Before and After

Summary

Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy Episode: Before and After Release Date: April 15, 2025

---

Introduction

In "Before and After," the fourth episode of ABC News' six-part series Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy, host Brian Buckmire delves deep into the meteoric rise and dramatic fall of Sean "Diddy" Combs. This episode meticulously traces the pivotal moments that transformed Diddy from hip-hop mogul and philanthropist to a figure embroiled in serious legal allegations, including sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

---

Diddy's Rise and Lifetime Achievement Award

The episode opens in 2022 with Diddy receiving BET's Lifetime Achievement Award. Despite being in his 50s and having his musical peak behind him, Diddy's influence in the music industry remained substantial. During his acceptance speech, Diddy expressed gratitude to a long list of individuals crucial to his career, including his late ex-girlfriend Kim Porter and artists like Heavy D and the Notorious B.I.G.

Notable Quote:

[01:21] Sean Diddy Combs: "First of all, I want to thank God. God thank you. Thank you so much. Never leaving my side."

Buckmire highlights the significance of this moment as it showcases Diddy's position as an elder statesman in music. However, beneath the accolades lay underlying tensions and unresolved issues that would eventually surface.

---

Diddy's Rebrand and the "Love Era"

In an effort to redefine his public persona, Diddy embarked on a series of name changes—from Puff Daddy to Diddy, and eventually to Love or Brother Love in 2017. This rebranding was part of a broader "Love Era" initiative aimed at promoting positivity, philanthropy, and personal growth.

Notable Quotes:

[05:24] Sean Diddy Combs: "I'm just not who I am before. I'm something different. So my new name is Love, AKA Brother Love."

Despite his efforts, critics and culture reporters like Jamilah Lemieux questioned the sincerity and effectiveness of this transformation.

Notable Quote:

[06:56] Justin Tinsley: "What these name changes have always done for Diddy is just allow him to live in the news cycle."

Buckmire discusses how Diddy's attempts at image rehabilitation through philanthropy and reclaiming artist rights were overshadowed by persistent rumors and past behaviors that did not align with his new "Love" persona.

---

Previous Rumors of Abuse

Long-standing whispers about Diddy's aggressive behavior lingered in the background. Although sporadic reports from former associates hinted at a history of violence, these remained largely unaddressed publicly until the allegations gained significant traction.

Notable Quotes:

[12:06] Jamilah Lemieux: "You never saw them on TMZ or, you know, any so-called legitimate outlets talking about it."

Buckmire connects these rumors to specific incidents, such as the 2009 altercation with Cassie Ventura, which would later play a crucial role in the unraveling of Diddy's reputation.

---

Cassie’s Allegations and Lawsuit

The turning point came when Cassie Ventura, Diddy's ex-girlfriend, filed a lawsuit in November 2023, alleging years of abuse, violence, and forced participation in "freak offs"—sex parties orchestrated by Diddy. The catalyst for her public accusations was Diddy's 2022 BET speech, where he publicly thanked her, inadvertently prompting her to come forward with her traumatic experiences.

Notable Quotes:

[19:14] Sean Diddy Combs: "You have no idea how those people hurt this girl."

Cassie's lawsuit not only detailed personal abuse but also mirrored past rumors, lending credibility to the whispers that had circulated over the years. Shortly after her filing, Diddy settled the lawsuit without admitting guilt, raising suspicions about potential preemptive legal strategies.

---

Flow of Additional Allegations

Following Cassie's lawsuit, a wave of similar allegations emerged. Survivors stepped forward with claims ranging from consensual encounters to severe abuse and sex trafficking. These accusations painted a disturbing picture of systemic manipulation and exploitation orchestrated by Diddy.

Notable Quote:

[18:12] Sean Diddy Combs: "All I am is a man with ambition to be the best. When I failed it just gave me the vision to see the rest."

Buckmire explores how these subsequent allegations compounded the legal and public relations crisis surrounding Diddy, challenging the narrative he had meticulously crafted through his "Love Era."

