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In 2010, Sean “Diddy” Combs, at his Beverly Hills residence, demonstrated an unsettling dynamic to his assistant, Capricorn Clark, by summoning his then-girlfriend, Casandra Ventura. “Let me show you something,” he reportedly stated.
He proceeded to issue a series of commands to Ventura – instructing her to sit, stand, turn, walk, and fetch items – all of which she promptly obeyed.
Turning to his assistant, Combs allegedly remarked, “Did you see that? You won’t do that. That’s why you don’t have a man like me.”
This account, disclosed by Ms. Clark during Combs’ recent eight-week trial, offered a glimpse into the power dynamics within his relationship and the alleged behaviors occurring behind closed doors.
Ms. Ventura, also known as Cassie, testified that during their long-term relationship, Combs, 17 years her senior, subjected her to beatings, blackmail, and coercion into drug-fueled sexual encounters with escorts, effectively controlling her life.
A central allegation in the trial was that Combs, 55, the music mogul credited with mainstreaming rap, forced his partners into elaborate sexual performances, or “freak-offs,” that he orchestrated, often filmed, and arranged with staff assistance.
Last week, he was found guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution, while acquitted on more severe charges of racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Following the verdict, Ms. Ventura’s lawyer, Doug Wigdor, stated that her actions brought “attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion.”
Campaigners, survivors, and music industry insiders now question why it took so long to hold Combs accountable.
In light of Hollywood’s #MeToo movement, which exposed and addressed sexual harassment and abuse in the film industry, is it time for a similar reckoning within the music industry, particularly in hip-hop?
Cristalle Bowen, a rapper from Chicago formerly of RapperChicks, asserts, “The Diddy trial only highlights what many of us already know” regarding the difficulty of holding powerful figures accountable.
In her 2022 book addressing misogyny within the industry, Bowen notes, “Being the token women on labels and in crews leaves you susceptible to, at the very least, name calling,” adding, “At the most… you’ve been abused in some way.”
“When there is money involved, it becomes tricky,” she says. “From hush money to stalled careers to the way we all see survivors treated… It’s a difficult task.”
Campaigners and industry insiders speaking with the BBC contend that sexual abuse and harassment transcend genres in the music business, fostered by a culture of silence that protects alleged predators while victims risk blacklisting, lawsuits, or termination.
Academic and activist Caroline Heldman, co-founder of the Sound Off Coalition, argues that there is a history of using “threats to push out women artists who are targets of abuse by men.”
“The music industry has followed a playbook for dealing with sexual abuse that shields predators, including musicians, producers, managers, executives, and other behind-the-scenes players, from liability,” she states.
Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are legitimately used to protect commercial secrets; however, some argue their misuse contributes to a culture of silence surrounding abuse cases.
“[It] makes for a very difficult decision for a lot of victims,” says Arick Fudali, a New York-based lawyer whose client, Dawn Richard, testified against Combs and has an ongoing lawsuit against him.
“I’ve had clients who have declined that and chosen to file their lawsuit publicly,” he adds. “They can receive less money than if they had just settled privately and confidentially.”
Ms. Bowen attests to witnessing this firsthand, saying, “Moguls write the cheques and artists need the cheques – there’s usually no checks and balances when mogul money is involved.”
However, other factors may contribute to the hesitancy to speak out.
In hip-hop, experts and survivors suggest the culture of silence is compounded by racism, misogyny, and the fierce protection of a genre that has created pathways to success.
Emerging from African-American and Latino communities in 1970s New York City, hip-hop became a voice for liberation and resistance against injustice.
Mark Anthony Neal, professor of African-American studies at Duke University, explains that hip-hop allowed young Black people to tell their stories on their terms, especially when popular culture offered limited portrayals of Black America.
Now the most commercially successful music genre in the U.S., Thomas Hobbs, writer and co-host of the podcast Exit the 36 Chambers, notes, “Rappers are the new rock stars… They’re the people now most likely to fill arenas.”
Combs, an artist and businessman with an empire spanning fashion, alcohol, TV, and Bad Boy Records, has been championed for making hip-hop commercially viable and creating opportunities for Black men.
Throughout his career, he has advocated for “black excellence” and highlighted struggles within the Black community.
His legal defense emphasized this in court, stating, “Sean Combs has become something that is very, very hard to be… He is a self-made, successful, black entrepreneur.”
Outside the courthouse during the trial, fans cheered after his acquittal on the more serious charges, debating whether he had been unfairly targeted, with one stating, “Of course he was. He’s a powerful black man.”
For weeks, supporters wore and sold “Free Puff” T-shirts, referencing Combs’ 90s stage name, while blasting his music.
Sociologist Katheryn Russell-Brown has described this as “black protectionism.”
In her book, Protecting Our Own: Race, Crime, and African Americans, inspired by the O.J. Simpson case, she wrote, “Those who have managed to obtain large-scale prosperity, in spite of legal, political, economic, educational and social barriers, are given the status of racial pioneers.”
“It is, therefore, predictable that black people as a group are suspicious when criminal charges are brought against members of its elite, protected class.”
