Diddy sex trafficking probe: Hollywood stars are 'scared to death' to speak out, experts say
After Sean "Diddy" Combs' arrest in New York City Tuesday, some of Hollywood's biggest stars have weighed in. Others, including former and current friends of Combs, have remained silent out of "fear," according to an expert.
The music mogul was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution. He faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars and a maximum sentence of life in prison if found guilty.
While the high-profile case has sparked responses from 50 Cent, Aubrey O'Day, Kesha, Mary J. Blige and more, others who have been tied to Combs in the past — Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, Ashton Kutcher and Jay-Z, none of whom are implicated in the criminal case — have been notably quiet.
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"Celebrities are silent because they are scared to death of their brands bleeding out with fans over ties to Diddy. And, worse, they fear if they cross him, things could end in disaster," Eric Schiffer, CEO of Reputation Management Consultants, told Fox News Digital.
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Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, said there's "no shortage of reasons" Combs' acquaintances haven't weighed in.
"Outside of 50 Cent, the overwhelming majority of the music and entertainment industry have either remained inconspicuously silent or spoken only in hushed tones regarding the rumors — and now, federal indictment — surrounding P. Diddy," Eldridge said.
"Given the severity of the charges, the detailed allegations in the indictment and the long-standing rumors surrounding Combs, there's no shortage of reasons why celebrities would choose to remain silent for the time being, but here are a few.
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"First, the nature of the allegations are fairly gruesome — from sex trafficking … to purported drugging, and so forth," he added. "The scope and scale of evidence that was collected during the federal raid included phones, computers and now more than 50 individuals who are reportedly cooperating as witnesses.
"Third, the purported depth and reach of those who might be complicit — and therefore, compromised — for having participated in Diddy's illicit sex parties is staggering."
Here's a look at stars who have and haven't spoken out about Combs' indictment.
Combs dated Jennifer Lopez from 1999 to 2001 during one of his breaks from Kim Porter but called it quits due to his alleged infidelity.
In 2003, Lopez spoke about the breakup to Vibe, telling the outlet, "It was the first time I was with someone who wasn’t faithful. I was in this relationship with Puff [Combs] where I was totally crying, crazy and going nuts. It really took my whole life in a tailspin.
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"I never caught him, but I just knew. He’d say he was going to a club for a couple of hours and then never come back that night."
The two reunited at the after-party of her Las Vegas residency in 2018.
A rep for Lopez did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Kutcher and Combs, who first met while hosting various TV shows on MTV, have had a years-long friendship.
The "That ‘70s Show" actor first bonded with Combs over their shared love of pranking people. During an appearance on "Hot Ones" in 2019, Kutcher was overwhelmed with his memories and couldn't pick one Diddy "party story" to share.
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"Wow, I've got a lot I can't tell. I can't tell that one either," Kutcher said. "Actually cycling through them. ... Our relationship is really bizarre because it started over ‘Punk’d’ cause he’s like, ‘Yo, you can’t punk me.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know what to tell you, everybody’s on the table,'" he said.
Diddy apparently said, "Not me, I'm off the table."
"So, that started our conversation," Kutcher said.
Earlier this year, a source told the Daily Mail Kutcher would not be involving himself in the investigation surrounding Combs.
"There is no way in hell Ashton or Mila [Kunis] will be showing any sort of public support for Diddy right now," the source said. "Regardless of Ashton’s long history with him, he has distanced himself from Diddy since [ex-girlfriend] Cassie’s lawsuit, and even more so in the wake of the new ones."
A rep for Kutcher did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Jay-Z and Combs rose to fame in the early '90s with their respective hip-hop careers.
They've often supported each other throughout the years and have been spotted at various parties together. In 1997, the pair collaborated on a track, which was featured on Combs' debut studio album, "No Way Out."
During a 2015 appearance on "Sway in the Morning," Combs discussed his future plans to go into business with Jay-Z.
"Me and Jay — we’ve talked about it. We said we want to pick the best one," he said, via Vibe. "It’s going to have to be that one thing that gets it all the way popping.
"I think that’s the only way we’ll be able to get true economic power. If we do more things together. That’s the next level for Hip Hop."
A rep for Jay-Z did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
As a longtime friend of Combs, Naomi Campbell threw a lavish 54th birthday for the rapper in 2023.
However, shortly after the Cassie lawsuit, in which Cassie accused Combs of abuse and sex trafficking later that year, Campbell seemingly deleted all posts of her and Combs from her social media.
A rep for Campbell did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
O'Day, a former member of Combs' girl band, Danity Kane, has been vocal about her feelings about Combs throughout the years.
"The purpose of justice is to provide an ending and allow us the space to create a new chapter," she wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after he was arrested. "Women never get this. I feel validated. Today is a win for women all over the world, not just for me. Things are finally changing."
Shortly after Combs' arrest, 50 Cent appeared to have responded in a social media post.
"Here I am keeping good company with @thedrewbarrymoreshow and I don’t have 1,000 bottles of lube at the house," he captioned a photo alongside Drew Barrymore. The rapper was seemingly referencing the "more than 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant" discovered during raids at Combs' homes in March.
Shyne, a former Bad Boy rapper and current politician in Belize, discussed his history with the fallen music mogul.
"When I was an 18-year-old kid, just wanting to do nothing other than make my mother proud and make Belize proud and be recognized for my talent and take over the world, I was defending him. And he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me. He pretty much sent me to prison." Shyne said during a press conference Wednesday.
"I forgave. I moved on. But let us not pretend as if I was in Miami for Thanksgiving and Christmas."
Shyne, who now serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the Belize House of Representatives, was a rising star in the hip-hop world when he signed with Bad Boy Records in 1998. One year later, Shyne joined Diddy and his girlfriend at the time, Jennifer Lopez, at the now defunct Club New York in Times Square when gunfire broke out. Three people were injured.
Combs was found not guilty at trial, while Shyne was convicted on five of eight counts and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Upon release, Shyne was deported to Belize.
"Let’s not lose sight of what the cold hard facts are," Shyne insisted. "This is not someone who I vacationed with and someone who I enjoyed this great, intimate relationship of brotherhood."
"This is someone who destroyed my life, and who I forgave, and who I moved on, and for the better interest of Belize because he was in the position at that time to give scholarships and maybe to invest. I would not deny attempting to bring the investment to Belize and contribution to education in Belize.
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"Do I take any joy with what he is going through? Absolutely not. I am different than other people. No one needs to fail for me to succeed."
In a TikTok video shared by the singer Wednesday, Kesha seemed to have officially changed the lyrics to her hit "Tik Tok."
The original song, released in 2009, includes the lyric, "Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy." In the social media video, Kesha shared her new version with the alternative line, "feeling like f--- P Diddy".
In August, the 37-year-old singer announced her plans to legally change the lyrics.
In March, after Combs' homes were raided during a federal investigation, the Grammy winner took to Instagram to share a cryptic message that said, "Unfortunately, a lot of you all met me when I lacked boundaries and was a people please. Let me reintroduce myself, I burn bridges as needed."
Blige's connection to Combs goes back decades. Her first two studio albums, "What's the 411?" and "My Life," were both produced by the rapper in the 1990s.
Combs appeared in Manhattan federal court Tuesday, where he pleaded not guilty. Not only was Combs denied a proposed $50 million bail, he was sent to jail immediately after the hearing.
He has been placed on routine suicide watch as he awaits trial in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, a source told Fox News Digital Friday.
The source added that "this is common practice for high-profile individuals as they are admitted to a federal facility and not indicative of his mental state."
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Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright and Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this post.