---

Rodney Jones’ Lawsuit

Adding to the mounting legal challenges, Rodney Jones, a former music producer known professionally as Little Rod, filed a $30 million lawsuit against Diddy. Jones accused Diddy of sexual harassment, assault, and operating a sex trafficking ring that forced participants into non-consensual sex acts during production of Diddy's "Love Album."

Notable Quotes:

[19:32] Rodney Jones: "Ventura accuses Combs of raping her in her own home after she tried to leave him."

Jones's lawsuit provided detailed allegations and purported evidence, including images and videos, suggesting that Diddy maintained hidden cameras to document these abuses. While some claims were dismissed by the court, significant portions, including the sex trafficking accusations, remained active.

Notable Quote:

[22:05] Brian Buckmire: "This suit by little Rod felt like an invitation to build a criminal case against Diddy served up on a silver platter."

This lawsuit not only reinforced Cassie's claims but also expanded the scope of the alleged misconduct, implicating additional individuals and raising the stakes for Diddy's legal battles.

---

Legal Consequences and Federal Raids

The mounting lawsuits culminated in significant legal actions against Diddy. In a dramatic turn of events, federal authorities raided two of his residences, signaling a shift from civil litigation to potential criminal charges, including sex trafficking.

Notable Quotes:

[31:40] Rodney Jones: "He wants to find and kill the people who murdered my wife."

[31:40] Sean Diddy Combs: "Please let her come back home safely."

The raids underscored the severity of the allegations and marked a crucial point in the downfall of Diddy’s empire. The episode hints at ongoing investigations and the potential for further legal repercussions as more evidence comes to light.

---

Conclusion

"Before and After" paints a comprehensive picture of how Sean "Diddy" Combs navigated his influential career amidst escalating personal and legal challenges. From his strategic rebranding efforts and philanthropic endeavors to the explosive lawsuits and federal interventions, the episode underscores the fragility of public personas when confronted with deep-seated allegations. Buckmire effectively illustrates the transformation of Diddy’s image and legacy, providing listeners with an in-depth understanding of the multifaceted case against one of hip-hop's most prominent figures.

---

Notable Production Credits:

• Host: Brian Buckmire
• Producers: Vika Aronson, Camille Peterson, Nancy Rosenbaum
• Story Editor: Tracy Samuelson
• Associate Producer: Amira Williams
• Fact Checker: Audrey Maztek
• Original Music: Evan Viola
• Mixing: Rick Kwan
• Social Media Producer: Ariel Chester
• Special Thanks To: Stephanie Maurice, Liz Alessi, Katie Dendas
• Executive Producer: Laura Mayer

---

Disclaimer: This summary is based on the transcript provided and aims to capture the essence of the podcast episode for informational purposes. It includes sensitive descriptions of violence and sexual assault.

Transcript

[Jamilah Lemieux]

At New Balance, we believe if you.

[Brian Buckmire]

Run, you're a runner, however you choose to do it.

[Jamilah Lemieux]

Because when you're not worried about doing.

[Brian Buckmire]

Things the right way, you're free to discover your way. And that's what running's all about. Run your [e-mail] Running this episode contains descriptions of violence and sexual assault. Please take care when listening in 2022, Diddy was on BET, jumping up and down on a stage, stomping his feet and pumping his arms. He wore a matching black top and pants, maybe silk, not a wrinkle in sight. With dark sunglasses and a handful of diamond necklaces, he looked classy chic. The crowd gave him a standing ovation. Chance the Rapper, Janelle Monae and tons of other celebs were cheering for Diddy. And then instead of launching into a song, diddy started a 10 minute speech.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

First of all, I want to thank God. God thank you. Thank you so much. Never leaving my side.

[Brian Buckmire]

Sean Diddy Combs was in his 50s. His greatest hits as a musical artist were behind him, but he was being honored with BET's Lifetime Achievement Award. Like an elder statesman of the music industry, he was being recognized for his years of service. Before the show, he joked that the honor was five years overdue. But standing on the stage that night, he had a long list of people he wanted to thank.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

But today is not about me. Today is about my mother. Ma, I love you.

