Every has thoughts on Diddy, but what do the experts say? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we are sharing notable expert reactions, opinions, and takeaways as it relates to the charges levied against Sean “Diddy” Combs following a grand jury indictment.
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00:00It really made me think of R. Kelly when I read this indictment
00:04and I saw exactly what the allegations were.
00:07Welcome to WatchMojo,
00:08and today we're sharing notable expert reactions, opinions, and takeaways
00:13as it relates to the charges levied against Sean Diddy Combs
00:16following a grand jury indictment.
00:18Warning, certain information contains distressing details.
00:21Because a lot of other people who could have been charged
00:24in this indictment with him were not.
00:26What does that say to me as a defense attorney?
00:28They are cooperating with the government.
00:33The facts presented are out of, you know, a very bad Hollywood story.
00:40Legal experts have been quick to emphasize the gravity of the charges
00:43levied against Sean Diddy Combs,
00:45likening them to those typically faced by mob bosses.
00:48The View co-host and lawyer, Sonny Hostin,
00:50pointed out that the racketeering charges describe a criminal enterprise,
00:54one that involves trafficking underage individuals across state lines.
00:57But within the 14 pages, it describes, you know, mob-like behavior.
01:03These cases are generally brought against mobs,
01:06so they're describing a criminal enterprise.
01:09Anna Kaminsky, a law professor at New York Law School, echoed this,
01:13telling USA Today that the RICO charges suggest
01:15Combs participated in a larger criminal network,
01:18and everyone is likely to be held accountable for their actions.
01:21Julie Rendleman, a criminal defense lawyer,
01:24also told the outlet that the situation, quote,
01:26can't get much worse for Diddy.
01:28While prosecutor Matthew Galuzzo went a step further,
01:30purporting that Combs will, quote,
01:32probably die in prison.
01:34This in reference to the likelihood of a life sentence.
01:37Well, now he's facing a potential life in prison sentence
01:41from all of these charges, sex trafficking,
01:44racketeering, prostitution, et cetera, and so on.
01:48Many, like Nadia Shihata, a former federal prosecutor
01:51known for her work on the R. Kelly racketeering case,
01:53say that while more people could be charged,
01:56it's also possible that some have already pled guilty
01:58and are cooperating.
02:00Team Diddy also faces significant challenges
02:02due to the potential of more witnesses
02:04and victims coming forward.
02:05There isn't just one witness.
02:07This isn't just about Cassie.
02:09There are going to be multiple witnesses
02:11who are going to be testifying.
02:12The defense is trying to portray this as,
02:14oh, there's going to be one witness.
02:15No, no, no.
02:15There are going to be a lot of witnesses
02:17who are going to come forward.
02:18Shea Rhodes, director of the Villanova Law Institute
02:21to address commercial sexual exploitation,
02:23noted to CNN that combs being held without bail
02:26might encourage other survivors to speak out
02:28due to feeling safe now.
02:30This, as the music mogul's bail request
02:32has been denied twice over.
02:33And that they couldn't prove that he's not
02:35a danger to the community,
02:37and that he couldn't corrupt the case
02:40by trying to reach out to victims,
02:42something that the prosecutors have said
02:44he had tried to do multiple times.
02:46New Jersey defense attorney David Gelman
02:48didn't mince words when speaking with Fox Digital,
02:51calling Diddy, quote, Epstein 2.0,
02:53referencing the similarities in the case
02:55of disgraced offender Jeffrey Epstein.
02:58No matter which legal expert weighs in, however,
03:00they all agree Combs and his attorneys
03:02will be facing an uphill battle
03:04in the months to come.
03:05I will say at the risk of sounding like a homer,
03:07if they bring a case,
03:08they typically have the goods
03:10they have their case buttoned up.
03:11Public relations specialists.
03:13When anybody asks me my opinion on Diddy,
03:19you know what my opinion is?
03:22I have none.
03:23I ain't, I don't have,
03:24I ain't got no answers for a Diddy question.
