Another fall from grace

Exploring the broader implications of high-profile celebrity drama

When the latest celebrity scandal erupted on my social media feed, I found myself inadvertently drawn into an internet rabbit hole despite knowing very little about the man known as Diddy. I was vaguely aware of his association with rap and hip-hop, and that he was once known as Puff Daddy. Yet, his dramatic fall from grace compelled me to delve deeper into the unfolding events following his arrest for reasons I found intriguing enough to write about here, despite my heavy reluctance to give this man - or his type - any real estate on my platform(s).

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How it started: Similar cases

The whole Diddy affair reeked of the Harvey Weinstein fiasco, or the Epstein case (which linked with the Prince Andrew controversy of which I barely knew anything and didn’t bother investigating at all). The parallels to other high-profile scandals became immediately apparent and strikingly so.

Still, despite questioning my interest into these sensationalized events, I allowed myself to be lured into the Diddy drama.

For days after his arrest, my mind was consumed by the incredible yet predictable unfolding stories, leaving me distracted and unfocused in my own pursuit of creative endeavors in the name of "staying informed."

Truth be told, I hate this expression ‘staying informed’, but it’s what people use when they find themselves endlessly consuming so-called newsworthy events.

But what exactly are we trying to stay informed about when we use this term?

Diddy's outlandish behaviour and subsequent arrest has no direct bearing on my life, nor does the abhorrent actions of other high-profile types like Weinstein et al.

Or do they?

How it continued: There seems no end

This wasn't the first time I'd found myself in such an emotionally distracted state. Weeks earlier, I was similarly engrossed in the Kamala Harris Democratic ticket story. Her rise to prominence in the US political landscape made it nearly impossible to escape in that everything about her infiltrated every corner of the internet. It was both endlessly fascinating and overwhelmingly maddening. Then came the [first] assassination attempt on Donald Trump and things got even more riveting.

What is happening in America? I found myself sinking deeper into the melodrama coming out of that nation, perplexed and confused. Is any of this even real?

I convinced myself with an assorted array of excuses reasons to keep scrolling incessantly through the social media feeds I had not long ago determined were detrimental to my mental health. Add to that an ever-present physical ache in my neck and upper back, emotional overwhelm and perhaps even some cosmic interference from the most recent lunar cycle, all of which left me wiling away in bed in the name of feeling unwell, reading with apt interest all the theatrics of high-profile celebrities.

The stories were exasperating and intoxicating. I fully admit I let myself become addicted to that contemptuous little device in my hand.

Related research: The fascination with American prisons

As I delved deeper into the Diddy scandal, I found myself drawn to investigating related topics. A passing comment in some article about the sleeping arrangement of New York’s latest celebrity criminal in the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center sparked my deepening curiosity about the state of the US prison system.

It was said Mr. Sean Combs (the legal name of Diddy aka Puff Daddy) would have to sleep in a ‘disgusting’ cell, possibly in isolation ‘for his protection’ due to his ‘celebrity status’ with a ‘thin foam mattress merely one-and-a-half-inches thick’ and ‘without a pillow’ or ‘regular use of shower facilities’. They were citing short-staffing among other reasons.

I can only imagine the conditions described and I doubt my imagination is an adequate representation of reality.

But it was that article and the mention of the thin mattress which suddenly confronted me with the humanity (or inhumanity) of incarceration in that country, regardless of the person’s so-called social status.

I also began to wonder what Mr. Comb’s real bed looked like in the master bedroom of his many mansions. How thick is his mattress? How expensive the sheets? How many pillows did he use for sleeping?

It led me to question how this incredibly affluent man might adjust to such extreme discomforts in his new digs at the MCD.

My imagination took on epic proportions of scenarios and visuals which kept me agitated and disillusioned throughout the week and into the weekend.

Digging deeper: The perils of the US justice system

Naturally, while consumed with the Diddy affair, Mr. Weinstein’s predicament of recent years came to mind. He is not well, the former movie mogul; he looks sick and probably suffers from various illnesses or health conditions. It wasn’t long ago when I read somewhere that Mr. Weinstein was to be transferred to Rikers Island, a prison system often mentioned in shows like Law & Order, especially the SVU branch.

Rikers Island is known tyo contain one of the most notorious prisons in America and plagued by overcrowding, short-staffing and a number of other issues (which seem to ring true for most prisons in America, at least the well-known ones). One article by John J. Lennon, a prisoner of Riker and other jails in America, wrote a book about his experiences in the prison system. I came across his article titled The Brutal Reality of Life in America’s Most Notorious Jail which was utterly fascinating. He was locked up in maximum-security prisons for two decades but described his time on Rikers Island as the worst one.

I also knew a little bit about the interior of prisons in America from fiction books written by authors like John Grisham (The Racketeer), but the realities are probably much, much worse.

Inevitably, I grappled with questions about survival, hygiene, and the emotional toll of incarceration the inmates are faced with in today’s prison system.

Almost by default, I began to worry about the well-documented injustices within the US prison system. How many innocent people, mentally challenged individuals, or those trapped in deep impoverishment who were led to a life of crime from childhood find themselves in these unimaginable circumstances?