[Brian Buckmire]

This is your he thanked Andre Harrell, who famously hired and then fired Diddy from Uptown Records, and his ex, Kim Porter, who had died from pneumonia several years earlier. He thanked artists he worked with early in his career, like Heavy D and the Notorious B.I.G. also Howard University, his lawyer, the fans.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

And then he said, y'all, I'm gonna keep it 100 with y'all. I was in a dark place for a few years, you know what I'm saying? And I have to give a special thank you to the people that was really like there for me. Bishop T.D. jakes, my chief of staff, Christina Corum.

[Brian Buckmire]

KK and one other person. A bit of a surprise call out to be honest.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Yeah, Also Cassie for holding me down in the dark times. Love.

[Brian Buckmire]

Why was this shout out to Cassie such a surprise? Well, it had been four years since Diddy and Cassie had broken up. She was married to someone else and they had two children. She hadn't yet gone public with her allegations of abuse against Diddy. But that was about to change because according to Rolling Stone, Cassie didn't see that public thanks from Diddy. As a Sweet gesture, it may have seemed to fans and viewers. To her, it was distressing, part of a pattern of behavior by a person who allegedly tormented her for years. And it was reportedly this BET moment that compelled her to file her bombshell lawsuit. Cassie even referenced this BET speech in her complaint, using some of the language Diddy had used to thank her, saying that she was the one who was held down by Combs and that the dark times were the years she allegedly spent trapped in his cycle of abuse, violence and sex trafficking, made to participate in freak offs against her will. In the years since their relationship ended, the trophies and accolades kept coming for Diddy. He built massive wealth too. And according to other lawsuits, Diddy's abusive behavior didn't stop. It continued with other alleged victims. It would take Cassie coming forward with her lawsuit in November of 2023 for things to start to change, for more people to break their silence. In this episode, we'll look back on Diddy's life right before and after the allegations against him went public. He was flying pretty close to the sun with a daring rebrand, a new album, and some big time awards. But those last few years can be seen in a very different light now. I'm Brian Buckmire from ABC Audio. This is Bad Rap, the Case Against Diddy, episode four, before and After. Sean Combs may have been born with that name, but he's rarely used it professionally. First he was Buffy, Puff and Puff daddy in the 90s when a puff.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Daddy bad boy record, come on, you gonna get up out your seat and rock.

[Brian Buckmire]

Then Pete Diddy in the early 2000s. Then in 2005, he became just Diddy. He explained why to MTV we removed.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

The P. The P was getting in between us. You know, this is that we entering the age of Diddy. It's five letters, one word. We making it clear and concise.

[Brian Buckmire]

There was also a Sean John period and believe it or not, a swag era. That only lasted a week though. And in 2017, Diddy announced a new name for himself on social media.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

I'm just not who I am before. I'm something different. So my new name is Love, AKA Brother Love. I will not be answering the Puffy, Diddy, Puff Daddy, or any of my other monikers, but Love or Brother Love, Okay?

[Brian Buckmire]

He declared he'd entered his love era, even legally changing his middle name to Love. He told the New York Times he was remaking himself with the help of therapy and psychedelics. And this name change, this rebrand, it was something he'd been trying to make happen. For years. He talked about it in interviews like Vogue's 73 questions. Is it really all about the Benjamins?

[Sean Diddy Combs]

I think it's all about love.

[Brian Buckmire]

And on talk shows like the BBC's Graham Norton show, even using the marriage equality slogan, love wins.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

This is the ultimate goal. I have become loved. And love wins.

[Brian Buckmire]

Love wins. Let's stay on Culture reporter Justin Tinsley says just like all of his other name changes, this new one was a way to get attention and stay relevant.

[Justin Tinsley]

What these name changes have always done for Diddy is just allow him to live in the news cycle. It allows him to dictate the course of the conversation. It's like, all right, so you have X, Y and Z going on in your life, but why did you change your name again? What do you want us to call you?

