This year, federal officials in New York arrested singer and audio mogul Sean” Puffy” Combs on costs of, among other things, alleged arson, extortion, kidnapping, forced labour, and sexual trafficking. The federal accusation comes after Combs has faced decades of civil lawsuits alleging sexual acts, including prostitution, abuse, and murder.
Attacks by federal officials on Combs ‘ properties in Los Angeles and Miami uncovered medications, high-powered weapon, ammunition, and facts supporting the statements made in civil lawsuits that Combs oversaw” Crazy Offs”, prolonged, allegedly coerced sexual exploits at his properties. Among other results, the attacks apparently uncovered “more than 1, 000 jars of baby oil and adhesive”.
According to The Independent, Combs’s prosecutor described him as” an honest gentleman with nothing to hide”. We are disappointed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s decision to pursue what we believe is an unfair trial of Mr. Combs, according to lawyer Marc Agnifilo in an internet.
Combs, 54, rose to fame in the 1990s as a singer and song manufacturer. Formerly known as” Puff Daddy” or” P. Diddy”, among other names, he is credited with launching the careers of some of the biggest names in music through his recording label,” Bad Boy Entertainment”. He even launched a successful clothing collection, Sean John.
Combs ‘ accusations against him are the most recent evidence of how his reputation has been tarnished. Earlier this year, media outlets obtained shocking images from 2016 resort movie security purportedly showing Combs hitting, kicking, and dragging his then-girlfriend Cassandra” Cassie” Ventura.
In a petition, Ventura claimed that Combs brought her into his “ostentatious, fast-paced, and drug-fueled life” and perpetuated a style of abuse that appears to meet many of the other allegations made in various civil suits and the current national charges.
Another Warm Water Music Mogul
If you’ve been squirming and wondering if you’ve already heard about the allegations against Combs, you might be thinking of Robert Sylvester Kelly, a singer known as R. Kelly, who is already serving 30 years in prison for sexual acts, at least some involving minors. Although the situations involving Kelly and Kelly involved young girls, there are still significant similarities between the two hip-hop stars.
According to a CNN article, prosecutors have used the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act ( RICO ) to “indict them Kelly and Combs” on allegations that they allegedly used that power and fame to extort funds, people, and businesses that they had to help them commit crimes and attempt to cover them up. In other words, stars are now being treating as an “enterprise” rather than an individual.
The novel use of RICO to prosecute alleged crimes of coercion and manipulation undermines the defenses offered by famous faces implicated in# MeToo charges. Kevin Spacey’s lawyer argued that having sex as a brand is not prohibited and infidelity is not against the law when he was facing a criminal prosecution for allegedly sexually assaulting people. However, in a culture that glorifies sensual sexual exploits, if everyone is physically of legitimate age, how do the courts parse who is a victim? The defense in Combs ‘ case appears to be making the claim that he ran a criminal enterprise rather than as an individual.
When Rap Lyrics Become Reality
Combs publicly praised the# MeToo movement and expressed his desire to see positive changes in celebrity culture in a now-infamous magazine cover story three years ago. It seems appropriate that the record label he started is called” Bad Boy Entertainment” as the music industry performs a retrospective analysis of how alleged crimes of such inhumanity continued for decades unchecked.
It is difficult to comprehend how the same culture that for decades made a “bad” man famous for producing music about sexual fantasies, frequently coercive, drug-fueled, and pornographic, now wants to charge him for the crime of leading a lifestyle that matched his bravado.
The indictment of one of music entertainment’s biggest names is also an indictment of our popular culture. If we do n’t like women to be degraded and abused, perhaps it’s time we stop paying for the simulation in our music and visual entertainment. Until then, little girls and barely legal 19-year-olds will continue to pay the price.