Changing direction: The victims’ plights

Eventually, I forced myself to stop focusing on the criminal element and turned my attention to the victims. It is my belief that these so-called alleged criminals (like Diddy and Weinstein) would not have been arrested, much less denied bail, if the feds didn’t have adequate evidence available to convince a judge or grand jury to remove these people from society. They’re in jail for a reason, and if they’re found innocent (doubtful), then they can argue that in court.

Here’s what I say:

Let these criminals sleep on their skinny foam mattresses in their disgusting jail cells.

Ask yourself, how did Diddy let his sex ‘participants’ sleep when they lay exhausted, with illegal IVs inserted into their arms? (Alleged, I know, but not hard to image as true.) Did he provide them with a room with a comfortable, clean mattress on a bed and access to a shower in one of his many mansions or luxury hotel suits after performing inconceivable sex acts for hours or days, probably under duress?

Please.

The depth of control exerted by these high-profile multi-millionaire celebrities all over Hollywood and the music industry paint a disturbing picture. As victims come forward and share their stories, the pictures will almost certainly erode further.

The entourage: The protectors and enablers

What’s even more compelling is the sheer amount of enablers engaged in the protection of these high-profile abusers. I quote here from a article in the Guardian referencing a video in which Diddy kicked and abused his then-girlfriend Casandra (Cassie) Ventura in a public hallway of a major hotel:

I wasn’t surprised that Cassie had long been telling the truth, despite Diddy’s serial denials. What took my breath away was what the location implied – the sheer number of people who must have been involved in justice not being served. What exactly is the process for covering up a filmed incident of serious assault by an international star in the corridor of a hotel owned by a major international chain? Let’s just say I imagine Diddy’s lot are quite familiar with it. But think of the hotel side. There are CCTV images – it is a whole department’s job to monitor CCTV. Were the management informed? Where were the police? Quite the mystery. (Marina Hyde: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/24/al-fayed-diddy-enablers-entourage)

Still, the allure for me to keep reading prevailed. I found myself questioning why people continued to attend these grotesque "freak-offs" despite the implied risks. The lure of being ‘seen at Diddy's party’ versus the ‘fear of career repercussions’ created a notable tension which, at least for me, increases the complications for the victim’s role.

The elaborate web of lies and deceit

I am most interested in the capabilities of these criminally charged individuals in terms of how they weave their web of lies in the name of self-preservation.

Here’s the thing:

When the accused denies his crimes, he cites all sorts of reasons excuses: integrity, brilliance, status. When he is then presented with unequivocal evidence of crimes - like abuse to name but one - by his lawyers, an almost immediate transformation occurs. The lies get more convoluted by the minute. Remember, these people criminals are highly creative and quite capable of dealing with a multitude of challenges simultaneously. Their lawyers must find increasingly innovative (and believable) ways to disprove the many victims’ claims of abuse (and there will be many) while stoking their client’s bruised egos.

The lawyers of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs will fight an uphill battle, of that I am sure.

And the timing couldn’t be worse for Diddy (or better for the victims) given the socio-political climate of this very intense election year in America. Mark my words; things are going to get a lot worse very quickly for the music mogul.

Over-the-top arrogance

It is with increasing fascination I absorb the theatrics of the likes of Mr. Combs who spins his yarn of lies in the name of preserving his so-called integrity or legacy.

It’s laughable he can sit there in his prison garb and proclaim integrity. Or to listen to his pleas about being a father or multiple children, some still minors.

Did it ever occur to him that the people he abused are also someone’s children?

It’s this enduring arrogance, this continual attempt to rationalize criminal behaviour which I find compelling. It's the many desperate bids and appeals to return to their lives of luxury by offering the [most likely] unlawfully-obtained financial bargaining chips of immense value which I find fascinating to observe. “Take $50 million and allow me to stay home under house arrest so I can raise my children” kind of mentality appears to come quite naturally to these people.

$50 million is probably a drop in the bucket for Diddy.

Truth be told, it is incredibly despairing to watch these criminals’ utter disregard for their victims’ plights, both during their ordeal and after, that reinforces the deep and disturbing problems associated with extreme wealth and its perception of ultimate power.

The lure for details and failing to unplug

After three days of being deeply immersed in these unfolding tales, I made a decision. I needed to reclaim calm and serenity in order to regain focus and attention to personal matters. These endlessly sensational distractions were affecting my thoughts negatively, charging my emotions in undesirable ways, and leaving me jittery and discombobulated.

I decided as of Monday, I would take a break from ‘staying informed’ and focus on my own projects.

While I remain interested in how Diddy's alleged crimes will be proven in court and what the fallout will be for that branch of the music industry (rap/hip-hop), I wish to clarify that I am more intrigued by the human connection aspect than the music genre itself. Watching the criminals come to realizations that things have finally caught up with them is pleasing in a grotesque sort of way. Likewise, watching the victim’s courage to come forward and share heart-breaking stories is pleasing in a different sense.

I wonder, frankly, if any of it will make a difference long-term: Harvey Weinstein was first convicted in February 2020 and yet, here we are four years later watching a similar fall from grace.

Why do I stay and read this crap, I asked myself multiple times while reading or watching the endless stream of content on coming through the internet.

I have no answers.

May they prove Mr. Sean Combs guilty as charged, lock him up and throw away the key. I can't imagine a different outcome.

Thank you for reading.

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