Treva Lindsey, a professor at Ohio State University, argues that Black women fear speaking out could reinforce harmful stereotypes about their community.
“When we portray hip-hop as uniquely sexist, or sexually violent, or harmful, that has repercussions for black people of all genders,” she says.
Yet, a retrospective focus is slowly emerging across the broader entertainment industry, partly due to shifting attitudes.
Recent legal changes in some U.S. states have also enabled people to take action regarding alleged historic misconduct.
New York and California passed Adult Survivors Act laws in 2022, allowing a one-year window to file sexual abuse claims regardless of when the alleged incidents occurred.
Ms. Ventura filed a lawsuit against Combs in November 2023, accusing him of physical and sexual abuse, which was settled the following day, though Combs denied the claims.
He also faces over 60 civil cases from men and women accusing him of drugging or assault, spanning his career.
In a statement, Combs’ team said, “No matter how many lawsuits are filed, it won’t change the fact that Mr Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone – man or woman, adult or minor.”
Several other hip-hop figures from the 90s and 00s have faced allegations in a recent wave.
Music executive and producer Antonio LA Reid was accused of sexual assault in a 2023 lawsuit, claims he denies.
Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, has faced allegations of violent sexual behavior by over 20 women since 2017, all of which he denies.
Drew Dixon, former vice president of A&R at Arista Records, has claimed she was abused by both Mr. Simmons and Mr. Reid while working in the music industry during the 1990s and 2000s.
She told The New York Times, “You’re not just going up against the person who assaulted you… You are going against everyone who benefits from their brand and revenue stream.”
“Those forces will mobilise against any accuser. It’s daunting.”
Sil Lai Abrams, a writer and gender violence activist who worked as an executive assistant at Def Jam in 1992, is among the women who accused Mr. Simmons of sexual assault, allegations he denies.
She argues that it remains harder for women of color to speak out against abuse in the music industry, as “[Women have] been conditioned to see abuse of power and sexual harassment as the price one pays to work in the industry.”
Public response also plays a role. When Ms. Ventura first filed her lawsuit against Combs, she faced widespread abuse and accusations of being a gold-digger on social media.
“Quit trying to expose people for money,” US rapper Slim Thug said in a video shared on Instagram in 2023.
Sentiment shifted only when CNN broadcast security footage from 2016 showing Combs grabbing, dragging, and kicking Ms. Ventura in a hotel hallway.
Slim Thug publicly apologized for his comments.
Combs responded in a video statement, saying, “My behaviour on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility… I’m committed to be a better man each and every day… I’m truly sorry.”
“Before the video of Combs beating her came out and people couldn’t deny the evidence, people said Cassie was a liar,” says Dr. Nikki Lane, assistant professor at Duke University.
Dr. Lane argues that more needs to change, stating, “Black women’s bodies are constantly traded upon within the culture of hip-hop as tropes to be ridiculed.”
Dr. Lane points to the example of Megan Thee Stallion, who was shot in the foot in 2020.
Tory Lanez is serving a 10-year sentence for the assault, but Drake was criticized for lyrics in his 2022 song, Circo Loco, which seemed to refer to the incident.
The question remains: What happens to the art when an idol is convicted of serious crimes?
R&B singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2022 for sex trafficking, racketeering, and sexually abusing women and children, yet his music remains popular, generating about 780 million audio streams in the U.S. since January 2019.
“There are still people [who] defend R Kelly,” says Mr. Hobbs. “I won’t be surprised if Diddy’s streams, just like R Kelly’s, stay high.”
“There’s a kind of cognitive dissonance” from fans, he argues, as “These songs become so embedded in people’s lives that they find it very difficult to get rid of them… [they’re] part of people’s DNA.”
“So, I think some people are able to look the other way.”
A broader question is how the industry should react. Following the MeToo movement, over 200 men accused of sexual harassment lost their jobs, and changes were made to workplace policies.
However, Prof. Lindsey suggests the Combs verdict alone may not trigger wider changes, stating, “I think what happens in this moment is Diddy, kind of like R Kelly in the R&B black music pantheon, is seen as exceptional… and not indicative of something else.”
“There isn’t a cultural reset where we look inward and ask: ‘How does this happen?'”
Ms. Abrams and others argue that this internal examination is precisely what is lacking. “What is lacking is a political environment against which survivors can count on to change the material conditions that allowed someone like Combs to act with impunity,” she says.
Following MeToo in Hollywood, changes included making intimacy coordinators standard practice during sex scene filming. Some music insiders hope this extends to music video sets.
The Sound Off Coalition calls for new company rules requiring those in power to report sexual assault accusations.
Dr. Lane argues that tangible measures are what truly matter. “The only way for me to believe that there’s been a reckoning would be to see changes in laws, policies, and actual business practices of the industry… [Ones] that are not based on how long Diddy goes down for.”
For the latest analysis and reactions to the verdict, listen to the Diddy on Trial podcast available on BBC Sounds.
Additional reporting by Florence Freeman and Fiona Macdonald
Top picture credit: Rich Polk/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
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