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Diddy is among Hip Hop’s most influential figures, though his reputation and popularity have plunged immensely over the past few months following a string of sexual assault and harassment lawsuits filed against him.
On Monday (April 1), Billboard published a detailed report on the businessman’s declining radio spins after his ex-girlfriend Cassie accused him of rape and abuse last year. As more and more people have since come forward with similar claims, his catalog’s airplay has steadily declined.
The two tracking weeks prior to the first lawsuit on November 16, 2023 reveal that the 54-year-old’s collection of music generated 11,000 plays on air, which Luminate puts at 23.3 million audience impressions. Over the next two weeks after the case was filed, the New York City native’s airtime dropped by 28%, with 8,000 spins.
From November 24–December 7, soon after Diddy was sued again for sexual assault, his broadcasts plummeted by 41% — his greatest descent thus far.
This trend has remained consistent over the past four and a half months, as the tally from March 15–28 shows that his songs only received 1,000 plays with 4 million impressions, marking an 88% drop in radio spins and 83% crash in audience reach since mid-November.
In February, a producer named Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones accused Diddy of sexual harassment as well as drugging and threatening him over the course of a year.
According to a trigger warning that prefaces the court documents, the lawsuit contains “highly graphic information of a sexual nature, including sexual assault. Additionally, there are graphic images of the aftermath of a shooting, redacted images of sexual intercourse, redacted images of minors, sex workers, and prostitutes, details of sex trafficking, the illegal distribution of guns, and drugs.”
Diddy has vehemently denied all claims, with his lawyer Shawn Holley sharing the following statement with HipHopDX: “Lil Rod is nothing more than a liar who filed a $30million lawsuit shamelessly looking for an undeserved payday. His reckless name-dropping about events that are pure fiction and simply did not happen is nothing more than a transparent attempt to garner headlines.
“We have overwhelming, indisputable proof that his claims are complete lies. Our attempts to share this proof with [Lil Rod]’s attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls.”
Prior to that, Diddy and singer Aaron Hall were accused of raping two women “in 1990 or 1991.” Court documents state that the plaintiff, listed in the filing as Jane Doe, and a friend were invited back to the R&B singer’s apartment following an industry event. She claims Diddy “coerced” her into sex and that Hall later “barged into the room, pinned her down and forced [her] to have sex with him.”
Doe claims her friend, who is not involved in the filing, said she “had been forced to have sex with Combs and Hall in another room.” Furthermore, she claims an “irate” Combs visited the woman and her friend again days later, “choking Jane Doe to the point that she passed out,” resulting in her seeking medical treatment.
“He was worried that she would tell the girl he was with at the time what he and Hall had done to them,” the complaint reads.
Denying the claims, a spokesperson for Diddy told HipHopDX: “These are fabricated claims falsely alleging misconduct from over 30 years ago and filed at the last minute. This is nothing but a money grab. Because of Mr. Combs’ fame and success, he is an easy target for anonymous accusers who lie without conscience or consequence for financial benefit.
“The New York Legislature surely did not intend or expect the Adult Survivors Act to be exploited by scammers. The public should be skeptical and not rush to accept these bogus allegations.”
This became the third sexual assault lawsuit filed against Diddy in the space of a week. He first faced allegations of rape and domestic violence from Cassie, who he dated for a decade until 2018. He denied all allegations and quickly settled the suit, with his lawyer saying the decision “is in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
The second person to accuse Diddy of sexual assault was Joi Dickerson-Neal, who claims that the rapper and producer drugged and raped her in the early ’90s, while also filming the act.
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He denied these allegations as well, saying through his spokesperson: “This last-minute lawsuit is an example of how a well-intentioned law can be turned on its head. Ms. Dickerson’s 32-year-old story is made up and not credible. Mr. Combs never assaulted her and she implicates companies that did not exist. This is purely a money grab and nothing more.”
In late February, prior to the most recent claims by Lil Rod, Diddy claimed he’s a victim of cancel culture in a motion to dismiss the gang-rape lawsuit brought against him.
Last month, the ongoing ordeal escalated when Diddy’s homes across the United States were raided by Homeland Security.
A representative for the federal executive department subsequently released a statement and said: “Earlier today, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York executed law enforcement actions as part of an ongoing investigation, with assistance from HSI Los Angeles, HSI Miami, and our local law enforcement partners. We will provide further information as it becomes available.”
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