03:28PR experts have been shedding light
03:30on why many celebrities have stayed silent
03:32about the ongoing Diddy situation.
03:34Eric Schiffer, CEO of Reputation Management Consultants,
03:37told Fox News that stars are hesitant to speak out
03:40due to fear of damaging their brands
03:42or facing negative consequences from crossing Diddy.
03:45Many are scared.
03:46Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR,
03:49agrees that most of the entertainment industry
03:51has either stayed silent
03:52or spoken quietly about the federal indictment.
03:55He highlighted several reasons for this.
03:57The serious nature of the allegations,
03:59which include trafficking and abuse,
04:01the extensive evidence gathered,
04:03and the potential involvement
04:04in Diddy's unlawful activities.
04:06Covered videos of elaborately produced sex performances
04:10with multiple victims
04:11that Combs allegedly referred to as freak offs.
04:14As freak offs.
04:15In fact, he says the quote,
04:17purported depth and reach
04:18of those who might be complicit
04:20and therefore compromised
04:21for having participated
04:22in Diddy's illicit sex parties is staggering.
04:25Celebrities from Sean Combs' circle
04:27who have yet to speak out
04:28include the likes of Jennifer Lopez,
04:30Ashton Kutcher,
04:31Jay-Z,
04:32and Naomi Campbell.
04:33But Evan Neirman,
04:34CEO of crisis PR firm Red Banyan,
04:37tells Business Insider
04:38that he believes there's nothing to gain
04:40by commenting on his arrest
04:42and advises those associated with Diddy
04:44to avoid the topic at all costs.
04:46Eric Schiffer also instructs his clients
04:48that Diddy is quote,
04:50off limits.
04:51Schiffer adds that trying to erase connections
04:53to the music magnate on social media
04:55is likewise quote,
04:56a giant red flag,
04:58pointing suspicion at Usher's
04:59recent social media snafu.
05:01I mean, the timing is odd
05:03and everyone is kind of looking
05:05at everyone around Diddy right now.
05:08You know, there was even rumors
05:10that Jay-Z had cleaned out
05:13his entire Instagram now.
05:15Activists.
05:16Activists and justice crusaders
05:18have been keeping a close eye
05:20on the woes of Sean Diddy Combs
05:21for some time now.
05:22Fatima Goss Graves,
05:24co-founder of the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund,
05:26acknowledges the seriousness
05:27of the allegations to NBC News.
05:30She says they reveal
05:31not only an abuse of power,
05:33but a systemic use of his employees
05:35to facilitate quote,
05:36sexual violence.
05:38Combs' staff,
05:39including security personnel,
05:40personal assistants,
05:42and supervisors are implicated
05:43in this alleged criminal network.
05:45No, he did not act alone.
05:47So there were enablers
05:48from his employees,
05:49his coworkers,
05:51his assistants,
05:52to other people in law enforcement
05:54that have aided and abetted him
05:56in carrying out these crimes.
05:58Despite decades of rumors
05:59and legal issues,
06:00Diddy had largely escaped consequences
06:03until his ex Cassie levied allegations
06:05that brought widespread attention
06:06and legal action.
06:07Begin tonight with the alarming images
06:09now emerging of Sean Diddy Combs.
06:11The new video obtained
06:12exclusively by CNN.
06:14Activist Oronike Odeleye,
06:16co-founder of the Mute R. Kelly campaign,
06:19noted that Combs' celebrity
06:20and influence helped him
06:21avoid accountability for years,
06:23similar to the protection
06:24singer R. Kelly once had.
06:26Odeleye also emphasized
06:28that the music industry quote,
06:29thrives on exploitation
06:31and that many survivors of abuse
06:33are often overshadowed
06:34by the sensationalism
06:35surrounding high profile figures.
06:37She points out how Combs allegedly
06:39used his wealth and power to quote,
06:40control and silence victims,
06:42likening his behavior
06:44to toxic forms of masculinity
06:46that perpetuate violence against women.
06:48Combs hit, kicked,
06:50threw objects at and dragged victims
06:52at times by their hair.
