OH: Why it took so long to prosecute Diddy
Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces several serious allegations against him and his organization, Bad Boy Records. Combs has been prosecuted for racketeering, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Racketeering is "a way of thinking about and prosecuting a variety of crimes," according to George Robert Blakey, an attorney and emeritus law professor at Notre Dame University.
Under racketeering, there are more than 35 crimes groups can be charged with, like in Combs' case, trafficking of drugs, humans or arms. The investigation has been ongoing for quite some time, as authorities have conducted multiple home raids and filed several lawsuits in the past year.
According to the indictment from the federal government, authorities have found 1,000 bottles of baby oil within his properties in Miami, Florida, and Los Angeles, California, to host these "freak-offs," which are described as "elaborate sex performances."
In another report, more than 3,000 individuals have come out accusing Combs of sexual misconduct, and 120 victims have filed lawsuits against Combs a few days after his arrest. The courts are currently reviewing each case at this time.
There seems to be a mountain of evidence collected by federal agents, but for some reason, it took more than 20 years to prosecute Combs. Why is this the case? The answer might center on Combs being protected by or connected to elite members of our society.
Before I continue, I am not here to claim that anyone I will talk about participated in these vulgar behaviors. These are just some people who have spoken very fondly of Combs and his parties in the past.
For example, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Lebron James, had some compliments about Combs and his parties.
"Ain't no party like a Diddy party," James said in an Instagram live video with Combs himself.
It is not only James who has spoken so fondly of Combs in the past, but also former President Donald J. Trump publicly defended Combs against Aubrey O'Day on an episode of "The Celebrity Apprentice."
"Working for Diddy? I love Diddy ... You know he's a good friend of mine. He's a good guy," Trump said.
These praises certainly raise some eyebrows, considering what the general public knows, but what truly terrifies me now is how people within the industry also express disdain for Combs. None of them have legally accused Combs of any crimes, but they all seem to share common stories regarding the rapper.
Eminem has been adamant about how disgusted he is with Combs for quite some time. Regarding sexual misconduct, Eminem rapped about it in his 2024 song "Fuel."
"We can just say (What?) / I'm like an R-A-P-E-R (Yeah) / Got so many eses (S-As), eses (Huh) / Wait, he didn't just spell the word 'rapper' and leave out a P, did he?" rapped Eminem.
Ironically, R&B singer Chris Brown, who is a known domestic abuser, has been vocal about Combs through his music, like in the track "How Many Times" by DJ Khalid.
"Drinkin' CÎROC and I know that she got it for free / I hit up Diddy, he told me he did it / He said that the liquor just bring out the freaks," Brown rapped.
Even if Eminem and Chris Brown cater to different genres of music, it is shocking to see them share similar stories of Combs' extensive history of sexual assaults. One thing is for certain: I suspect bombshell information will drop in the coming months.
In an episode of "Club Shay Shay" hosted by Shannon Sharpe, former tight end for the Denver Broncos, comedian Katt Williams prophesied Combs' downfall to occur sometime in 2024.
"All of these big deviants is all catching hell in 2024. It's up for all of them. It don't matter if you Diddy or whoever you is ... All lies will be exposed," Williams said to Sharpe. "That's all. Anyone who takes that the wrong way, know why they take that the wrong way."
This story is far from over. With the 2024 election coming up this November, I would not be surprised if more questions were asked about Trump's affiliations with Combs and Jeffery Epstein. The last few months of the year are certainly becoming interesting.
Jesse Oh is a senior in the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Communications and Information majoring in economics and journalism and media studies. Oh’s column, "What's Going On Outside of Rutgers?" runs on alternate Tuesdays.
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