The Recording Academy has finally spoken out about the controversy surrounding Diddy’s invite to the 2024 Grammys. The organization’s recent statement follows after several sexual assault allegations were raised against the Bad Boy CEO.
The Recording Academy, which oversees the Grammys, released an official statement on December 11 regarding Diddy’s invite to the 2024 Grammys, which will take place on February 4, 2024.
“We are taking this matter very seriously and we are in the process of evaluating it with the time and care that it deserves,” the organization said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
The statement provides some clarity on the situation but leaves unanswered questions about the fate of Diddy’s nomination in the “Best Progressive R&B Album” category for his project The Love Album: Off the Grid. Diddy has faced multiple sexual assault allegations, adding to the controversy surrounding his invite.
In November 2023, his former girlfriend Cassie accused him of sexual assault and abuse, although the lawsuit was settled just a day later. Furthermore, two other women came forward, alleging that the hip-hop mogul had sexually assaulted them in the 1990s.
Additionally, a teenage girl claimed that he had raped her in 2003. These allegations have cast a dark cloud over Diddy’s reputation and have sparked widespread concern within the music industry.
Despite the severity of the allegations, the Grammys’ statement marks the organization’s first public acknowledgment of the situation. The decision regarding Diddy’s invite has become a pressing question as the Grammy night approaches.
Updated By: Chris Samuel (12/12/23 at 3:51 pm)
After a flood of sexual abuse allegations, Diddy is facing another major setback. A total of 18 businesses have reportedly decided to sever their relationships with the hip-hop mogul’s e-commerce platform, Empower Global.
Following a surge of sexual abuse accusations, Diddy, also known as Sean “Diddy” Combs, has encountered yet another significant obstacle.
Several businesses have decided to terminate their association with Diddy’s e-commerce platform, Empower Global. The platform, designed to support black-owned businesses, was launched in July 2023.
However, following a series of sexual abuse allegations against Diddy, these businesses have decided to cut ties. The decision to part ways with Empower Global came after Cassie Ventura, also known as Cassie, Diddy’s former girlfriend, filed a lawsuit against him on November 16, 2023.
This lawsuit, along with the other sexual abuse claims, has led businesses like House of Takura and Fulaba to make the difficult decision to distance themselves from Diddy. Annette Njau, founder of House of Takura, stated:
“This decision was made on the day that Casandra Ventura filed her lawsuit, We take the allegations against Mr. Combs very seriously and find such behavior abhorrent and intolerable. We believe in victims’ rights, and support victims in speaking their truth, even against the most powerful of people. Haby Barry, founder of Fulaba, echoed this sentiment, saying “Fulaba is all about empowering women and girls. We will not associate with anything or anyone that is counter to our values.”
Social media users have reacted to the news, where one user named @TPrintress wrote, “This is for every artist he stole from and allowed to starve while he and his family lived like royalty off of THE ARTIST’S hard work.” Another user named @hartofamerica76 wrote, “In light of this, find out who these 18 and growing Black-owned businesses are and support them. Don’t allow Diddy to negatively ruin more Black lives. I applaud them for taking moral stands.”
According to Rolling Stone, Diddy invested over $20 million in Empower Global. Additionally, the e-commerce platform required sellers to pay a $35 monthly subscription fee and a 10% cut of sales as a marketplace fee.
However, the shocking sexual abuse allegations and the platform’s alleged lackluster performance have prompted some brands to terminate their relationships with Diddy. Rebecca Allen, founder of a luxury footwear brand, mentioned:
“We enjoyed working with the team, but have not seen meaningful sales, so we were already planning to terminate our relationship at the end of this year. These harrowing allegations have expedited our decision, and we ended our partnership with Empower Global earlier this month.”
Updated By: Yasmine Duhé (12/11/23 at 3:39 pm)
After a flood of lawsuits, Diddy has suffered another blow to his reputation. Capital Prep Harlem, a charter school the hip-hop mogul helped launch in 2016, has announced the end of its partnership with him.
Amidst a series of legal challenges, Diddy faces another hit to his reputation with a new development in an ongoing legal battle.
Capital Prep Harlem’s decision comes amidst the latest sexual assault allegations against the Bad Boy CEO, including accusations from his former girlfriend Cassie and two other women from the 1990s. This development adds to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the influential entrepreneur and music producer.
Capital Prep Harlem, a public, tuition-free charter school providing a college preparatory education rooted in social justice, released a statement on November 29, revealing their decision to sever ties with Diddy. Dr. Steve Perry, the founder of Capital Preparatory Schools, addressed the partnership termination, stating:
“Following a comprehensive evaluation, a decision has been made to end the partnership between Capital Preparatory Schools and Sean Combs. While this decision was not made lightly, we firmly believe it is in the best interest of our organization’s health and future.” The school’s move is seen as a significant blow to Diddy’s philanthropic endeavors.
Diddy had played a pivotal role in the establishment of Capital Prep Harlem and had even donated $1 million in 2021 to support the school’s Bronx location.
However, shortly after he announced his temporary step down as the chairman of REVOLT, the school decided to sever ties with him.
The sexual assault allegations against Diddy and the subsequent controversy seem to have influenced the school’s decision. Despite the school’s announcement, Diddy has remained silent about Capital Prep Harlem’s decision to end their partnership.
