TW: mentions of abuse, trafficking and substances
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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ legal issues started in November 2023 when his former partner, the singer Cassie, filed a lawsuit accusing him of subjecting her to years of abuse. Her claims were very serious and, though Diddy denies any form of wrongdoing, he settled the case for an ‘undisclosed amount of money’ the day after it was filed.
On 26 February 2024 producer Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones filed a lawsuit against Combs stating he was ‘subjected to unwanted advances by associates of Diddy at his direction’. As The Independent reports, Jones also says he was ‘forced to engage in relations with the sex workers Combs had hired’. The lawsuit also lists other claims and accusations including the allegation that Combs regularly hosted ‘sex-trafficking parties' with underage women and illegal drugs’.
The two lawsuits mentioned above are not the only ones the music giant is facing and though at first it appears as though this a story far removed from the Royal Family, it seems Prince Harry’s name has been dragged into it. Here’s what is happening.
Prince Harry named in the sex-trafficking lawsuit
That is a very unfortunate fact for the Prince who is constantly facing backlash and criticism from the press ever since he stepped away from being a senior member of the Royal Family in 2020.
It has come out that in Rodney 'Lil Rod' Jones' lawsuit against Diddy, Prince Harry’s name is mentioned. However, and it is important to say it early on, Prince Harry is in no way accused of having attended any sex-trafficking parties hosted by Combs.
That being said, the reason why Prince Harry’s name is part of the lawsuit is because Jones alleges that Combs used his name to give his parties legitimacy – the lawsuit reads:
Affiliation with, and or sponsorship of Mr Combs’ sex-trafficking parties garnered legitimacy and access to celebrities such as famous athletes, political figures, artist, musicians, and international dignitaries like British royal, Prince Harry.
Prince Harry’s name is only mentioned once in the lawsuit and as The Telegraph explains no evidence or suggestions are put forward hinting at Prince Harry’s knowledge of involvement.
Comparison to Prince Andrew
This is not the first time the words ‘Prince’ and ‘sex-trafficking’ end up in the same sentence. Not much reminding needs to be done about the deeds of Prince Andrew and his association with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.
When Dan Wootton – who has recently launched his own independent platform – reported on the lawsuit he very quickly drew comparison between the two. In a video explaining his coverage he said:
I’m not saying there’s any truth to any of these allegations whatsoever, but remember, Prince Andrew was convicted by the media before receiving any sort of fair trial so surely, questions should now be asked of Prince Harry.
What did he know? Was he involved?
For now, Prince Harry’s team have not responded to any questions.
Did Diddy and Prince Harry meet?
As The Cut reports, there is something quite strange about only having Prince Harry’s name mentioned. However, they rightly explain that naming the royal shows ‘the kind of powerful person Diddy knows and has socialized with’.
The two met in 2007 when Diddy performed at the Concert for Diana. There are pictures of Prince Harry and Diddy together backstage. At the same event, pictures of Prince William with Diddy were also taken but the heir is saved by not being mentioned in the lawsuit.
Unfortunately for Prince Harry, Diddy also mentioned him in an interview with The Sun in 2012. In it the rapper said he was ‘hoping’ to ‘catch up' with Prince Harry, describing him as ‘a cool guy’. However, in the same interview, he said that the two had never hung out.
Read more:
⋙ Prince William and Prince Harry: Here's everything you need to know about their feud
⋙ Fact checking: Is Prince William really encouraging Harry to move back to the UK?
Sources:
The Independent: Here are all the allegations made against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
The Telegraph: Prince Harry dragged into Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sexual assault lawsuit
The Cut: Why Is Prince Harry Mentioned in the Latest Diddy Lawsuit?