[Brian Buckmire]

In 2018, Diddy went on the Breakfast Club, a popular radio show out of New York that for a while was simulcast on his television network, Revolt. The host said they noticed he was in fact different from the Diddy they used to know. Yeah, I want to know, did you go to anger management or something? Did something happen in Diddy's life? Like, what happened? Diddy just turned and became love.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Yeah, man. I think I was also like going through like a stressful time too. And you know, that's a part of growing up. You evolve and you see things differently and then just being honest with yourself and like, how do I want to be seen? How do I want to make people feel?

[Brian Buckmire]

He said that he was no longer the antagonistic, hot tempered ditty that people might have seen in the past. The Diddy that came from a certain environment that he says made him act.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Out people getting punched in they face every day. So I figured, why don't I be the first one to punch people in they face since the punching in the face is going to start at some time.

[Brian Buckmire]

The Breakfast Club hosts brought up the 2015 UCLA incident, the one where Diddy had allegedly assaulted his son's college football coach with a kettlebell. Diddy said, quote, I put all of that in my past. He continued to push the idea of spreading love, being love, bringing people together, getting closer to God. And culture critic Jamilah Lemieux says he really embraced the family man Persona too.

[Jamilah Lemieux]

He's claiming to be a full time dad and he's got custody of his daughters and he's taking them to football games and activities and, you know, being a very active, engaged dad.

[Brian Buckmire]

After the unexpected death of Kim Porter, Diddy's ex girlfriend, he really Began promoting his image as a single dad. He took custody of their 12 year old twin girls, posting on social media. New day, new life, new responsibilities. Kim, I got this just like you taught me. People magazine referred to Diddy as a proud papa and highlighted quality time he spent with his kids.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

I honestly say, like, I'm the luckiest man in the world. I got three girls, three boys in there. Like, they're really kind, great people.

[Brian Buckmire]

If the late 2000 and tens were Diddy's soft launch of the Love rebrand, then the early 2000 and twenties were the hard launch. He started a new R and B record label called Love Records. He named his seventh child Love Sean Combs. And he was projecting love in the media too. A 2021 Vanity Fair cover shows a 50 year old Diddy shirtless and fit. He's got the word LOVE tattooed down his side vertically. He's in profile against a pink and orange backdrop with his fist in a black power salute and his mouth wide in what looks like a scream. He told Vanity Fair reporters in that cover story, the MeToo movement. The truth is that it inspired me. It showed me that you can get maximum change. But despite his best efforts, Diddy's love Persona didn't stick. Here's Jamilah Lemieux again.

[Jamilah Lemieux]

He wanted to exemplify that sort of progress and change in this love era, and I don't think people took it very seriously. People were willing to call him P. Diddy, they were willing to call him Diddy. Nobody was willing to call him Love.

[Brian Buckmire]

Maybe it's because he was in his 50s by the early 2000s, a seasoned artist that the public had gotten used to rather than a fresh new voice. And his music wasn't hitting the way it had back in the 90s and early 2000s either. Jameela says his biggest artists were behind him too.

[Jamilah Lemieux]

There were other bad boy artists who were successful, but nobody ever matched Biggie's success. And you could argue that nobody matched Diddy's success, that none of the artists that were signed to him ever eclipsed him in terms of fame, with the exception of Perhaps the Notorious B.I.G.

[Brian Buckmire]

So maybe that was the reason Love didn't catch on. People just weren't interested enough in his music. He couldn't pull fans along for yet another name change. Or maybe it's because Love is so grandiose and kind of egocentric, right? Like when I heard about the name change, I thought Diddy's about to show up on some podcast and announce a new religion or try to sell us on a new spiritual practice or something. Could anyone get away with naming themselves Love? Or maybe it was because love felt tone deaf to people who had been following Diddy's career for decades. Maybe it didn't match the reputation he'd made for himself all these years. The self proclaimed bad boy with an allegedly bad temper. A guy who generated rumors about the way he treated women in his life.

