Sexual assault survivors say Sean 'Diddy' Combs verdict a 'step back' for #MeToo movement

For some sexual assault survivors and advocates, the verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs' case delivered what they described as a “step back” for the #MeToo movement.

Moments after Sean “Diddy” Combs was acquitted of racketeering and sex trafficking charges on Wednesday, a celebration erupted outside the Manhattan federal courthouse. Supporters and influencers sported homemade merch, sprayed baby oil on each other and cheered “Free Puff!”

But for some sexual assault survivors and advocates, the verdict delivered what they described as a devastating “step back” for the #MeToo movement, which gained prominence in 2017 after producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of assault. The former Hollywood mogul was among a handful of powerful men who were convicted as part of a broader cultural reckoning against sexual harassment and assault.

“It is heartbreaking,” Kaja Sokola, a former model from Poland who was one of three women who testified in Weinstein’s May retrial.

“A few years ago, we were more aware. Maybe because it was the first wave, people were paying attention to it,” she said. Now, it’s “suddenly started to shift to ‘Don’t believe all women,’ or ‘Women are liars.’”

Online, many women echoed Sokola’s concerns, calling the verdict and public support for Combs disappointing. Others expressed solidarity with witnesses who testified about Combs’ alleged behavior, including Cassie Ventura. The R&B singer, who appeared in court while nine months pregnant, accused him of sexual abuse and forced, drug-dazed “freak offs” with escorts and baby oil.