Rumors about Diddy’s alleged behavior have trickled out for years, and some celebrity women even made comments about him in interviews in the past. The problem? Few people listened.
In a 2004 profile of Kimora Lee Simmons, she recalled a time Combs threatened to hit her while she was pregnant. In 2022, former Danity Kane member Aubrey O’Day revealed on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that her forced departure from the girl-group in 2008 was related to her refusal to do “what was expected of her” by Combs in areas unrelated to music. And singer Jaguar Wright has stood her ground for years, accusing Combs’ in various interviews of serious crimes. In one video interview, Wright says that she was called a “liar” and accused of being jealous of Combs’ success.
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It wasn’t until footage of Combs physically assaulting ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura emerged that people began listening to their stories. Why?
Experts say that gender and racial bias, as well as cognitive biases like the “halo effect,” contribute to the denial of sexual assault allegations — leaving survivors subject to shame and disbelief.