Sean “Diddy” Combs has temporarily stepped aside as the chairman of the media network Revolt, a spokesperson for the music mogul said Tuesday.
Combs made the decision to step aside from the media network last week, the spokesperson said.
While this is not the first business-related fallout since he was accused of sexual abuse in three lawsuits — London-based spirit maker Diageo cited the allegations in a renewed push to keep him out of tequila ads — this is the first time Combs has actively stepped aside on his own.
It’s not clear when Combs, a founder of Revolt, will return.
In a post on X, Revolt said that Combs had no day-to-day role in the business and the decision “helps to 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,” Revolt said.
On Nov. 20, a co-host of a podcast on Revolt announced she wouldn’t participate in a third season after Combs was accused of sexual abuse in several lawsuits.
“I am a [sexual assault] survivor & I cannot be part of a show that’s supposed to uplift black women while @Diddy leads the company,” Dawn Montgomery, who hosts “Monuments to Me,” a podcast about Black women’s issues and successes, posted on X.
One of the lawsuits filed against Combs was a federal $30 million suit alleging that he raped, sex-trafficked and abused his former girlfriend Cassie.
Cassie, whose real name is Casandra Ventura, and Combs settled the lawsuit a day after it was filed for an undisclosed amount of money. Ventura said she “decided to resolve this matter on terms that I have some level of control.”
Ben Brafman, a lawyer for Combs, said Combs’ decision to settle was “in no way an admission of wrongdoing.”
“Mr. Combs’ decision to settle the lawsuit does not in any way undermine his flat-out denial of the claims,” Brafman said.
Montgomery previously told NBC News that she empathized with Cassie’s allegations. “I cannot sign back on and say that I want to be paid to do a podcast where a few of the episodes were probably going to reflect this conversation,” she said. “Diddy and his people could never do anything towards me to make me feel like I needed to continue to be quiet.”
Another accuser, Joie Dickerson-Neal, filed a separate lawsuit against Combs alleging that he drugged her and sexually assaulted her in 1991 while she was a college student at Syracuse University. She said Combs allegedly recorded the assault without her knowledge and shared that video with other people.
An unidentified woman also sued Combs, alleging that she and her friend were sexually assaulted by Combs and R&B singer Aaron Hall at Hall’s apartment in 1990 or 1991. In that suit, the accuser, identified only as Jane Doe, said that the assault happened after an event at the offices of MCA Records.
A spokesperson for Combs has denied all allegations, calling the claims a “money grab.” The spokesperson said Jane Doe’s claims were “fabricated” and that Dickerson-Neal’s claims were “not credible.”
“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 spokesperson said Friday following Jane Doe’s suit.
Source: NBCNEWS