06:54Music industry professionals,
06:56as noted earlier,
06:57many in the entertainment industry,
06:59particularly those in the music business,
07:01have stayed quiet on the topic
07:03of Sean Diddy Combs.
07:04However, some artists
07:06have spoken out or provided
07:07a statement on the matter.
07:09In an interview with News Nation's Cuomo,
07:11singer Ray J expressed quote,
07:13shock and sadness over the allegations
07:15against his longtime friend.
07:16Ray J said that he had never witnessed
07:18any misconduct by Diddy, however.
07:20You know, we've never seen
07:24the stuff that's being said
07:25and the stuff that people are finding out.
07:28Like I've never been in rooms
07:30that people are talking about
07:32and I never knew they existed.
07:34Curtis 50 Cent Jackson,
07:35meanwhile, has been openly trolling Diddy
07:37for months on his social media accounts
07:39and will soon be releasing
07:41a Netflix documentary
07:42on Combs' many scandals.
07:43Here I am keeping good company
07:45with the Drew Barrymore show
07:47and I don't have 1,000 bottles of lube
07:49at the house.
07:50When asked about the situation
07:52at the Black Music Action Coalition Gala,
07:54rapper and actor LL Cool J offered up
07:56that he quote, feels for his children,
07:58but declined to comment further
08:00on Diddy's situation.
08:01No, I feel for his children.
08:03The rest I can't speak on.
08:04I mean, you know,
08:05that's what we got court system for.
08:07Longtime associate of Diddy,
08:08Justin Bieber shared through a source
08:10that he is focusing on his family
08:12but is aware of Diddy's legal troubles.
08:15He just quote, prefers not to dwell on it.
08:17Justin Bieber's got more on his mind
08:20than Diddy's arrest.
08:21A source telling ET,
08:23the new dad's energy is going towards
08:25wife Hailey and son Jack.
08:27Aubrey O'Day,
08:28a former Danity Kane band member
08:30who worked closely with Diddy
08:31on MTV's Making the Band 3,
08:33reacted to the arrest
08:34by posting about quote, justice.
08:36She further expressed that it felt
08:38like a win for women worldwide.
08:40I feel validated,
08:42a win for women all over the world.
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09:00Trafficking expert,
09:02the Los Angeles Times conducted
09:04a feature interview with Lauren Hirsch,
09:06the former head of the sex trafficking unit
09:08at the Kings County district attorney's office
09:10and current national director
09:11of World Without Exploitation,
09:13where she was asked to share
09:14her unique perspective on the allegations
09:16against Sean Diddy Combs.
09:18Hirsch wasn't surprised by the accusations,
09:20noting that the combination of celebrity,
09:23wealth and power in the music industry
09:25often attracts individuals
09:26who exploit vulnerable people.
09:28She further explained that powerful individuals
09:30like Combs can manipulate and control victims
09:33using their influence
09:34to create a culture of silence,
09:36enforce compliance and conceal their actions.
09:39Combs allegedly recorded compromising videos
09:41to blackmail them
09:42and had people sign NDAs to further silence them.
09:45He used the embarrassing and sensitive recordings
09:48he made of the freak offs
09:50as collateral against the victims.
09:52Hirsch called these methods typical of traffickers
09:54who aim to instill fear and trauma.
09:57In the piece, Hirsch further emphasized
09:59that the public's understanding of trafficking has evolved
10:02and as a society,
10:03we are becoming more focused on accountability.
10:06We need to incorporate these conversations into schools.
10:09We need to incorporate these conversations
10:12into our dinnertime conversations with our kids.
10:15She believes this case marks a turning point
10:18where powerful individuals
10:19are no longer immune from consequences.
10:22What is your opinion on the details
10:24surrounding Sean Diddy Combs' arrest?
10:26Share your thoughts in the comments below.
10:28Because there's so many pre-trial motions
10:31and issues in the legal world
10:32that need to be decided before you get into the courtroom.
10:35You're talking about a year to two years
10:38before we see a trial.
10:58You