SOMETHING’S OFF Jay Z Goes Silent After Diddy’s Arrest

Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sworn arch-rival in the rap game, isn’t the only one to speak out against the embattled hip-hop mogul, now arrested and charged with three counts of s3x trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, racketeering conspiracy; and transportation to engage in prostitution. Dawn Richard and Aubrey O’Day, members of Comb’s girl group Danity Kane, Kesha, ex-Bad Boy rapper-turned-politician Shyne and Mary J Blige, among others, have also joined in the vitriolic discourse against the Revolt founder either without sugarcoating their narratives or doing so cryptically. (Also read: New Diddy doc announced after arrest: Quiet on Set network spearheading project while 50 Cent’s series also awaited)

Sean Diddy Combs poses at the Met Gala, an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute with this year’s theme “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, in New York City, New York, U.S., May 1, 2023. (REUTERS)

However, a seemingly never-ending list of high-profile Hollywood stars who shared ties with the disgraced rapper in the past have “either remained inconspicuously silent or spoken only in hushed tones” about the questionable rumours surrounding Diddy. The list includes his former girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, his years-long pals Ashton Kutcher and Jay-Z, his mentee Justin Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio (frequently in attendance at Diddy’s parties), the Kardashians and another longtime friend, Naomi Campbell.

Experts weigh in on Hollywood celebs’ silence surrounding Diddy’s federal indictment

According to a Fox News report, experts are insisting that even though no other unmissable Hollywood star from the list has been implicated in the criminal case, many are maintaining the silence despite the music mogul’s recent indictment and arrest because they are “scared to death.”

“Celebrities are silent because they are scared to death of their brands bleeding out with fans over ties to Diddy. And, worse, they fear if they cross him, things could end in disaster,” said Eric Schiffer, CEO of Reputation Management Consultants.

Combs, infamously known for partying like there’s no tomorrow, often invited an expansive roster of celebrities to his soirees. However, an “overwhelming majority of the music and entertainment industry” has remained outside the picture as there is “no shortage of reasons” why they haven’t weighed in on the allegations regarding P Diddy, claimed Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR.

 

And why is that? The “severity of the charges, the detailed allegations in the indictment and the long-standing rumours surrounding Combs” have left these stars with no alternative but to stay aloof, presumably to avoid any arising connections to the allegations levelled against Combs, dating back to the early 2000s.

Why many Hollywood stars are presumably avoiding speaking out about Diddy?

After making headlines in February 2024 for filing a $30 million suit against Diddy, Rodney ‘Lil Rod’ Jones, accusing him of s3xually harassing, drugging and threatening him. Despite the suit, the rapper-producer, who worked with Combs on his 2023 The Love Album, mostly steered clear of public sightings and remarks. In a rare move, he ultimately broke his silence in August in an interview with The Rolling Stone.

Slamming Diddy as a “monster” who could wiggle his way out of any predicament by any means necessary and never took no for an answer. “He [told me] himself, ‘I’ll smack my mama.’ Anybody who can say that even jokingly is a monster. He’s nothing to be played with. For a person whose brand is Love Records, and changed their name to Love and named their kid Love, he doesn’t show love. He’s just marketing.”

Jones also alleged that ever since he sued Diddy, he couldn’t secure himself a stable gig in the industry. “It feels like there are so many people quietly rooting for [Combs]. Or maybe they’re rooting for me and just scared to say something,” he added.

The indictment against Diddy, unsealed on Tuesday after his arrest in New York City, indirectly expounds Lil Rod’s side of the story, claiming the Bad Boy for Life secured “absolute loyalty” from people linked with his businesses through “acts of violence and threats.” Prosecutors believe that Diddy’s business empire apparently avoided being detected for any alleged illegal involvement through “acts of intimidation, manipulation, bribery, and threats of retaliation against individuals who witnessed the crimes committed by members and associates of the enterprise.”