It was a time when an invitation to one of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ parties was the hottest ticket in the entertainment industry. These lavish events, featuring celebrity-packed guest lists such as Justin Bieber, Mariah Carey, and Jennifer Lopez, provided an opportunity to mingle with the biggest names in the entertainment industry.
“When Diddy winked at you and said come into the VIP section, you knew you were going to have a really good night,” recalls Rob Shuter, who worked as a publicist for the rapper at the height of his fame.
But now, Combs’ former star client is sitting in a Brooklyn jail cell, just a short drive away from the Hamptons, where he once presided over these decadent celebrity bashes. An extensive federal criminal case has swiftly brought the music mogul down, accusing him of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.
Additionally, Combs faces more than a dozen civil lawsuits alleging assaults, rape, and sexual extortion. One lawyer claims to represent over 100 alleged victims who allege sexual abuse.
Shuter, who worked for Combs from 2002 to 2004, says the rapper was at a pivotal moment in his career when he started using these parties to elevate his persona and keep himself at the center of the entertainment industry.
“He was just figuring out that how he could get the most attention was to become the party king of New York,” Shuter tells the BBC.
The publicist describes Combs as being “obsessed with power” and having a deep desire to remain famous, explaining that the star loved to have his photo taken and show off his lavish lifestyle. Shuter’s job was to help keep “Diddy” at the top, saying being part of his entourage was like being in a circus, with the rapper as the “ringmaster.”
However, the dark side of these so-called “White Parties” is now coming to light through a series of lawsuits. One accuser, who was 16 years old at the time, alleges that Combs abruptly ordered him to drop his pants so the rapper could examine and touch him, claiming it was a “rite of passage” to become a star.
Adria English, a former adult film star, asserts that her involvement in multiple White Party events, where she worked, led her to become involved in sex trafficking due to the presence of drug-laced alcohol. An anonymous lawsuit alleges that the plaintiff, who was working security at a 2006 White Party, received a drug-laced drink before Combs sexually assaulted her.
In total, 19 sexual assault lawsuits have been filed against the music mogul, with attorneys announcing that more than 100 new complaints could be submitted in the coming weeks.
One of Combs’ ex-girlfriends, singer Cassie, accused him in a lawsuit of controlling every aspect of her life, forcing her to take excessive drugs, have sex with other men, and beating her for years. She said she realized Combs had a “tremendously loyal network” that would do anything he asked.
Shuter says he never witnessed any sexual misconduct, but he did see the “imbalance of power” in Combs’ world. “The reason he was such a superstar is because all he thinks about is Diddy. Shuter informs the BBC that Diddy consumes his thoughts from the moment he wakes up until he goes to bed. “Diddy’s hobby is Diddy.”
The publicist also reveals that Combs held a deep fascination with the British royal family, claiming the rapper kept framed pictures of Prince Harry and Prince William in his lavish New York apartment and tried multiple times to get the pair to attend his parties.
“He thought of himself as a king, so it makes perfect sense that he would like to have two princes in his entourage,” Shuter explains.
The mounting allegations against Combs are casting his once-celebrated “White Parties” in a much darker light. Once perceived as an opportunity for the hip-hop impresario to introduce his world to the upper echelons of society and Hollywood’s elite, it has now become a “facade” that permitted “sinister” conduct to occur.
Currently held without bail at a Brooklyn jail, the rapper has repeatedly denied the claims made in the lawsuits and pleaded not guilty to the federal charges against him. However, the scandals surrounding Diddy’s lavish parties are permanently tarnishing their legacy as more accusers come forward.