[Jamilah Lemieux]

You never saw them on TMZ or, you know, any so called legitimate outlets talking about it. But every once in a while there would be an interview with a former bodyguard or someone who said that he, you know, had a history of violence with Cassie and also with Kim Porter, the late mother of four of his children.

[Brian Buckmire]

Kim Porter had once been asked about the rumors of abuse by OK magazine and she denied that Diddy had been abusive towards her. She said, quote, he has a little temper. Sometimes he talks to people in ways they don't like, but he's never been physically abusive to me. There had been rumors about Cassie too. Rumors on gossip sites that he beat her. In fact, people honed in on an incident that Cassie later alleged in her lawsuit. How in 2009, Diddy allegedly pulled her out of a club in LA. They got into a fight in the car and when they got to his house, she tried to run away. Diddy followed her and allegedly kicked her in the face. She bled badly from the injuries. Looking at the gossip site side by side with the lawsuit now, the echoes are uncanny, but the rumors, the rebrand flop. They didn't seem to slow Diddy down, at least not for a while. Coming up, a series of career highs for Diddy, then a crushing blow.

[Jamilah Lemieux]

The NFL draft on espn.

[Brian Buckmire]

Live from the legendary Lombardi Avenue in Green Bay. To all of these men, I want to say that football is not just a game, but a way of life whose lifelong dream of making it to the league.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Each man must make a personal commitment.

[Brian Buckmire]

To excellence and to victory will be fulfilled on this iconic stage at Lambeau.

[Justin Tinsley]

With the first pick in the NFL Draft.

[Brian Buckmire]

The 2025 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April.

[Jamilah Lemieux]

24 at 8pm Eastern on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network.

[Brian Buckmire]

Don't miss Good American Family. We have a little girl here for adoption. She has dwarfism. Starring Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass. Something is off.

[Rodney Jones]

She's just a little girl.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

You think she's faking?

[Brian Buckmire]

She has adult teeth. There are signs of puberty. Inspired by the shocking stories the Torah Family Apart. I don't know what's going on. How old are you? You should get a lawyer.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

You have no idea how those people hurt this girl.

[Brian Buckmire]

The Hulu original series Good American Family New episodes Wednesdays, streaming on Hulu. The Amateur has arrived in imax. I want to find and kill the people who murdered my wife. Critics rave. The Amateur is a tense, unpredictable ride. You're just not a killer, Charlie Train me. That constantly finds new and inventive ways to up the stakes. The first one you kill, you let.

[Justin Tinsley]

The other ones know you're coming.

[Brian Buckmire]

I want them all. Academy Award winner Rummy Malik and Academy Award nominee Lawrence Fishburne. The amateur mini PG13 maybe inappropriate for children under 13 now playing only in theaters and IMAX. By 2022, Diddy was doing very well for himself financially. He'd picked up waterfront property in Miami beach for reportedly almost $50 million and an LA mansion worth 39. He was seen cruising the seas on superyachts chartered for upwards of almost a million dollars a week. Cirroc's partnership with alcohol manufacturer Diageo was a huge source of wealth for Diddy, reportedly making him around $60 million a year daily on tequila. And his TV network, Revolt, were also big earners for him as well as his music cat. He was on the road to becoming a billionaire, hip hop's third billionaire after Jay Z and Kanye West. And by most accounts, in the early 2000s, the entertainment world still loved Diddy. This was when he won that BET Lifetime Achievement Award. He also won MTV's Global Icon Award at the VMAs.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

This is what's up. Love wins, y'all. Love wins.

[Brian Buckmire]

Diddy also seemed to be turning over a new leaf in terms of philanthropy and better treatment of his artists. He showed up to Howard University's 2023 homecoming with one of those goofy, oversized checks for a million dollars. He spoke to ABC News 7 in D.C. after the event.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

This school has given me so much. I feel it's one of the. Not just one of. I feel like it's the most important black educational institution ever. And so we as alumni have to keep pouring our seed back into it, you know, keep on investing back in the home. And so, you know, I'm blessed to be able to do it.

