Vice President Kamala Harris came under fire Wednesday as an old tweet in which she thanked now-disgraced rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs for hosting a fundraiser for her first presidential campaign resurfaced after the hip-hop mogul’s arrest on sex crime charges.
Harris’ message of gratitude was sent during her previous run for the White House after Diddy hosted a town hall on racial inequality for her campaign.
“Thank you,@Diddy, for hosting this town hall last night. There’s a lot at stake for our communities right now and it’s critical we bring to the forefront how coronavirus is perpetuating racial inequality and health disparities,” Harris tweeted on April 10, 2020.
The tweet resurfaced on X Wednesday, just as Combs, 54, was ordered held without bail pending trial in a three-count sex-trafficking indictment, leaving some social media users saying, “This didn’t age well.”
Others joked about the poorly aged message, one writing, “Unburdened by past support of @Diddy.”
“Did you bring the baby oil?” another social media user quipped.
In a 14-page unsealed indictment, Combs was accused of luring female victims and male sex workers into drugged-up, often days-long sexual performances dubbed “Freak Offs.“
Here’s what we know about the allegations against Sean “Diddy” Combs
- Combs was arrested at a New York hotel by Homeland Security agents on September 16.
- Prosecutors allege Combs participated in sex trafficking and “freak off” parties.
- Combs was denied bail and is on suicide watch as he awaits his sex trafficking trial in jail.
- Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by Homeland Security in March amid a possible ongoing sex-trafficking investigation.
- A video of Combs viciously assaulting his ex-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a hotel hallway was made public in May.
- In November 2023, the rapper was accused of drugging, filming and sexually assaulting a woman on a date in 1991.
The women, who were often seduced under the pretense of a romantic relationship, would then be plied with drugs in a bid to keep them “obedient and compliant,” according to the court papers.
The indictment also revealed that officials discovered 1,000 bottles of lubricant and baby oil, as well as three AR-15s, when Combs’ mansions in Miami and Los Angeles were raided this past March.
The bottles were allegedly used for the “Freak Offs,” during which Combs allegedly “hit, kicked, threw objects at, and dragged victims, at times, by their hair,” per the indictment.
Here’s what we know about Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sex trafficking charges
The rapper allegedly “threatened victims’ careers and livelihoods” if they refused to participate in the “Freak Offs.”
Following Diddy’s arrest, his lawyer said, “We are disappointed with the decision to pursue what we believe is an unjust prosecution of Mr. Combs by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
“He is an imperfect person but is not a criminal. To his credit Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.”
Combs has been slapped with a slew of lawsuits over the past year by people who allege he subjected them to physical or sexual abuse during the height of his fame as a producer in the 1990s and 2000s.