Updated By: Chris Samuel (11/29/23 at 4:02 pm)
Cassie’s lawsuit against Diddy may have been settled, but it’s not quite settled in the hip-hop mogul’s empire. Diddy has recently stepped down from the REVOLT chairmanship and lost a significant number of deals and brand cache.
Diddy’s resignation as REVOLT Chairman, announced on November 28, 2023, has left many wondering why his decision was made. On Instagram, REVOLT TV released a statement:
“Sean Combs has stepped down from his position as Chairman of REVOLT. While Mr. Combs has previously had no operational or day-to-day role in business, this decision helps ensure that REVOLT remains steadfastly focused on our mission to create meaningful content for the culture and amplify the voices of all Black people throughout this country and the African diaspora. Our focus has always been one that reflects our commitment to the collective journey of REVOLT – one that is not driven by any individual, but by the shared efforts and values of our entire team on behalf of advancing, elevating and championing our culture – and that continues.”
Preceding this, on Nov. 16, Diddy encountered significant legal issues stemming from a lawsuit filed by R&B singer and former girlfriend Cassie.
She alleged the Bad Boy CEO had subjected her to physical and sexual abuse throughout their decade-long relationship. Subsequent to the filing of the lawsuit, Diddy settled the legal case within 24 hours.
In addition to stepping down from REVOLT, Diddy’s brand suffered a blow when his Deleón Day Party was canceled due to the lawsuit filed by Cassie.
On November 17, a day after the lawsuit was filed, the cancellation was announced stating:
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the unfortunate cancellation of Sunday’s highly anticipated. DELEÓN Day Party. Recent, serious allegations against DELEON Tequila owner, Sean “Puff” Combs, have compelled us to take immediate action. In light of these circumstances, we believe it is in the best interest of our community to regrettably cancel the event. We understand the disappointment this may bring, but we remain committed to the values of integrity and accountability. However, we are excited to share that we have something special in the works for Tuesday, November 21st. We encourage you to stay tuned for an announcement that reflects the spirit and dedication to our community that has always been at the core of AGENDA. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
Furthermore, Diddy faced yet another setback when it was reported on November 22 that his clothing brand Sean John was being phased out of its two-decade partnership with Macy’s.
In May 2010, Sean John entered into a distribution agreement with Macy’s department store, designating Macy’s and Macys.com as the exclusive distributors of Sean John sportswear at both retail and online levels. As part of this arrangement, Sean John and Macy’s expanded the brand’s distribution to numerous Macy’s stores and established exclusive marketing partnerships with the NBA.
Adding to his woes, there are concerns about Diddy’s upcoming nomination for “Best Progressive R&B Album” at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. This leads fans to wonder if Diddy’s nomination will be taken away by the Recording Academy.
One fan named @invisibiliss wrote, “Are they gone replace Diddy Grammy nomination with someone else or nah?? I have ideas on who can go there..” Another user named @MsNadaNee wrote, “Will @RecordingAcad take Diddy’s Grammy nomination away???”
Grammy nominations, which have been retracted in the past, were the case with Milli Vanilli in the 1990s. It was discovered that they did not sing any of the vocals on their music releases, making them the only artists to have their Grammy rescinded.
In the realm of Grammy nominations being rescinded, there may be a possibility. In 2022, shock rockstar Marilyn Manson initially received two nominations for his contributions to Kanye West’s album Donda.
According to the New York Times, the former nomination was revoked after Manson was excluded as a writer of the song in the updated version of Donda. The Record Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., clarified in a recent interview that only Manson’s work would be considered for the award, and that his ongoing legal issues didn’t interfere as he was charged with sexual abuse charges in 2021.
Harvey Mason Jr. stated:
“[The Record Academy] won’t restrict the people who can submit their material for consideration. We won’t look back at people’s history, we won’t look at their criminal record, we won’t look at anything other than the legality within our rules of, is this recording for this work eligible based on date and other criteria. If it is, they can submit for consideration. What we will control is our stages, our shows, our events, our red carpets. We’ll take a look at anyone who is asking to be a part of that, asking to be in attendance, and we’ll make our decisions at that point. But we’re not going to be in the business of restricting people from submitting their work for our voters to decide on.”
R&B singer, R. Kelly, who is currently imprisoned on sex trafficking charges, also had rumors swirling about the rescission of his Grammy awards in 2021. However, Mason Jr. stated:
“Right now, I think it’s something that is going to take a little bit more consideration before we can really dictate or decide,” he continued. “My initial feeling is we’re probably not a business that we want to be in of taking people’s awards back after they’ve been given. But we’ll take a good look at it and see.”
As many are wondering about Diddy’s whereabouts for the upcoming Grammys, it is alleged that some stars are also refusing to sit near him due to the abuse lawsuit filed against him. According to the Mirror, a music insider stated:
“The formal invitations go out this month. There’s conflict at the academy as several voting members do not think it would be appropiate to invite Diddy.”
In a similar vein, the world of celebrities has seen instances where deals have been rejected or revoked due to controversial statements or behaviors. Kanye West, for example, faced rejection from Foot Locker after making anti-Semitic remarks, causing backlash and fears of further controversy.
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