[Brian Buckmire]

He donated another million to the football program at another historically black college, Jackson State University. And at a time when artists like Taylor Swift were speaking out against music executives for profiting big on their music and controlling the rights to their creative work, Diddy announced that he was giving some bad boy artists and songwriters their publishing rights back. Revolt reported that Combs wanted to, quote, see more creators flourish and profit as much as possible from their work. He hoped the move would inspire the rest of the music industry to change the status quo and spark a new way to compensate artists. Diddy's critics say that in the past he'd been known for taking a hard line with bad boy artists, pressuring them into taking less than fair deals and reportedly feuding with them over ownership and fair compensation. So this move in 2023, it seemed like a reversal for him. He gave Biggie's estate, Faith Evans, Mace and 112 their rights back, among others. The terms of the deals weren't disclosed, but the assets were reportedly worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Even though not all of his artists got their rights back, it still seemed like maybe Diddy was trying to make up for past mistakes. Like he was trying to be a stand up guy.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

All I am is a man with ambition to be the best When I failed it just gave me the vision to see the rest Wasn't even ready when God gave me the test so.

[Brian Buckmire]

I pray Diddy also launched his first studio album in nearly 20 years. Surprise, surprise, he called it the Love Album off the Grid. The R and B album featured a bunch of other popular artists, past and present. The Weeknd, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, John Legend, and Justin Bieber, to name a few. The album got nominated for a Grammy, but it didn't perform as well as his earlier music. Where his previous studio album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, this one debuted at 19 and its first week of sales were much lower. But the very same day the Love Album dropped, Diddy got the key to New York City.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Hey, what up, y'all?

[Brian Buckmire]

What's up?

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Welcome to New York.

[Brian Buckmire]

But just barely. Two months after the release of the Love album and the Key to the City ceremony, Cassie filed her lawsuit. Singer Cassandra Ventura, whose stage name is Cassie, has sued music mogul Sean Diddy Combs.

[Rodney Jones]

Ventura accuses Combs of raping her in her own home after she tried to leave him. Of punching, beating, kicking and stomping on her, and of blowing up a man's car after Combs learned he was romantically interested in Ventura. Cassie describing the music mogul as a vicious, cruel and controlling man, saying she was trapped and held down by Combs during what she's calling a cycle of abuse, spelling out incident after incident.

[Brian Buckmire]

Cassie filed her lawsuit just eight days before an important deadline for the New York State's Adult Survivors Act. If you were a survivor of sexual assault and the statute of limitations had expired. This law opened a one year window to file a civil suit. Diddy's attorney responded to Cassie's complaint on his client's behalf, saying Mr. Combs vehemently denies these offensive and outrageous allegations, describing them as riddled with baseless and outrageous lies, aiming to tarnish Mr. Combs reputation. But then, as we said in the last episode, Cassie and Diddy settled just a day after she filed for an undisclosed amount with no admission of guilt. Both parties said it had been resolved amicably. Culture reporter Justin Tinsley looks back on all the accolades Diddy collected and goodwill he garnered right before news of Cassie's lawsuit broke and wonders if there were signs maybe Diddy knew the suit was coming. Justin suspects there was a PR move at play.

[Justin Tinsley]

It was the Global Icon award at the VMAs that really made me take a step back because he didn't perform with any artist. The only artist that was on stage with him was his son, Christian Combs. You would think at a moment like that when you're getting one of the most prestigious awards in award shows and nobody's on stage to perform with you, I'm like, this is kind of weird. But again, I didn't know what was coming of it. He donates money to Howard University and Jackson State University's football team. I'm like, this is like, what is going on here? This just something felt off. And then by November 2023, the Cassie lawsuit comes out. And I'm like, okay. Lawsuits like this don't just pop up out of thin air like somebody on your. Like you knew your team knew that these lawsuits were coming and this was a way to try to jump in front of it.

