The recent case surrounding Sean John Combs “P-Diddy” and his charges of sexual assault, racketeering, and sex trafficking has shed light on the unknown, darker side of the Hollywood entertainment industry. The bombshells, which include Diddy’s notorious White Party guest list, have the public looking back and holding the named celebrities accountable for their actions.
On September 16th, the infamous rapper was indicted for sexual assault charges. On October 1st, 120 more people filed lawsuits against Diddy. Since the opening of the case in 2023, Diddy has maintained that he is not guilty, and the court has denied him bail.
The case was revealed in November 2023 when singer and dancer Casandra “Cassie” Ventura sued Diddy for alleged rape and abuse. Videos surfaced on CNN that showed Diddy abusing Ventura. It led to his apology video, but he stayed adamant about his innocence. After Ventura’s accusation, ten others filed lawsuits against Diddy.
The lawsuits were quiet until March 2024, when Diddy’s Los Angeles and Miami properties were raided. In the properties, they found AR-15 guns, drugs, and most notoriously, one thousand bottles of baby oil.
Most of the lawsuits originate from Diddy’s White Parties, which he held from 1998 to 2009. Victims allege that Diddy had them participate in “freak offs” where some were forced into coitus, drugged, or forced to watch others have sexual intercourse. In a video taken during one of his White Parties, he addresses the children attending the party, telling them, “The kids have like an hour left… cause this thing turns into something that, when y’all get older, y’all wanna come to, okay?” The clip has been used as evidence of Diddy’s inappropriate parties. Recently, the guest list of his White Parties has surfaced, containing elite names such as Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z.
Celebrities on the White Party guest list have since amassed resentment and many have created unsubstantiated claims about the celebrities. Sophomores Tsarina Brunson and Masiah Brereton note that “there’s a lot of weird stuff going on, especially in high celebrity life, that I don’t think we’re ever going to really know about. I don’t want to be like a tin-foil-hat conspiracy theorist, but there’s something going on.”
A-listers such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z are now under fire for their relationships with Diddy, along with the rest of the names included on the White Party guest list. Some celebrities, such as Ashton Kutcher and Chris Brown, have already been involved in controversies surrounding abuse and sexual assault allegations. However, not all the people on the White Party list were involved in Diddy’s “freak-offs,” which allegedly occurred during the after-parties.
Diddy’s indictment comes as a surprise to Hollywood. “I think the entertainment industry is going to take a turn that nobody’s expecting because there [are] so many people involved [in the Diddy case] that (1) you don’t know who to trust, and (2) who to believe because there are so many rumors,” says junior Juliana Duperval. The case is based on one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry and many more elite names were uncovered since the initial suit. Junior Evan Omana observes, “… [The government has] to investigate [the case] more because they came out with a whole list of people. I heard it was just people who were friends with Diddy but didn’t do illegal stuff, so they have to investigate all of that.”
Celebrities continue to be named in the case for their relationship with P Diddy. The entire case, including information about the White Parties, serves as a turning point for the entertainment industry. Many are hopeful that celebrities who have participated in illegal activity will be held accountable for their actions. As more secrets are uncovered, the world watches the elite fall from their pedestals.
