" Combs during a photo shoot to promote a Sean John fragrance in 2016.Penske Media via Getty ImagesCombs was arrested Monday and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. It came after months of lawsuits and several allegations of sexual assault, gender violence, misconduct and other “serious illegal activity” that took place over several years. He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, and a judge denied him bail after U.S. Attorney Damian Williams argued Combs is a flight risk and a danger to the community. Combs is currently being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York, and is on “procedural” suicide watch, as is typical with with high profile clients.

“We’ve seen this pattern before — someone in a position of power and influence chooses to exploit others for their own gain, using fear, manipulation and violence to maintain control over his victims,” Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, said in a statement.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/sean-diddy-combs-power-prestige-alleged-abuse-how-rcna171496

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