[Brian Buckmire]

As an attorney, I can tell you that often the person getting sued knows ahead of time that the suit is coming. The plaintiff might reach out to the other party before even filing to see if they can agree to something without having to go to court. And there are some suggestions Diddy might have known something was coming. For one, a producer who worked with Diddy during this period, Rodney Jones, claims in a lawsuit to have irrefutable evidence that Diddy was taking steps to soften his image ahead of Cassie's lawsuit. Second, Diddy's lawyer alleges that prior to the suit, Cassie was demanding $30 million under the threat of writing a damaging book about their relationship. Which, if true, would suggest Diddy might have known Cassie was considering coming forward with her allegations in some way. Though again, we don't know for sure he was aware ahead of time about her lawsuit. So, looking back, all that good press for Diddy preceding Cassie's filing, was that coincidence or preparation? After the break, Cassie's lawsuit inspires others to come forward with their own allegations against Diddy. The missing child is Lucia Blix, 9 years old.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

Please let her come back home safely.

[Brian Buckmire]

April 16th. The kidnappers plumbed it meticulously.

[Sean Diddy Combs]

If money is what it takes to get her back, we're going to pay it.

[Brian Buckmire]

The secrets they hide. You can't talk about this. You can't write about it. Are the clues. The mother's hiding something. I know it. To find her, tell me where she is. The Stolen girl series premiere April 16 on Freeform and stream on Hulu.

[Rodney Jones]

Hey, I'm Brad Milke. You may know me as the host of ABC Audio's daily news podcast. Start here. But I'd like to add aspiring true crime expert to my resume and here's how I'm gonna make it happen. Every week I'm going to unpack the biggest true crime story that everyone is talking about. ABC's got some unique access here, so I'll talk to the reporters and producers who have followed these cases for months, sometimes years. We'll bring you the latest developments and the larger context on the true crime stories you've been hearing about. Follow the crime scene for special access to the people who know these stories best.

[Brian Buckmire]

