In this op-ed, writer Angie Jaime unpacks the rampant speculation about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s alleged decades of abuse, and how rumors can decenter accusers's first-hand accounts.
The internet is swirling, rumors churning, over every keyword and search term related to “Diddy trial” and “Diddy allegations.” Speculation is running rampant: Who might’ve been at Sean “Diddy” Combs’s raucous parties in the ‘90s and 2000s? Who has maintained close ties to him throughout the years? Who might be implicated in his alleged crimes? The swarm of fans and observers careen from one fleeting micro-drama to another, attempting, possibly, to make sense of the enormity of the allegations Diddy now faces.
But in what seems like a universe away from the tumult of rumors bursting forward, the stories of Combs’s alleged victims, their experiences, the lawsuits they've filed against him, and the criminal charges he's facing, fall by the wayside in favor of more salacious, traffic and engagement driving fodder. Combs was arrested on September 16 after a grand jury indicted him on three felony charges: racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. The indictment came after the launch of a federal investigation against him, and when asked if Diddy could face more charges, a federal prosecutor said, "I can't take anything off the table."
With serious allegations on the line and what appears to be a sweeping and ongoing investigation into his alleged crimes, apparent rumors and jokes fly in the face of Combs’s accusers, at best seeming to lack care for their situation, and at worst cheapening their claims.
Since news about Combs’s indictment broke, some who consider themselves internet sleuths were quick to bring Justin Bieber into the conversation. Online, a song suspected to be made by AI circulated, featuring vocals that sound eerily similar to Bieber’s voice and haunting lyrics that the singer "lost myself at a 'Diddy' party." (An investigation by CBS News concluded that the audio, or sections of it at the minimum, were likely created using AI.) It’s racked up millions of views across social platforms, according to the news outlet. The song, which reportedly first appeared across platforms in April, resurfaced after Combs’s charges were made public.
The song’s lyrics include, "I was in it for a new Ferrari, but it cost me way more than my soul.” A number of internet users interpreted the song as alluding to online speculation that Bieber may have endured abuse by Combs as a young artist. People picked apart old photos and videos, imparting meaning that we don’t know exists. Neither Bieber nor his representatives have raised allegations of abuse against Diddy (Teen Vogue has reached out to Bieber’s representatives for comment but has not heard back.) Still, speculation has run unfettered on social media, and news publications have platformed some of the unsubstantiated claims. The potential harm to Bieber is staggering: the mass speculation that he may have been abused cannot be easy to endure for a celebrity who has been subject to a range of harmful speculation since he was a child.
Bieber is, of course, not the only target of speculation related to Diddy. On October 1, Amazon confirmed it had removed a book from its site that purported to detail abuse of the late Kim Porter by her longtime partner Combs. The book, titled “Kim’s Lost Words: A journey for justice, from the other side ...” claimed it was published on behalf of Porter, using a manuscript the author said Porter wrote. The work was denounced by children of Porter and Combs as a “complete fabrication,” but only after it had already become a bestseller on Amazon last month, and contributed to speculation online and across social media. The author of the book denied claims that it is fabricated, but told Teen Vogue that he did not get its contents directly from Porter, nor did he know her.
Porter and Combs’ children shared a joint statement on Instagram saying: “Claims that our mom wrote a book are simply untrue. She did not, and anyone claiming to have a manuscript is misrepresenting themselves. Additionally, please understand that any so-called ‘friend’ speaking on behalf of our mom or her family is not a friend. Nor do they have her best interest at heart.” The statement added, “we are deeply saddened that the world has made a spectacle of what has been the most tragic event of our lives. Our mother should be remembered for the beautiful, strong, kind, and loving woman she was. Her memory should not be tainted by horrific conspiracy theories.” (One of the pair’s children, Christian “King” Combs, has also been accused of sexual assault, which he has denied.)
As the civil lawsuits and criminal case against Diddy progress, more details are likely to surface, and it's possible more accusers will emerge and more people around Combs may be implicated. At a news conference held on October 1 by attorney Tony Buzbee, who’s worked on other closely watched cases, including litigation against BP in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, announced that he is one of the lead attorneys representing 120 accusers who are coming forward with allegations against Combs going back more than 30 years.
Combs has denied the allegations against him. “As Mr. Combs’ legal team has emphasized, he cannot address every meritless allegation in what has become a reckless media circus. That said, Mr. Combs emphatically and categorically denies as false and defamatory any claim that he sexually abused anyone, including minors,” the rapper’s lawyer, Erica Wolff, said in an October 1 statement.
Still, in a case where there are allegations outlined in court documents and an investigation is still ongoing, to speculate seems not just harmful, but unnecessary. Whether it’s vague allusions to Diddy’s many celebrity friends or viral TikTok theories about what they might “know” about Combs — which celebrities may have been implicated, which celebrities may have been harmed, who chooses (or is able to) come forward and why, should not be the fodder of armchair conspiracy theories at the potential expense of victims’ wellbeing.