Critics called the first season of andor thrilling and sophisticated. The Empire cannot win. On April 22, the Emmy nominated series returns to Disney plus Resistance is absurd. We must stand together. We will be crushed. There's a future here for those who dare. You're right here and you're ready to fight. Welcome to the rebellion and or season two, streaming April 22nd only on Disney. Oscar Wilde is credited with saying, quote, everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power. I've thought about this quote a lot as I've read the allegations against Diddy. The idea that power may have been at the heart of it all. Once news of Cassie's lawsuit broke, the floodgates opened and more alleged survivors of Sean Diddy Combs came forward. There was a woman who claimed she was raped by Combs in the early 90s when she was a college student. She claims Combs drugged her before the attack and distributed a recording of it as what she calls revenge porn. There was a second woman who alleges when she was 16, she and a friend were raped by Combs and a singer songwriter. Also in the early 90s, she alleges that Combs came back the next day and choked her until she passed out, concerned the girls would tell others about the alleged rape. There was a third woman who alleges that in 2003, when she was 17 years old, she was given drugs and alcohol, gang raped and sex trafficked by Combs and two other men. Combs said in a statement following these suits that he did not do any of the awful things being alleged. He called them sickening allegations by people looking for a quick payday. And Combs legal team says he's, quote, never sexually assaulted anyone, adult or minor, man or woman. But then came a lawsuit from Rodney Jones. Just three months after Cassie had filed and settled hers, ex music producer Rodney Jones sued for $30 million, saying Combs groped, harassed and threatened him and was engaged in a widespread and dangerous criminal sex trafficking organization. Jones also accuses Combs of forcing him to participate in sex acts with sex workers in front of him. Rodney Jones, or Little Rod as he's known professionally, had been a producer on Diddy's Love album. And he alleges that between 2022 and 2023, while working on the album and living with Combs, the mogul grabbed Jones genitals and anus without consent. According to the lawsuit, Combs tried to groom the producer, attempting to make him comfortable with having sex with men, promising Jones he'd win producer of the year at the Grammys if he'd engage in homosexual acts. The lawsuit claims Combs attempted to pass Jones off to male friends. In his lawsuit, Jones talks about freak offs just like Cassie did. He alleges that Combs forced Jones to hire sex workers and to participate in sex acts with them, and that there were underage girls at Combs parties, too. The lawsuit described a web of people beyond Combs who were involved in supplying these parties with sex and drugs, sometimes drugging guests without their knowledge or consent. The court has already weighed in on parts of Jones's lawsuit, dismissing some of his claims and narrowing the list of defendants. Diddy is still on the list, but one of the biggest wins for the mogul was getting the criminal enterprise claim dismissed. The judge said Jones hadn't made a good enough argument that Diddy had conspired with others to harm the producer. But another big claim was allowed to move forward. Sex trafficking. Combs legal team says Jones lawsuit is, quote, pure fiction. They say there is no criminal conspiracy and that Jones was not threatened, groomed, assaulted, or or trafficked. They say they look forward to proving Jones claims are made up and must be dismissed. Jones lawsuit is still pending and Combs hasn't settled with any of the alleged victims except for Cassie. Jones's complaint is over 70 pages long and the thing that most stood out to me is that he says he's got receipts. His lawsuit contains images he claims are taken from videos he has. They allegedly show people named in the suit around the time of the alleged crimes. Images of Jones with Diddy. People who Jones says are sex workers at parties. Diddy kissing a person Jones says is an underage girl. Jones with a male celebrity. His hand on the inside of Jones thigh. Many of the stills are bathed in pink or red light, reportedly something that was characteristic of Diddy's freak offs. Jones lawsuit also alleges Diddy had hidden cameras in every room of his homes, suggesting the possibility there could be more video footage out there. Again, I'm not involved in Jones's suit or the criminal case against Diddy, so I don't know the prosecutor's strategy. But here's what I can tell you based on my professional experience. When I saw Rodney Jones complaint and the level of detail it went into on what the supporting evidence allegedly is and where it could be found, I immediately thought, which detective and which prosecutor is reading this and thinking let's go investigate. Sometimes lawsuits can be written in a way that tips off law enforcement and gives them a roadmap. I see it in my own civil litigation practice all the time. This suit by little Rod felt like an invitation to build a criminal case against Diddy served up on a silver platter. The initial burst of lawsuits Cassie to Rodney Jones were only the first of many lawsuits against Diddy. There'd be dozens more to come in the following months. But eventually the attention surrounding the alleged allegations began to fade. For about six months, much of the public seemed to move on from Diddy's legal troubles. The news cycle moved on too, until something surfaced that made everyone pay attention again. Something that appeared to confirm at least some of Cassie's allegations. Disturbing video that shows Sean Diddy Combs kicking, shoving and dragging his ex girlfriend. And then law enforcement made its move tonight.

[Rodney Jones]

Heavily armed federal authorities raiding two homes belonging to legendary rapper and entertainment mogul Sean Diddy Combs.

[Brian Buckmire]

That's next time on Bad Rap. The case against Diddy. If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual assault, call the national sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE or go to r a I n n.org if you like this podcast, please share it and give it a five star rating on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Thanks for listening. Bad Rap the Case Against Diddy is a production of ABC Audio. I'm Brian Buckmire. This podcast was written and produced by Vika Aronson, Camille Peterson and Nancy Rosenbaum. Tracy Samuelson is our story editor. Associate producer Amira Williams. We had production help from Shane McKeon and Kiara Powell. Fact checker Audrey Maztek Story consultant Sweeney St. Ville Supervising producer Sasha Aslanian Original music by Evan Viola mixing by Rick Kwan. Ariel Chester is our social media producer. This podcast was powered by the journalists at impact by Nightline, 2020 GMA and the ABC News Investigative Unit. Thanks to those teams and special thanks to Stephanie Maurice, Liz Alessi and Katie Dendas. Josh Cohan is ABC Audio's Director of Podcast programming. Laura Mayer is our Executive producer.